The Business Exchange Swindon & Wiltshire Edition 37: June/July 2018 | Page 37

MAKING HISTORY AT
HARTHAM PARK
We made history at Hartham Park on May 10 2018, with the
launch of our inaugural IT and technology awards for Swindon
& Wiltshire- The Techies, founded by local business woman
Anita Jaynes, also owner of The Business Exchange magazine.
We made history at Hartham Park on May
10 2018, with the launch of our inaugural
IT and technology awards for Swindon &
Wiltshire- The Techies, founded by local
business woman Anita Jaynes, also owner of
The Business Exchange magazine.
It was the ideal location to host the awards
as it has been at the centre of innovation for
centuries, being a place to meet, host events
and do business in different guises.
Present owner Jeff Thomas is passionate
about preserving Hartham Park’s history,
but at the same time investing in its future,
so that it continues to be a place people
where people create and collaborate for
years to come. He has big plans for Hartham
Park and has a 100-year vision to turn the
estate into a permanent innovation and
educational zone.
The vision is already being realised
through the Corsham Institute; a not-for-
profit organisation focusing on research,
learning and enterprise in a digital society.
Recent work includes the ‘Your Data, Your
Rights’ study which undertook a local survey
on the understanding of how personal data
is used and shared online and how it’s a
key part of building a digitally literate and
confident community.
For an organisation focusing on
technology and the digital sector Corsham
Institute is leading the way with a strong
female team, inspiring more women in
this area. It is led by CEO Rachel Neaman,
Louisa Simons, COO, Alison Clare director
of learning and Catherine Knivett, head of
partnerships.
In the February/March issue of The
Business Exchange we looked at Hartham
Park’s history. This time we look at the
formidable women Hartham Park has been
home to over the years.
HARTHAM PARK’S STRONG WOMEN
Hartham Park has been home to many
modern women including Lady Anne James,
widow of the Chairman of the Easy India
Company, who built the Georgian mansion
house that we see today. She appointed
the eminent architect James Wyatt who re-
positioned it to face due south to make the
most of the sun.
When Lady Anne James died the property
was let for 21 years before it was sold to a
prominent London family, the Poynders. They
were bricklayers but made a lot of money.
The Poynder’s were responsible for much
of the buildings in Biddestone and Pickwick
including the old rectory, Pickwick Brewery
and the dairy (which you can still see the
family crest on) and engrandised the Hartham
Park estate building all three gatehouses.
The Poynders lived at Hartham Park for
three generations, but only had female issue.
The most prominant was Anne Dixon-
Poynder. They were at Hartham Park from
1880-1912 until they left for New Zealand as
he became Governor of the country.
Anne was a thoroughly modern woman,
she raced motorcars, played golf and had
a three-hole golf course in the grounds at
Hartham. In Box there is a memorial by the
Co-op dedicated by Joan, she also laid the
cornerstone to the Hospital in Winsley, now
Dorothy House Hospice. WW1, were essentially the intellectuals of the
day. They believed in the Romanesque - a fit
body, is a fit mind, is a fit soul. A new sport
the group embraced was Sticke tennis, similar
to lawn tennis, but enclosed in a wooden
construction. It was a game that heralded
equality with men and women playing
together. Hartham Park is home to one of
only two playable Sticke tennis courts in the
country and only three in the world. Notable
characters regularly played Sticke at Hartham
Park, including the Spencer-Churchill’s and
Asquith’s.
DIVERSITY, LEADERSHIP &
MINDFULNESS @ HARTHAM PARK
Anne was a member of a loosely knit group
of elite Edwardian aristocratic males and
females known as the Souls who, before Hartham Park is a place to meet, work
and host events. It also has various
membership options available for
co-working and flexible workspace.
To find out more call 01249 700 000
HARTHAM PARK, GIN, PEARMAGNE
AND LEA & PERRINS SAUCE
In the August/September edition of The
Business Exchange find out Hartham Park’s
association with gin, Pearmagne (like
champagne, but made out of pears) and
Lea & Perrins sauce.
WHY YOU NEED FLUFFY PUFFIN
AT YOUR NEXT EVENT
Fluffy Puffin is a Calne-based artisan ice cream and sorbet
company specialising in a cool experience for weddings,
special occasions and corporate events.
The Business Exchange met owner
Chris Wooldridge through a mutual
connection who recommended
looking at Fluffy Puffin as something
different and fun to entertain guests
at our tech awards, The Techies.
TBE edito r Anita Jaynes met
Chris for a coffee and found out
all about Fluffy Puffin, a start-up
family business. As a trained chef
Chris worked in hospitality locally
before coming up with the idea for
Fluffy Puffin. Chris produces all of
Fluffy Puffin’s ice cream in-house
from scratch, only using the best
ingredients, seasonal and locally
sourced when possible. The dairy
comes from Wiltshire and Somerset
farms and he uses trusted Belgian
chocolatiers to deliver the finest
chocolate from around the world.
There’s a “no nasties” policy at Fluffy
Puffin and none of the ice cream or
sorbet contain any artificial ingredients
or flavourings.
Aside from the quality ingredients
and ethical policy at the heart of this
business is passion and innovation.
Imagine a Heston Blumenthal
experience, entertainment out of the
art of ice cream making. Event guests
can custom design their ice creams
and sorbets, creating an interactive
and immersive experience. Hire Fluffy
Puffin and you can watch fresh
churning and demonstrations of how
flavours are mixed together, from
fresh garnishes to alcoholic cocktail
creations.
Having an ice cream bar at The
Techies made our event extra special,
Chris wowed our crowd and provided
a perfect ice-breaker in terms of
networking. We’ll be recommending
Chris and Fluffy Puffin where ever we
go and hope to support Chris in his
journey to grow the business from the
current husband and wife team (his
wife is also a chef) to a small army of
Fluffy Puffin carts putting the cherry
on top of events throughout the
country.
@fluffy_puffin
For more info:
www.fluffypuffin.com
THE BUSINESS EXCHANGE 2018
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