With a new member of the Royal family having made his debut a few days ago, the focus is now very much on the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, an event that has not gone unnoticed by several card retailers in Windsor, where the wedding will take place on May 19, in the grounds of Windsor Castle.
Within Union Jack flag-waving distance of the happy couple’s Windsor wedding venue, the town’s landmark department store Daniel, and gift, card and lifestyle store, Vinegar Hill are among those already in celebration mode.
As Trudy Durkin, managing director for Daniel Stores, Windsor (Royal warrant holder) told PG Buzz: “It’s a huge celebration for the Royal family, and due to the fact that Prince Harry and Meghan have decided to get married in Windsor Castle we will definitely be celebrating. We are Royal warrant holders, and as the largest department store in Windsor, having been trading for over 100 years, we are very excited that Windsor is the chosen venue.”
She revealed that the retailer is installing celebratory windows congratulating the happy couple and will have television screens across the store to ensure everyone has live coverage of the special day.
Picking up on the local and tourist trade, Daniel has invested in a wide range of product to commemorate the royal wedding from Royal Scott special edition glasses, to ‘When Harry met Meghan’ mugs, limited edition Royal Windsor bags as well as flags and bunting, “which are all selling very well,” confirms Trudy.
Meanwhile, Lisa Ripley, manager of Vinegar Hill’s Windsor store (one of the 11 strong gift, card and lifestyle shops which are part of the family-owned business) is another retailer that is gearing up for the nuptials.
“We will be celebrating by decking out the window in traditional commemorative bunting, mugs, tea-towels and fridge magnets, all designed by a company called For Richer For Poorer, who donates the profits from the products to the homeless of Windsor.”
Vinegar Hill directors have pledged their support to this cause helping to provide funds as well as awareness of this social issue in the run up to the Royal Wedding.
“The homeless of Windsor has been a big news story locally for the past months and these beautifully designed products have real heart,” says Lisa.
The Royal couple will not be the only ones getting togged up in their finery and Lisa and her team will most definitely be dressing up. “We will be having our very own Vinegar Hill Street party. Bunting, balloons and fancy dress will be the order of the day, along with the obligatory fairy cakes!”
Lisa says that while Windsor is always popular with tourists, this year it looks set to be even more so. “The overseas customers that we have visiting our shop seem to love the Vinegar Hill products. Being quintessentially British we always have a gift that they would like to take home to remind them of their visit to the UK.
Vinegar Hill is a family run business and tourists love to hear that it is two sisters and a brother that have built up this individual chain of shops, and the idea of donating to a good cause happens all year at Vinegar Hill as any of its own brand products have a percentage donated to a charity in India called lovetheone, dedicated to helping children and their parents escape the poverty trap.”
