Photographic Evidence Of The Henries’ Celebration Of History And Abundant Camaraderie

It was certainly a memorable Henries greeting card awards event last Thursday (October 3), not just for the worthy award winners (see separate story), but for all the 700 attendees, who surrendered to the uplifting vibe of the gathering.

Getting their arms round the ‘100 years of greeting cards’ theme, which tied in with the GCA’s centenary celebration (headline sponsor of The Henries), many guests elected to come attired in keeping with any of the ten decades of the GCA’s heritage.

Above: Max Publishing’s (right-left) Warren Lomax, Gale Astley and Jakki Brown, dressed in 1919 garb.
Above: Max Publishing’s (right-left) Warren Lomax, Gale Astley and Jakki Brown, dressed in 1919 garb.

As Warren Lomax and Jakki Brown, joint managing directors of Max Publishing (which owns and organises The Henries) acknowledged in their welcome speech,  that one hundred years ago Britain and indeed the world, had only just emerged from the most horrendous unnecessary loss of human life in history with the four year long, so-called Great War. And then as if to add to the misery in that year, a deadly flu epidemic killed more people globally than even the First World War itself, several good things did come out of that tragic year. Women gained the vote for the first time, for starters – and it also marked the formation of the UK Greeting Card Association, an organisation formed to promote the sending and giving of greeting cards.

“Greeting cards may not be able to cure all the ills of society, but conversely no one would dispute the positive role that the greeting card sending habit, perpetuated by the GCA, has played on increasing human happiness through this special form of social communication… It is certainly a centenary worth celebrating,” said Jakki.

And celebrate they all did. Here’s just a flavour of the historic Henries…

Above: (right-left) Waterstones’ Claire Quinn and Hazel Walker with UKG’s Matt Stringfellow, Ben Whittington and Sandi Parisi.
Above: (right-left) Waterstones’ Claire Quinn and Hazel Walker with UKG’s Matt Stringfellow, Ben Whittington and Sandi Parisi.
Above: Legends in their own lifetime, the Brainbox Candy boys, as ever, were ‘in the frame’ to stand out with Ben Hickman coming as the Queen and Mark Williams adopting a Frida Kahlo persona.
Above: Legends in their own lifetime, the Brainbox Candy boys, as ever, were ‘in the frame’ to stand out with Ben Hickman coming as the Queen and Mark Williams adopting a Frida Kahlo persona.
Above: The Windles pre-reception got things off to a great start. (Right-left) Fi Burge (Really Good), Amanda Fergusson (GCA), Lisa Shoesmith (Really Good), Miles Robinson (House of Cards), Liz Ellis (Abacus) and Bev Cunningham (Ginger Bee).
Above: The Windles pre-reception got things off to a great start. (Right-left) Fi Burge (Really Good), Amanda Fergusson (GCA), Lisa Shoesmith (Really Good), Miles Robinson (House of Cards), Liz Ellis (Abacus) and Bev Cunningham (Ginger Bee).
Above: Windles’ md Bruce Podmore (second left) and his team celebrated the company’s history as it also toasted the GCA’s milestone year with its traditional pre-reception reception that was attended by publishers and suppliers galore.
Above: Windles’ md Bruce Podmore (second left) and his team celebrated the company’s history as it also toasted the GCA’s milestone year with its traditional pre-reception reception that was attended by publishers and suppliers galore.
Above: It was (far left) Joe Guest’s first Henries as Paperchase’s senior card buyer, something he was happy to share with colleagues (right-left) Cleo Harper, Grace Storr, Megan Douglas, Emma Clooney, Gemma Parris and Daisy Enticott.
Above: It was (far left) Joe Guest’s first Henries as Paperchase’s senior card buyer, something he was happy to share with colleagues (right-left) Cleo Harper, Grace Storr, Megan Douglas, Emma Clooney, Gemma Parris and Daisy Enticott.
Above: Comedian and TV presenter, Tom Allen was spot on as host for The Henries.
Above: Comedian and TV presenter, Tom Allen was spot on as host for The Henries.
Above: The 12th Street Swingers in full flow in the reception.
Above: The 12th Street Swingers in full flow in the reception.
Above: Tesco buyer Anna Rogers won the fun ‘Higher or Lower’ elimination quiz at the start of the evening. She was presented with her prize (a magnum of champagne, vintage-style champagne glasses and an antique print of Sir Henry Cole (namesake of The Henries), by Steve Baker, sales and marketing director of Pigment, sponsor of the warm-up game.
Above: Tesco buyer Anna Rogers won the fun ‘Higher or Lower’ elimination quiz at the start of the evening. She was presented with her prize (a magnum of champagne, vintage-style champagne glasses and an antique print of Sir Henry Cole (namesake of The Henries), by Steve Baker, sales and marketing director of Pigment, sponsor of the warm-up game.
Above: The ‘placecards’ were actual historic greeting cards, there were props to tie in with the eras (both elements sponsored by House of Cards) while the menu took on an inventive ‘time machine’ design (designed and produced by Windles).
Above: The ‘placecards’ were actual historic greeting cards, there were props to tie in with the eras (both elements sponsored by House of Cards) while the menu took on an inventive ‘time machine’ design (designed and produced by Windles).
Above: The charity raffle raised well over £6,000 for The Light Fund. Current GCA president (and UKG customer and channel director) Ceri Stirland (centre) and incumbent president, Rachel Hare, md of Belly Button Designs shared the responsibility of picking the winning tickets, helped along by Winston Churchill (aka PG’s Jim Bullough).
Above: The charity raffle raised well over £6,000 for The Light Fund. Current GCA president (and UKG customer and channel director) Ceri Stirland (centre) and incumbent president, Rachel Hare, md of Belly Button Designs shared the responsibility of picking the winning tickets, helped along by Winston Churchill (aka PG’s Jim Bullough).
Above: (right-left) Mark Janson-Smith (Postmark), Natalie Morphet (Portfolio), Ged Mace (The Art File) and Jayne Diggory (Portfolio).
Above: (right-left) Mark Janson-Smith (Postmark), Natalie Morphet (Portfolio), Ged Mace (The Art File) and Jayne Diggory (Portfolio).
Above: Award-winning face and body painter, Zoe Thornbury-Phillips (of About Face) and two colleagues got ‘skin deep’ in the Belly Button Designs-sponsored Adornment Station, with Tache’s Pennie Bryant and Simon Elvin’s Alex Lambrechts among those to enjoy the artistry.
Above: Award-winning face and body painter, Zoe Thornbury-Phillips (of About Face) and two colleagues got ‘skin deep’ in the Belly Button Designs-sponsored Adornment Station, with Tache’s Pennie Bryant and Simon Elvin’s Alex Lambrechts among those to enjoy the artistry.
Above: (right-left) Alpha Colour Printers’ Amy Muldrew, Maggie Williams, Luke Ostie and Tracey Knox.
Above: (right-left) Alpha Colour Printers’ Amy Muldrew, Maggie Williams, Luke Ostie and Tracey Knox.
Above: There was much fun to be had with the Magic Mirror photobooth (sponsored by House of Cards).
Above: There was much fun to be had with the Magic Mirror photobooth (sponsored by House of Cards).
Above: (left-right) Cardzone’s Claire Hall and Paul Taylor with IC&G’s Ian and Ursula Wagstaff.
Above: (left-right) Cardzone’s Claire Hall and Paul Taylor with IC&G’s Ian and Ursula Wagstaff.
Above: Freigh Train spun some cracking tunes that had the dancefloor heaving.
Above: Freight Train spun some cracking tunes that had the dancefloor heaving.
Above: They’re not just good at cards! (Right-left) Paper Salad’s Claire Williams and Karen Wilson with Belly Button’s Rachel Hare on the dancefloor.
Above: They’re not just good at cards! (Right-left) Paper Salad’s Claire Williams and Karen Wilson with Belly Button’s Rachel Hare on the dancefloor.

You can see all The Henries 2019 photos (and download any that take your fancy) on: https://maxpublishing.shootproof.com/TheHenries2019

Top: Tom Allen went down fantastically well as host for The Henries 2019.

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