IN Good Company
These are the people we know and love. We have worked with them, we trust them, we recommend them.
Welsh Sisters Gin
Artisan gin distilled and infused in Wales.
Welsh Sisters Ltd is a small artisan gin company.
The team make award winning gins based on stories of women and the sea. What a great combination!
This lovely gin is distilled and infused in Wales.
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Jake Brewer - Studio Brewer
Design and lettering, with amazing character.
Jake is an adventurous designer, illustrator & letterer based in Bristol.
We have commissioned Jake for a few projects across our businesses, mainly at Glen Dye Cabins and Cottages. Get in touch with Jake for design with some serious character.
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Ploterre
Exploring the natural world through mathematics and design.
Limited edition prints of environmental data brought to life through a combination of mathematics and design by Rebecca J Kaye
You can spot a Ploterre print in most locations around Glen Dye Cabins and Cottages, they are a real favourite of ours.
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Mark McKellier
Wood type fonts, ornaments, borders and replacement letters for printers.
Mark McKellier is a graphic designer with 30 years of experience in design for print. Mark now uses his love of typography, patterns and letterpress printing to design and make wood type fonts, ornaments, borders and replacement letters for printers who are ‘out of sorts’.
With a collection of over 50 cases of wood type and three printing presses (including a Harrild Pullmaster Proofing Press that used to belong to Her Majesty's Stationery Office) Mark originally made wood type for himself to replace missing letters, before realising he wasn’t the only printmaker with that problem. Combining modern CNC cutting technology with traditional methods (including a restored 1960’s Funditor printer’s table saw) he aspires to produce wood type to the standards of Delittle and Day & Collins.
Contact Mark for commissions and collaborations via his website.
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Toucan Tango
A printmaking, illustration and design duo based in New Brighton.
Toucan Tango is a printmaking, illustration and design duo (trio if you count Pip the dog) based in New Brighton. They print from their home studio and produce screenprinted gifts to make you smile.
Expect a range of art prints and gig posters. As well as everything from pin badges, coasters and pillows.
They only print on 100% recycled card and have started to explore making thier own paints from organic materials like coffee.
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Tom Frost
Prints and objects inspired by old match boxes, vintage tin toys, folk art, children’s books and stamps.
Tom Frost’s work is inspired by a passion for old match boxes, vintage tin toys, folk art, children’s books and stamps. Utilising screen printing, plywood, vintage Meccano, acrylic paint, Gocco machines and perspiration, Tom creates items that people will cherish for years to come.
A long time friend of The Good Life Society and Some Good Ideas, Tom Frost has produced brilliant Good Life Experience festival posters for us for many years.
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Village Circus
Creative event producers, designers of unique tiny spaces, canvas canopies, camper vans and vintage restorations.
Based on the Welsh Borders, Village Circus are creative event producers, designers of unique tiny spaces, canvas canopies, camper vans and vintage restorations.
With a truly unique offering, Village Circus is a bounty of creativity. They sold us the Showman’s caravan, an original 1950’s Pilot (that was first owned by the touring circus troupe, Duo Russmar) and eventually lovingly restored by Village Circus duo, Willo and Lex. The Showman’s caravan now resides at Glen Dye and is available to guests.
They made a bespoke canopy for Hawarden Estate Farm Shop and hand-made canopies for Glen Dye, too. They’ll also be making one for Summer Camp. Trusted by us, Village Circus supports British manufacturing and sustainable production.
Contact them for brilliant ideas, perfectly executed.
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Workhouse England
British sartorial clothing manufactures who prize British fabrics, deadstock and heritage mills.
Workhouse England has been manufacturing sartorial British clothing for twenty years, but their designs and inspiration goes back over a hundred.
Using British cloth, deadstock and working with traditional British mills; Workhouse looks for materials with a story. They prize sustainability and work to build local supply chains. They take pride in their capabilities in-house, such as fabric dyeing, printing, and their pattern cutter who trained at Huntsman on Savile Row. Workhouse evokes authenticity that bridges the traditional and the contemporary through complete thoroughness.
They made our exceptional Workwear Jackets with the same care and precision they achieve with everything they do. We could not have found a more like-minded manufacturer to partner with.
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Huddersfield Screenprinting Co
Huddersfield Screenprinting Co is an independent design and screenprinting studio based in West Yorkshire.
Huddersfield Screenprinting Co is an independent design and screenprinting studio based in West Yorkshire.
They offer a bespoke printing service, specialising in hand screen-printed t-shirts, sweatshirts, bags, aprons, accessories, art prints and posters.
They expertly screen-printed the design on the Hawarden Estate Farm Shop uniform, which we L.O.V.E.
With backgrounds in fashion and graphic design and a passion for screenprinting, they originally started out by printing t-shirts in their garden shed. Several versions of home-made kit later, they now run a fully equipped screenprinting studio from the top floor of an old Victorian textile mill, with their small but talented team.
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Callie Jones
Illustrator, printmaker, artist, digital artist.
Illustrator, printmaker, artist, digital artist.
Callie Jones is a Cornish illustrator, printmaker, artist, digital artist, who lives in North Wales.
Callie enjoys planning and developing innovative ideas and designs for all sorts of publications and projects, and she’s able to provide camera ready artwork in a variety of formats.
Callie also sells a range of prints and greetings cards.
Our sister businesses have worked with Callie on many amazing projects. We love her style and highly recommend her for commissions.
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Rhys Jones
Graphic design and creative ideas.
Graphic design and creative ideas.
We met Rhys a few years ago when he came to work for ours sister business The Good Life Experience. Since then, Rhys has created amazing designs and installations for us at the festival and throughout our businesses at Hawarden.
Rhys injects fun and colour into all of his work, and he’s seriously good at what he does. He works on: Identity & brand development, logos & word marks, illustration, creative direction, digital & web design, social marketing, print & editorial, event design & build. He covers it all!
We are so lucky to have Rhys as part of our amazing community. If you want an installation, a shop design, a window display, some signage or anything to be designed - Rhys is your man.
More good design businesses.
Doug Kerr
Graphic design and art direction for brands, books and theatre.
Graphic design and art direction for brands, books and theatre.
Doug has been a friend of ours for nearly a decade, in that time he’s worked on a number of our sister businesses including: Pedlars, Hawarden Estate Farm Shop, The Glynne Arms, Hawarden Castle Pavilion and The Good Life Experience.
We’ve worked with Doug to produce catalogues, programmes, newspapers, products and our very own book, The Family Guide to The Great Outdoors.
Doug gets the job done exceptionally well. Every time. And all with humour and warmth and true expertise.
Looking for a good designer? You should work with this man.
More good design businesses.
Monty & Co.
Timeless, unisex, childrenswear. Made in Britain.
Timeless, unisex, children’s wear.
Made In Britain.
Monty & Co. was born from a desire to find simple and stylish clothes for the co-founders’, Leigh and Emmerson Montague, children.
A combination of a concern for the relentless cycle of consumption in the fashion industry coupled with a lack of transparency, and a passion to solve the problems, Monty & Co was born.
Leigh and Emmerson want these clothes to allow children be free to: Play, Work, Create and Discover.
Monty & Co have been part of the Market Place at our sister Business The Good Life Experience for several years. Their clothing is fantastic in quality and design and we can’t recommend them enough.
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Steve Chapman
Artist, writer and speaker interested in creativity and the human condition.
Artist, writer and speaker interested in creativity and the human condition. Steve is also the anti-critic at Some Good Ideas.
Steve is an artist, writer and speaker interested in creativity and the human condition. He has sold work across four continents and exhibited alongside the likes of Pablo Picasso and David Shrigley. He has spoken around the world on creativity and is the host of Sound of Silence – the world’s first silent podcast, featuring special guests. He is at his best when he is right on the edge of not quite knowing what he is doing.
Steve is also Some Good Ideas anti-critic, where he highlights the work artist typically underrepresented in the art world. Self-named the anti-critic due to his proclaimed lack of "formal" training and for the reason Steve is simply discussing the work of artists that he likes.
Steve is also the Artist In Residence at The Good Life Experience in 2021. The Good Life Experience is our sister business.
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Penny Lee
Penny works in brand direction and design, helping companies and businesses to find their niche and put it out there.
Penny works in brand direction and design, helping companies and businesses to find their niche and put it out there.
Penny works with women-led businesses to create brand strategy and design that truly represents their vision. Finding their niche. Getting their brand story straight. Upping their game. Penny does this work under the business name The Brand Directoress.
Penny is also the founder of Walking Whisky Wellness, which is a business conference like no other. Penny is currently focusing on The Brand Directoress.
We have known Penny for years, and last year she spoke at our sister business festival The Good Life Experience.
Image: Jim MarsdenMore good businesses.
Alfie’s Studio
The impeccable design studio with a collection of stationery and prints.
The impeccable design studio with a collection of stationery and prints.
Alfie’s Studio work with individuals and small businesses to create unique designs that represent them. Nicole helps people bring their visions to life with authentically simple words and imagery. We’ve worked with Alfie’s Studio on many occasions, Nicole designed the fluorescent back print on our Yarmouth Oilskin workwear jackets which have become an infamous staple to The Good Life Experience uniform.
Image: Department TwoMore good businesses.
Sightseers
The creative adventures of Hollie Harmsworth and Jon Hayward. They work with brands to create images and craft stories, naturally.
The creative adventures of Hollie Harmsworth and Jon Hayward. They work with brands to create images and craft stories, naturally.
Based in North Wales, you will often find this pair roaming around the mountains and forests of Snowdonia, shooting landscape, adventure, and lifestyle photography.
We have worked with Hollie and John on a number of projects in Hawarden, including The Good Life Experience and Estate Open Days, and they’re two of our favourites.
A few more good people from the world of design…
Jim Marsden
Lancashire-based photographer with an enviable client list.
Lancashire-based photographer with an enviable client list.
Jim is one of the best photographers around.
His work includes commissions from Finisterre, Millican, Sawdays, Huit Denim, Bulb Energy, Paynter Jacket Co and The Good Life Experience.
Jim is inspired by other photographers but he likes to take inspiration from books, films, music and art. This clearly helps him think outside the box.
A few more good people from the world of design…
Samantha Wilkinson
A designer working with both clients and collaborators, she creates idea based designs, specialising in branding and digital projects.
A designer working with both clients and collaborators, she creates idea based designs, specialising in branding and digital projects.
We first worked with Sam in the early days of Some Good Ideas, before going on to commission a handful of digital and printed pieces for The Good Life Society’s pro-mask campaign.
As well as being a first-rate designer, Sam is also a wonderful photographer.
A few more good people from the world of design…