FAR LEFT & LEFT Hats and cows make for an interesting business mix for Bev Bargh at Wood Close Farm.
ABOVE For Andrew, Bev and Daniel Bargh the move to Penrith from Lancashire has proved successful from both a farming and a family point of view.
INSET RIGHT Offering a wide selection of styles and types, Bev Bargh’s Get Ahead Hats franchise has caught the attention of many locals looking for that all essential accessory.
ABOVE RIGHT New and established cow families at Wood Close have helped the Bargh family lift yields to 8251kg on twice a day milking.
BELOW Upgrading to pedigree status in 2000 has seen the Woodclose herd invest some leading genetics in recent years.
between the 17 businesses, Get Ahead Hats has something to suit every outfit and customer. The shop is always fully stocked and also offers felt, velvet and silk hats for winter weddings, to go with coats and heavier jackets. “Twice a year we all meet up at the head office and the milliners put together collections to let us
‘
see the latest fashions. This is an opportunity for us to keep in touch with the milliners but also catch up properly with each other and exchange stories and experiences – we are one big team. “When I started I was trained to make hats, but we are so busy it now works best that milliners make them for us. However, I still size hats to fit correctly and can add material around the crown to match an outfit or add feathers.” With the farm situated on the side of the B5305, the hat sign at the entrance has attracted the attention of a lot of considerate
men – taxi drivers, lorry drivers and builders who drive past call in for a flyer to take home.
Ladies enjoy the rural setting and find it a relaxing experience. Bev only sees one person at a time so they get her undivided attention. “It’s a different experience for some, not only do they get the one-to-one attention, but they can then enjoy being on the farm and seeing farm life all around them, often buying some eggs while they are here. It is a very homely atmosphere and I’m in no way pushy – I wouldn’t let someone leave with something that wasn’t 100% right.” But it’s not always the conventional wedding or race day attire that is required. “One of the most interesting requests was a groom who wanted a hat made as a surprise for his bride to wear at their Pirates of the Caribbean themed wedding. After a lot of planning and getting her measurements, he was so pleased with the hat that he got one made for himself to match.” On top of that, Get Ahead Hats has had hats worn by a number of well known ladies. “Actress Claire Sweeney wore one of our hats at Aintree Ladies Day.” Get Ahead Hats employed a PR company that organised the hats to be worn by celebrities at the races and Zara Phillips wore one from another branch, while the Reading branch regularly supplies hats to the Middleton family and HRH The Duchess of Cambridge has been photographed wearing Get Ahead Hats on many occasions. An advantage of being part of the co-operative is that the cost of advertising and marketing is shared as well as the cost of a website
www.getaheadhats.co.uk. The company also shares a Facebook page that shows a hat of the week from each branch
8 EX
& 55 VG CLASSIFIED COWS
One of the most interesting requests was a groom who wanted a hat made as a surprise for his bride to wear at their Pirates of the Caribbean themed wedding
’ THE JOURNAL OCTOBER 2014 27
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