Local Face: Catherine Waterman

Philippa and Catherine outside the shop. Photo courtesy Sarah Greer Photography.

It hardly seems possible that it’s twenty years ago since Catherine’s Mum, Philippa Kearney, took a giant step into the unknown and opened The Flower Gallery. Unsurprisingly, Catherine remembers it well, since it was the day after her sixteenth birthday! School then was the Sir Henry Floyd but it wasn’t long before she found herself working Saturdays in the shop.

She eventually went on to study for her Marketing Degree at Manchester Metropolitan University for three years, frequently returning to work in the shop during the holidays. On graduation a corporate future beckoned but the lure of flowers proved irresistible. She came back to provide cover for Agi during her maternity leave in 2008 – and has been there ever since!

Catherine and Peter were married in 2013 and son Tommy celebrated his first birthday on 17 October. By strange coincidence they live in Princess Mary Gate, just metres from where Catherine was born in Princess Mary Hospital. Another twist of fate saw Agi return to work in The Flower Gallery to return the favour and cover for Catherine during her maternity leave!

She already has fond memories of her time on the High Street. The shop has made bouquets for the late Queen Elizabeth II and also for Princess Anne and other members of the Royal Family. Five Prime Ministers have also been catered for at Chequers. High on the list is the amazing day when she found herself being paid a visit by Take That as part of a TV ad for Suzuki. Wendover came to a halt for a time as filming took place, https://tinyurl.com/3ucuhnnn. People still chide her for not letting them know in advance that Take That were coming to town – but she genuinely had no idea! The ad can still be seen on You Tube. Another highlight was recording Escape to the Country in the shop just five days before Tommy was born.

Away from the shop, one of Catherine’s main interests is Zumba. After attending classes for a few years she decided to become an Instructor and since qualifying in 2016 she has run her own busy classes at the Memorial Hall in Great Missenden. Good exercise, friendship and fun! She’s always happy to see and welcome new faces and if you’d like to learn more about Zumba then you can find information on http://catherinewaterman.zumba.com.

Although obviously happy to be playing her part in a long-established family business, Catherine is excited, too, for the future of Wendover’s High Street and its expanding range of successful Independents. The number of ‘out of town’ visitors continues to increase and there is no doubt that Wendover is enjoying well-deserved growth as a shopping ‘destination’.