On a sunny September evening we gathered at the glorious Moor Park Mansion to celebrate the 40 years Trend & Thomas have been in business.
Described by a guest as an evening that felt ‘filled with goodness’ we toasted, dined, caught up with old friends, colleagues and clients and reminded ourselves why Trend & Thomas is held in such high esteem and what a pleasure it is to be part of a company that feels like a family!
In early 2024, Neil Guilfoyle and Paul Harris had a chat about how to honour the date Trend & Thomas was originally incorporated. In business these days a legacy lasting 40 years is something to be very proud of and both men wanted to mark the day and share it with clients, colleagues and friends.
There have been a few changes over the years, the original incorporation on the 31st October 1984 was made by Michael Trend & Adrian Thomas, with Paul Harris coming alongside Michael in 1986 and Neil joining the team in 2004. Sadly, both Michael and Adrian are no longer with us but their huge involvement was celebrated with due respect.
Our guests sipped bubbles and admired the stunning main hall, we caught up with old colleagues and clients and reminisced about the funny stories and challenging times along the way. The chefs prepared a late summer bbq and we dined in the prettiest dining room on delicious salads and grilled meats finished off with profiteroles and coffee.
Paul spoke about the importance of the staff he had around him and the future of T&T Surveyors with Andrew Davies now at the Helm.
Neil said when we think about what it takes for a company to thrive for four decades, we think of more than just success in business, we think of a company built on strong values, exceptional service and most importantly a team that is more like a family.
When we looked back to get a feel for the world when Trend & Thomas began we had some fun with the events of 1984 – not only George Orwell’s prophecy but these extraordinary events also took place:
· The Motorola DynaTAC went on sale for the equivalent of £4000.00 – remember the Brick?
· Bandaid – Bob Geldof and Midge Ure assembled musicians in November 1984 to form the supergroup Bandaid and record the song ‘Do they know it’s Christmas,’ to raise much needed funds for Ethiopian famine victims.
· Cadbury Twirls arrived in the shops and Prince Harry was born! Stone washed jeans were in fashion and Spitting Image appeared on our TV’s.
· Watford made it to their first FA Cup final at Wembley (and lost 2-0!) Tetris was created and Torvill and Dean won gold at Sarajevo Olympics.
· Ghostbusters was the no.1 film and Frankie goes to Hollywood was the top of our airwaves
· 1984 was a doozey of a year and the 40 years since have been similarly impressive for Trend & Thomas. Here’s to the next 40!
