The Bradley Stoke Journal

Jobs could be lost at the Bradley Stoke branch of Peacocks after the national retailer confirmed it had entered administration after failing to secure its debts.

A spokesperson for administrators KPMG has told the BBC that there will “inevitably” be redundancies and store closures across the group.

The company’s Chief Executive Richard Kirk said:

“This is a hugely sad development for all of our stakeholders, especially our employees who have shown total commitment to the business over an uncertain and difficult period.”

The Peacocks store at the Willow Brook Centre opened on 3rd June 2010 and it is believed that around 15 people are employed there.

Staff at the store said on Tuesday that they had been instructed not to talk to the media.

Read more: Clothing firm’s staff braced for job losses (BBC)

Related link: Jobs in Bradley Stoke (The Journal)

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“Where fashion can be affordable without costing the earth”

[Advertising Feature] South Gloucestershire residents interested in clothes, fashion and reinventing their wardrobe are encouraged to attend Bradley Stoke’s very first Fashion Fayre on Saturday 5th November.

The event will be held at The Jubilee Centre, Savages Wood Road in Bradley Stoke and will run from 10am until 3pm. It has been organised by SITA UK and South Gloucestershire Council’s SORT IT!* Team.

Sarah Ottaway, Waste Minimisation Manager, at SITA UK said:

“Regular catwalk shows will be showcasing an array of styles and inventive ways of making the most of your wardrobe, a range of charity shops and vintage retailers will be selling great clothes at prices to suit any budget and you could even breathe life into that old pair of jeans, by turning them into a new shoulder bag in one of our great workshops!”

The whole family can join in, by turning an old t-shirt into a work of art using the pedal powered painting machine, (please bring along a t-shirt to create your masterpiece). Then they can jump on a pedal powered sewing machine and make some fabulous bunting to decorate the event or their home (materials provided).

More: Charities and other groups supporting the Fashion Fayre »

A 45-year-old student support worker from Bradley Stoke is preparing to take to the catwalk at The Mall’s prestigious Bristol Fashion Week event this weekend after winning a competition to become a ‘makeover model’.

Mary Abrahams, who works part-time at Bradley Stoke Community School, says she entered the competition a couple of weeks a go and was delighted to be chosen to undergo a style makeover that included a make-up consultation at John Lewis, a once-in-a-lifetime shopping trip with TV stylist and Bristol Fashion Week presenter Mark Heyes and a hair consultation at the Clifton-based salon SAKS.

Mary has spent the past year raising over £16,000 for Children’s Hospice South West after her son Ryan tragically died last year.

“We’ve done all sorts of fundraisers. Initially we only set out to raise £2,000 but people were so generous the donations just kept coming in!”

Working full time and organising year-round fundraising events doesn’t leave much time for style, and Mary is the first to admit she prefers to keep busy.

“Fundraising for such a good cause has really given me something to focus on. I don’t have a lot of time to myself so I really enjoyed having some ‘me time’ and getting pampered for the day.”

Maria Crayton, Head of Marketing at The Mall at Cribbs Causeway added:

“We were so touched when we read Mary’s competition entry. She is such a deserving winner.”

Read more about Mary’s makeover session with Mark Heyes »

A fashion show to mark this year’s International Women’s Day takes place this Tuesday evening (8th March) at Bradley Stoke Community School (BSCS).

The event, organised by Southern Brooks Community Partnership (SBCP), will see over 50 models from India, England, East Asia and Africa showcasing historical and regional fashions.

The evening will also feature the Southern Brooks Outstanding Women’s Awards, now in their third year, to be chosen from 22 nominations in the three categories of personal achievement, young woman and community.

There will be a samba band, drama by a BSCS student presenting a monologue and, courtesy of the Ramada Grange Hotel, a sparkling wine and canapés welcome reception.

The event starts at 6:30pm with a viewing of the South Gloucestershire Visual Art Gallery and a number of information stalls.

Entry costs just £2 (pay on the door), donated to the Friends of Jubilee Green, who will be giving a talk about their work so far and plans for the future.

Once again, men are invited to come along with their partners, if they so wish, says SBCP’s Winsome Barrett-Muir.

A roofer from Bradley Stoke, who was recently voted “Bristol’s Next Top Model”, has starred in a prestigious fashion show at The Mall, Cribbs Causeway.

Lee Matthews, 21, was chosen as the male winner of the 2010 Bristol Evening Post fashion contest last weekend, entitling him to make his catwalk debut on Thursday (23rd September) in the Bristol Fashion Week show.

After observing the professional models on Tuesday and taking part in rehearsals himself on Wednesday, Lee took to the catwalk for four performances on Thursday in a show compered by TV style gurus Mark Heyes and Andrew Barton.

Lee, who also plays semi-professional football as a goalkeeper with Almondsbury Town FC, described his first modelling assignment as being “quite hard work with a lot of routines and timings to remember”.

The experience has, however, not deterred him and he is due to return to The Mall for their next big fashion show in March 2011.

Lee’s mum Nikki says her son was inspired to enter the competition by his footballing friend Chris Kite, who won the contest in 2009, although she says it took a great deal of persuasion to get him to go for the photo shoot to qualify for entry.

This week sees Lee back at his normal roofing job with the family firm but he says he’s looking forward to more assignments arranged through  Bristol’s Mustard model agency, with whom he has a one year contract as part of his Bristol’s Next Top Model prize.

The new Peacocks clothing store at Bradley Stoke’s Willow Brook Centre is to open on Thursday (3rd June).

Peacocks’ move to Bradley Stoke was first revealed in The Journal back in January when the budget fashion retailer began advertising for staff at a “Bradley Stoke, Bristol” location.

Official confirmation came in April, when a press release stated that 15 new jobs would be created at the 8,000 sq ft store.

The build up to the opening has been very low key but the store looked fully stocked and ready to go when the Journal’s reporter caught a glimpse through the doors on Monday night.

Willow Brook Centre Manager Scott Lahive told The Journal:

“Peacocks will make an exciting addition to the offer at the Willow Brook Centre, bringing the first fashion store to Bradley Stoke.”

Elsewhere in the Town Centre, fitting out of the new Simpsons Fish and Chips outlet in the Town Square (next to Ladbrokes) continues. Opening is currently said to be scheduled for the 3rd week in June.