On a lovely spring day in March, a gala evening at the Houses of Parliament marked the release of this year’s Parliamentary Review.
The Parliamentary Review is an independent publication which includes political commentary from journalists, alongside articles written by business leaders. It recognises and celebrates good business practise and leadership across many fields such as finance, education, healthcare and retail.
As co-founders of Hurleyburley, Sue Buckland and Pippa Currey were invited to write an article on the start-up and growth of a successful online jewellery business.
The article can be read here.
Pippa and I proudly represented Hurleyburley at the gala evening in the most beautiful riverside setting of the Pavilion Bar at the Houses of Parliament.
We were greeted by the sounds of classical music wafting down the ancient corridors and were offered a glass of fizz to enjoy on the terrace, watching the lights of our city come to life along the banks of the Thames.
There were some well known faces at the event, along with business people from all sectors who had been invited to contribute to The Review. We talked with some fascinating people, from nursery school teachers to politicians, theatre directors to Lords, all there to celebrate the common factors in our industries such as hard work and passion as well as the differences that mean we can learn from each other.
We enjoyed a friendly chat with Eric Pickles about the nature of our business and the story behind it, shortly before he went up to give the first speech of the evening. Lord Pickles brought much hilarity to the room with his stories of parliament. Lord Blunkett was up next and entertained us with the long history of his friendship with Lord Pickles, despite representing opposition parties. This led to him reminding us that despite our differing opinions in the contentious times of Brexit, we are unified in our desire for peace and humanity in our society and that should not be forgotten.
Just as we ensure we do in our businesses; never lose sight of the bigger picture.
When the speeches ended, we were treated to some canapés and a top up while we exchanged stories with fellow attendees and the evening wound to a close. A fabulous way to learn from our fellow business people, get inspired and celebrate one another’s achievements.
A huge thank you to the Editors of The Parliamentary Review for inviting us to be part of this great publication and the hosts for a fun and inspiring evening.
Written by Jessie Sampson