MEET OUR CHRISTMAS MAKERS AT GARSONS ESHER

Our wonderfully creative displays at Garsons Esher have been lovingly crafted by our very own in-house makers. Meet some of our creatives below…

Nikki first developed a love for costumes and design as a teenager, when she had the opportunity to help the in-house designers at Chichester Festival Theatre. She also created costumes for several of her children’s school productions. Before coming to Garsons in 2015, Nikki worked as a window dresser and display co-ordinator, giving her the keen eye for detail that she brings to all the displays.

Nikki is responsible for the theming design and layout of Christmas. This is her ninth year of creating innovative and unusual themes, looking in a new direction than what would normally be regarded as a traditional Christmas. She has spent a great deal of time researching The Chronicles of Narnia to find interesting themes, engaging with the story to create the displays throughout the garden centre and farm shop.

Every year, Nikki likes to learn a new skill, and this year, it’s cardboard modelling, as she impressively created the giant gold Aslan. Her sewing skills were also put to the test making Jadis the White Witch’s dress, Mr Tumnus’ legs and Reepicheep the mouse figure, as well as sewing 52 pennants, which are hanging throughout the store.
 

Jules has had a variety of careers, all with an artistic element.  From food photography to working as a colour consultant, however she now refers to finding her ‘home’ in her job at Garsons since she joined in 2022.

In 2023, Jules made the Giant Peach for our Quentin Blake theme, painted in Bob Ross style to produce her own piece, researched and lovingly re produced authentic wagon paintings in our E.H. Shepard theme and re-created Van Gogh’s Sunflowers using a seed collage.

Jules’s eye for detail and flair for design has been invaluable in the planning and implementation of The Chronicles of Christmas. The magnificent runway in Jadis the White Witch and the painted chariot that started life as a flower cart were all Jules hard work and imagination, along with all the dressed arches and trees in the themes. Jules’s fingerprint can be seen throughout the Christmas department and beyond.

 

Erin is part of our weekend team and has been part of the Christmas creative team for the past 4 years while at college, and now university.

Erin has been creating all her life.  As well as drawing and painting the main area she is passionate about is anything crafty and on a larger scale.

In previous years, she has created mixed-media backdrops and several fairy houses for our 2022 Christmas ‘Gardens’ theme, which were then repurposed for a display in last year's ‘The Art of’ theme. Last year, Erin also created an installation that was over two metres long and included all the traditional knotting styles found in macrame.

For The Chronicles of Christmas, Erin has created the paint effect on the Dragon in Reepicheep. She also made the poinsettias which can be seen in our toy department, knitted Mr Tumnus’s scarf, and, along with Nikki, sewed 52 pennants, which are hung throughout the store.
 

Pete has a passion for model making and has used his skills in our Christmas’s since 2002, when Pete joined Garsons after leaving a career as a carpet consultant. 

In previous years, Pete re-created the figures from James and the Giant Peach, as drawn by Quentin Blake, with modelling clay. The peach is now in the care of the special educational needs school where his daughter works, to bring the children joy in their library. 

This year Pete modelled the face and hooves of Mr Tumnus, to create a convincing faun character. He also made the Dufflepuds, using the original book illustrations to truly capture the essence of the original line drawings. Pete is a true asset to Garsons, as he also filmed and edited this year’s Christmas showcase film, which can be seen on our website.

A special thanks to Alastair and Jason, our in-house maintenance team duo, who built, painted and hung everything related to The Chronicles of Christmas. Their work can be seen from the entrance of the car park through to Santa’s grotto and everywhere in between. Christmas wouldn’t happen without them!