CHESTERFIELD CHAMPION: '˜Chesterfield is a historic and beautiful place to visit'

I live in Brimington with my partner, Chris – the other director of Giraffe Graphics LTD — and our dog Max.

Giraffe Graphics is a print and embroidery company specialising in custom clothing and workwear, we also work with clients in graphic design, paper printing and vehicle graphics.

It is located in Sheepbridge inside TM Steel’s building on Dunston Road.

We set up our business in July 2015 after being approached by Chesterfield College and now, clients find our advice invaluable and our quality exceptional. Clothing production is in-house, so we keep our turnaround times low and our quality high. We are one of the few companies in Derbyshire that can offer a full printing and design service under

1. What’s your best memory of the town?

My favourite memory of the town is going into the Co-op department store on Elder Way, pulling my great grandma into the toy department and buying a pink Barbie tape player with matching headphones.

I think the Co-op department store was not only a beautiful example of architecture but a vibrant shop with everything under one roof.

2. What development do you think will make the biggest difference to the town?

I am really excited to see the development of the old Co-op store on Elder Way. A lot of people walk past every day and I think it will bring newcomers to the town whilst enabling residents to venture back.

Visiting the store is my favourite memory of the town so I can’t wait to take the trip back there and see just how it has changed.

3. How would you describe Chesterfield to someone who has never visited?

Chesterfield is a historic and beautiful place to visit. The crooked spire is world famous and the architecture carries on through the Shambles and to the marketplace.

We also have some beautiful independent shops lining Chatsworth Road.

It gives the people of Chesterfield another great place to shop as well as the town centre and market.

4. What are the positives of running a business here?

Chesterfield has a great town spirit and there are some wonderful start up businesses in the town. This makes it a great place for a business like us to be based as there is a great business community in Chesterfield that we love to be a part of.

Also, being close to Sheffield is useful for good connections and networking with large companies.

5. Who or what do you turn to in Chesterfield for business advice?

Martin Cope from the Peter Jones Academy in Chesterfield has been invaluable to us and was the person who actually recommended we started our business!

6. Why did you choose to base your business in Chesterfield?

As we have lived in Chesterfield all our lives, we decided to settle here due to the town’s friendly folk.