Alex Rees is proprieter of ‘Rugs of Petworth‘ which is in, yes you guessed it, Petworth, Sussex.

It was a lovely drive down through the countryside and tiny villages, and having never been to Petworth before I was delighted to find an adorable little town, filled with quaint independent shops. Alex’s beloved rug shop is one of these.

The business was built on his adoration of the craftsmanship and aesthetic loveliness of the rugs, and the shop is a true showcase of his passion. An abundance of colour and texture and of course that wonderful ‘new carpet’ odour which I’m pretty sure someone should bottle and sell as it’s right up there with log burner aroma and freshly made coffee for me….oh and magazine paper, and fresh bread, petrol….you get the gist.

Alex and his small team of two others were very accommodating and he was happy try out loads of set ups, which was great because there was so much choice in his shop. My favourite was the ‘team’ photo of his staff holding the rug behind him. Initially he was a little unsure as he didn’t want to imply a hierarchy within the shop (shows what a lovely boss he must be), but they were well up for being included in the shot, and even a rogue friend who had popped in to see him was eager to help hold up the middle section…those things are heavy!

If anything, I think it shows a genuine, good-natured camaraderie and I was delighted that the magazine agreed and used this image as the main feature opener. The article is in the latest Professional Manager magazine.