This month, we bid a sad farewell to Ann Hovenden and Caroline Sutcliffe, who are leaving TE to start new adventures. 

We catch up with both of them, to share their memories of working for Rosemary and Howard over the years…

ANN HOVENDEN
I should have realised working for Howard and Rosemary wouldn’t be like any previous job, when on my second day at ATG in October 1999 (yes, actual last century), the entire office emptied at lunchtime and every single person left to go to the opening of Milton Keynes Theatre. A couple of weeks later I clearly remember Rosemary and David Blyth (latterly ATG Operations/Property Director) running through the office in excitement because the “ACT Theatres” had come on the market. I idly wondered if that was likely to have an impact on my work, little knowing that it would take over our lives for several months and add eight theatres to the fledgling company! 

It’s certainly never been dull though and if nothing else, introduced me to a range of working environments from the original offices above the library in Woking, to my first office in London in the Albery Theatre (now Noel Coward) – a repurposed dressing room where we used the original wash basin to rinse the tea cups (priorities!) to Trafalgar Studios. Then, several years in an actual office on St Martin’s Lane, before more years on the second floor of the Lyceum where care was needed on matinee days not to be mowed down on the staircase by the passage of the animals into the auditorium. And finally, to the main London office on Charing Cross Road.  And it was all good practice for starting at Trafalgar Entertainment in the early days when the arrival of one extra person in our tiny one-room office threw the entire place into disarray. Caroline and I shared a PC for a while and on busy days we improvised with a camping table – with lethal hinges – as an extra desk. 

Through it all, the constant has been the incredibly creative and dedicated people with whom I have the good fortune to work and the amazing theatre which I have been privileged to enjoy. My time at ATG was punctuated by a period abroad with my husband’s job, the addition of another child, changing workspace from Woking to London and three separate departures from the company. So who knows, maybe TE hasn’t seen the last of me yet?  A mere three offices later in the same area, definitely no more children, but everything else is possible!

CAROLINE SUTCLIFFE
In 2012, I moved from Chicago (where I had been living for the past 4 years) to Woking. Some thought Woking was an odd choice – not quite the same metropolis as the Windy City, but for me it was perfect. Easily commutable into London, leafy Surrey walks just a short drive away, and importantly, home to the head quarters of Ambassador Theatre Group – a company owned and operated by renowned theatre entrepreneurs which was fast growing, ambitious and exciting. So I was thrilled when shortly after I came across a vacancy for a Personal Assistant role at the ATG head office. The rest, as they say, is history.

A few years later, when Rosemary and Howard moved on from ATG it was a no brainer to move with them to their new venture, Trafalgar Entertainment – in fact it was a privilege to witness them build something from the ground up (for the second time) and to feel that in some way I played a part in that. From the very humble beginnings in an office above a stationers – only slightly larger than a cupboard –  we have seen the company grow and grow with no signs of slowing down (although still in need of more office space!). There have been lows: losing a very close and dear colleague, Paula Baker, to cancer, and there have been highs – one of my favourite memories being the day I received the letter telling Rosemary she was being made a Dame, and being able to pass that news on (and then keep the secret for MONTHS). The main picture of Ann and I is from the party we had later to celebrate.

TE also gave me further professional opportunities, allowing me to discover a new career path, move to a role in HR and get my HR qualification – something I will forever be grateful for.

There has certainly never been a dull moment, not even for a second, and I could full this whole newsletter with memories. But for me, the thing that makes this industry, and TE in particular, special is the people. I have been incredibly lucky to work alongside some of the most inspiring, kind, hard-working and talented people in our industry. From the original six that started with Trafalgar Entertainment, to my colleagues in the HR team, and everyone else that I speak to and work with each day – it has been an honour. And I only hope that some of those qualities have rubbed off on me as I move on to my next chapter.

Goodbye Ann and Caroline! We’ll all miss you!