Bridge was opened in August 1988, by the Gamble family. Ward Gamble was the MD of House of Fraser (Midlands) and his daughter Janie, a fashion buyer at Harrods and Dickins & Jones.
In 1993 Janie married David Theaker, they have 3 children Alex, William and Olivia. Ward and Bernice retired in 2000 and David took over the accounts side of the business, alongside his farming activities. Janie does all the buying and marketing for Bridge and runs the Bridge website.
The philosophy behind Bridge has always been to bridge the price gap between the designer independent boutiques and the High Street multiples, whilst offering a very high level of personal service. Age is of little relevance, more the customer’s interest in fashion. The strength of the shop lies in the smart/casual side of a woman’s wardrobe with a wide merchandise mix and sizes from 8-18. We encourage customers to mix the ranges to create their own individual look, rather than one brand from head to toe.
Our focus is always customer driven, and we strive hard to create a perfect shopping experience for our customers. We want every individual customer to leave Bridge with the very best choice of clothing for them.
Michelle Lambert is the manager, she was a management trainee at House of Fraser and joined Bridge in 2010 from Marks and Spencers. She is very much a "peoples person" and she loves to be on the shop floor merchandising stock and helping customers with their selection. She organises the team and keeps everyone calm!
Irene Grimes, an ex. House of Fraser fashion buyer has been at Bridge from the start. She has a keen eye and a deep interest in fashion.
Sarah Buckler has been on the shopfloor at Bridge for over 10 years. She has many strings to her bow, the windows are often dressed by Sarah. She loves clothes and customers in equal measure and strongly believes that, "there is nothing more satisfying than a satisfied customer".
Helen Ackrill used to be a valued customer of ours, until we persuaded her to join the Bridge team! Now a major player, when she is not helping you put together your perfect outfit, she is working behind the scenes, making things happen in the office.
Last but by no means least is our blonde "bombshell" Chrissy Mucklow. Very much a shopfloor girl, Chrissy came from House of
Fraser and enjoys dressing people!
