Mark Shadforth

Background

I graduated from the University of Sheffield in 1996 with a B.Sc. Honours Degree in Psychology. Having decided I didn't possess the characteristics of a proper psychologist (don't ask!) I realised I needed something to occupy me for the next 50 years.

I happened across retail with vague plans to enter HR at head office level. After a couple of years I was posted in the South East as a Deputy Store Manager for a national furniture retailer. This led me to to realise that I didn't particularly like retail or the South East (where retail head office jobs tend to be)!

I joined the family firm at Trinity Court with some reluctance during the Summer of 1999. Since then I have developed a passion for one of the best jobs in the world and, despite the poor pay & hours, have never regretted the move.

Work interests

My role is to run Trinity Court as a business and one of my main interests is Marketing. I passed the Charted Institute of Marketing Diploma during Summer of 2002 after two years of part time study.

Another principle interest is those beige boxes that sit on our desks. I have no formal training whatsoever in computers, the internet or programming but find them extremely useful tools; I have taught myself some very low level web-authoring, programming, networking, etc. in a limited attempt to harness their potential (the word limited being rather important here!).

Other stuff

Running a family business doesn't leave too much time outside work (not that it's a problem). My main social interest is amateur drama  and I am an active member of Longsdon Amateur Dramatic Society both on and off stage.

My other interests (don't worry there are only two to go) are skiing and my Ginetta. The Orange Blob is a Ginetta G15 sports car. This tiny, plastic menace was built by my dad in 1970. It was laid up in 1985 before undergoing an 8 year "nut & bolt" restoration. It passed its first MoT test for 15 years in July 2001. When it's prepared to behave (rarely), the exhaust note of the Hillman Imp Sport engine turns heads half a mile away. It's now worth six times what it cost new but about half what I've spent restoring it! Sadly, it's rather more effective at attracting 50 something year old men than 30 something year old women, but it's a pleasure to drive nonetheless!

Updated 2009-08-08