Author: Mat Tillett, 06 February 2004.
Will Giles hosts ‘Planting Out’ to celebrate
expansion at Alan Boswell Group’s
Norwich HQ.
The Alan Boswell Insurance and Financial Services Group recently held a ‘planting out’ ceremony under the auspices of gardening writer and broadcaster
Will Giles. The ceremony celebrated the expansion of the Group’s head office at Harbour House, Norwich, and the replanting of its grounds by Will Giles, whose own famous ‘
Exotic Garden’ is located nearby.
The 3,000+ square feet extension has created space to accommodate the Alan Boswell Group’s (ABG) new Mortgages division, plus training rooms and an Internet café for staff.
Yet the whole project is built on existing outbuildings and garages, leaving the grounds at Harbour House unaffected.
Will Giles was impressed with ABG’s ‘recycling’ initiative and offered to enhance the gardens. So, instead of a traditional ‘topping out’, the new offices were ‘christened’ with the planting out of the final shrubs and palms to complete Will’s designs.
Accompanying
Will Giles was the Group’s managing director Alan Boswell to lend a hand, or trowel, as required. “As well as being an Investor In People, I think the Group can now claim to be an Investors In the environment”, he said.
The Group has a long-standing relationship with Will Giles. Not only is he a customer, but his famous ‘
Exotic Garden’ overlooks Harbour House, the grounds of which had long attracted his attention. Will explained: “I approached Alan shortly after the Group moved in and expressed an interest in designing Harbour House’s gardens. I’d like to see more companies taking this level of interest in their surroundings.”
Harbour House now enjoys probably the most exotic office gardens in Norwich, with ferns, firs, grasses and palms and – next door – a view of Will’s own remarkable
sub-tropical garden. “There can’t be many offices where you can sip coffee on your lunch break, surf the Net and glance out of the window at
banana trees, all at the same time”, said Alan Boswell, “at least, not in East Anglia.”
Alan Boswell Insurance Brokers Limited, Alan Boswell Insurance Services Limited and Alan Boswell & Company Limited are authorised and regulated by the
Financial Services Authority.
