Grand Slam Six Nations Champions 2012
So as you are aware, we are slightly rugby mad here in Wales, and the flags were flying high and proud in our town ready to start singing Calon Lan at the top of our voices as the matches started. The weeks and wins flew by and it was looking really exciting and promising for a superb Grand Slam win. It came down to the last match for Wales at the Millenium Stadium in Cardiff with over 250,000 supporters willing us to win against France. As it happened we were away for the weekend and had crept into a pub in Tewkesbury to watch and screech at the screen. Alex Cuthbert scored the game's only try and Leigh Halfpenny kicked the rest securing Wales' third Grand Slam in the last eight years We had a wee celebratory dram and then chased back to the hotel to respond quickly. We then announced the release of our Grand Slam Winners 2012 Crystal Tumbler within half an hour of the final whistle. By the next day the phone was red hot with people wanting to place orders.
We returned home and shortly after heard the almighty news that Welsh Flanker Dan Lydiate had been chosen as Player of The Championship. Being rather elated to hear that a local lad had been picked as the winner (started his rugby career on the green grass of Rhayader) we thought that he deserved a momento to highlight this terrific honour. So with the help of Twitter, we contacted him and asked if he would like to come and collect some specially engraved Crystal Tumblers from us. He responded and said he would be delighted to visit, collect his Crystal and do some media promotion with us. So with the newspapers tipped off, we agreed the date and the press arrived eagerly testing their cameras and pens to write up and get the best pictures possible. Dan arrived fresh from an interview with Scrum Five Live and strode into Welsh Royal Crystal towering above us all. It was school holidays and my two boys were there and thought he was a giant. Even when he bent down to shake their hands they still had to look up!
After lots of photographs and smiles and giving interviews to the newspapers, we had organised for Dan to sign some Limited Edition Certificates which would accompany some Grand Slam 6 Nations Champions Crystal Items. Half of the money raised is going to Dan to donate to his charity of choice.
Dan spent a whole hour with us that day asking about our new relocation and products. He signed our visitors book and then spotted my 8 year old peering into his car and popped him into the front seat which made my his day. He thanked us for a great time and then jumped into his Jaguar and sped off to do his training session with the Newport Dragons with his Welsh Royal Crystal carefully placed next to him. What a wonderful supporting local hero. It is a day that we will always remember with great pride!
So, once again, with the press on our side, we hit the headlines again over Mid Wales for two weeks and the response we had was amazing . As well as the Limited Edition Crystal items, the Grand Slam Champion Tumblers have been selling wonderfully online, and we are still having visitors come through the door thanks to that media coverage. So, fish and chip paper again, but it shows the vast majority of readers sometimes hold onto their newspapers slightly longer when a local hero is peering back at them!
So, did you spot the relocation mention? Well my next blog is about our move, the excitement and honour that we had been asked to produce a rather special present for two people who were hitting the headlines in April 2011. The Wedding Bells were getting ready to ring out in London!
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