Stratford’s NFU Mutual appeals for memories of head office opened by Princess Anne
FORTY years ago this month the NFU Mutual’s new head office opened in Tiddington.
It was April 1984 when staff moved into the £10,250,000 building which was officially opened by HRH Princess Anne in June that year.
The princess later visited in 1991, landing her helicopter on the sports grounds behind HQ and again in 2006 to reopen the building following some refurbishment.
Building work began in January 1982 and finished in March 1984. A total of 14,430 square meters of space was created over four floors.
After 60 years in a large, former town house on Church Street in Stratford, it was decided NFU Mutual should have a dedicated, purpose-built head office. The state-of-the-art building in Tiddington was designed to keep pace with the expanding business and to make full use of developing technologies.
How time flies. But what better way to celebrate 40 years in Tiddington than have a big garden party event and one is already planned for community groups and dignitaries to attend.
Later this year head office will also host an exhibition of NFU Mutual’s history through the ages and is inviting employees past and present to make contact if there’s something they’d like to loan for the exhibition or permanently donate to the archives.
Charlotte Coates from NFU Mutual, said: “We know that many former employees and members of the local community feel a real sense of pride that Stratford is home to the head office of a business with a reputation for supporting farming and protecting rural communities.
“To celebrate this key milestone in our history, we’re hearing from some of our longest serving employees, as they reflect on their time, career and changes at NFU Mutual over the last four decades.
“We’re sure that many of the local community will have their own anecdotes, stories, items and photos of our head office that they’d like to share too, so please do get in touch.”
If you have something you’d like to share for the exhibition, please contact the NFU Mutual team by emailing: Doing_our_bit@nfumutual.co.uk