Our story so far
Aug 1988 - Serendipity is born
We started the business operating from home, inviting customer to visit by appointment. We launched with a charity fashion show at the Ben Travers Theatre, Charterhouse School raising £1500 For Cancer Research. This was the start of not only the business but the start of our work for charities which continues today..
1988 - The Seals at Civic Centre, Woking
1st November 1988. Fashion show in aid of the seal sanctuary at Kings Lynn compered by TV’s ‘The Saint’, Ian Ogilvy raised £1,500
Spring 1989 - Redgrave Theatre
17th April 1989 Children’s TV presenter Christopher Lillicrap on behalf of the Redgrave Theatre accepting a cheque for £1,080 for the Serendipity fashion show held there.
May 1989 - CRC at Charterhouse
Serendipity’s fashion show for the Godalming Cancer Research Campaign at the Ben Travers Theatre, Charterhouse raised £1,300, their largest fund raising event of the year. Shoulder pads were in!
June 1989 - Belmont School
In June 1989 we held a fashion show at Belmont school and raised £1,400 for their hard play area.
September 1989 - Cheshire Homes at Hascombe
In September 1989 Serendipity Fashions had a fashion show in aid of Hydon Hill Cheshire Home, Special Appeal raising £1,423. How fashion has changed!
1989 - YMCA at Woking YMCA
Time to support the YMCA. This one, at Woking, in September 1989 raised £750 for their funds.
November 1989 - Rodborough School
November 1989. I’m not sure how any money was raised for Rodborough School at £3.75 a ticket including a glass of wine but there was £500 at the end of the evening and everybody was happy.
September 1990 - American Women of Surrey
Serendipity held a small fashion show for the American Women of Surrey at the Woodlands Park Hotel.
September 1990
Charity Fashion show at the home of Virginia and Peter Bottomley raised £1000
October 1990 Moved into the shop!
After two years of building our business we were able to move into the shop which we are still in today, although we have grown since the early days when we were sharing the premises with a bridal shop. Our shop was opened by Lady Mayor Marie Lloyd Jones
April 1991 - CRC at Ramster, Chiddingfold
we held a fashion show for Cancer Research Campaign at the imposing long Hall at Ramster, Chiddingfold. Shoulder pads still in!
May 1991 - NSPCC at Puttenham
A show held in Puttenham for the NSPCC raised £700
November 1991 - Surrey Care Trust at Mount Browne
In December 1991 our fashion show was for the Surrey Care Trust at Surrey’s Police Headquarters at Mount Browne. One of the highlights of the evening was when two police officers did the ‘walk’ along the catwalk to the title music form The Bill. A lot of fun with over £1,800 raised.
April 1992 - WI at Cranleigh Village Hall
April 1992 we held a small fashion show for the Women’s Institute in Cranleigh
October 1992 - IMCF at The Horsley La Meridiana
In October 1992 we held our first fashion show in a restaurant – the new, La Meridiana in East Horsley.
November 1992 - Cherry Trees at Losley Hall
In November 1992 we held the Cherry Trees Fashion Show at the Tithe Barn, Losely Park. £2,300 was raised for the charity, our largest amount so far.
March 1993 - CRC and RNLI at Cranleigh School
March 1993 a show for two charities this time – Cancer Research Campaign & the Royal National Lifeboat Institution raised £2,000
1993 - ICU Appeal at Guildhall
In May and November 1993 we held small fashion shows at the Guildhall and our shop to raise money for the John Boyce Intensive Care Unit Appeal. [No photos]
1993 Shop doubles in size as we take over the other half of 52 New Road
1994 - British Heart Foundation Bramley Golf Club
Spring 1994 fashion show at Bramley Golf Club for the British Heart Foundation
March 1994 - Guildford Ladies Circle at Cathedral Refectory
March 1994 show for the Guildford Ladies’ Circle held at the Refectory at Guildford Cathedral
October 1994 - Action Research at Bramley Grange
We held a fashion show at the Bramley Grange Hotel (before it burnt down) raising £1,200 for Action Research
1995 - Save The Children at St Hilarys, Godalming
In 1995 we held a fashion show for Save the Children at St Hilary’s Godalming raising £1,000
1995 - GUTS at Royal Surrey Hospital
Show for GUTS at Royal Surrey Hospital raises £2,000
Autumn 1995 - RSPCA
More small shows at the shop for RSPCA in the autumn of 1994
April 1996 - Weyout Group WI at Merrist Wood Show
Show for the Weyout Group Womens’ Institute
June 1996 - St John’s School, Leatherhead
August 1996 - Cancer Research at Loseley
August 1996 show for Cancer Research at Loseley
November 1996 - Barnados at Cathedral Refectory
November 1996 Show for Barnados at Guildford Cathedrals Refectory
October 1996 - Imperial Cancer Research
Show for Imperial Cancer Research Fund
Spring 1997 - Chilworth First School
May 1997 - St Georges Hospital Medical
May 1997 fashion show for St George’s Hospital Medical was held at Cranleigh School. Compered by Clodagh Rodgers it raised £5,000, our largest fund-raising event so far.
Autumn 1997 - GUTS
A show for Guildford Undetected Tumour Screening raised £1,650
Spring 1998 - Arthritus & Rheumatism
Show for Arthritus & Rheumatism held sat Cranleigh Village Hall
October 1998 - Cherry Trees at Clandon Regis GC
Cherry Trees was the beneficiary of our show at Clandon Regis golf club as £2,178 was raised for the charity.
May 1999 - Chase/Alzheimer’s
£3,300 raised for Chase/Alzheimers at the Royal Grammer School, Guildford.
October 1999 - Macmillan Cancer Relief
A fashion show at Guildford cathedral’s Refectory raised £1,500 for Macmillan Cancer Relief.
April 2000 we celebrate 10 years at the shop with a fashion show at Guildford Civic Hall. 780 tickets were sold and the show raised £11,400 for GUTS and Cherry Trees
April 2000 - Guts/Cherrytrees at Civic Hall
Our fashion show to celebrate ten years at No. 52 was held at Guildford Civic Hall. the show as a sell out and raised £11,400 for GUTS and Cherry Trees.
October 2000 - Action Research & St Johns
£2,400 raised at Clandon Fegis golf club.
March 2001 - The Beacon Charterhouse
Compered by Rob Curling, Gaby Logan along with WASPS and international rugby players were models for our show raising £5,000 for the Beacon Appeal
April 2002 - Ockeneden Venture/Woking Hospice
Another show for two charities, this time for Woking Hospice and Ockenden International. The compere was the lovely Diana Moran and the male models were Woking footballers. £8,000 raised
October 2002 - Marie Curie Cranleigh School
A show at Cranleigh School raised £4,600 for Marie Curie
April 2003 - Cancer Research Civic Hall
This show for Cancer Research UK at the Guildford Civic Hall was hosted by Diana Moran and raised £ 8,000. Guildford Flames were our male models and Italia Conti Arts centre provided the entertainment.
April 2004 - Cherry Trees at Cranleigh School
£5,000 raised for Cherry trees at Cranleigh School.
April 2005 - Muscular Dystrophy Campaign
£7,020 was raised for the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign at the Ben Travers Theatre, Charterhouse. Rob Curling compered, some of the WASPS rugby team were our male models and Hugh Bonneville spoke on behalf of the charity.
June 2005 - Gosden Children First
Pictured with me, my lovely models doing a fashion show at the new Renault car showroom, Godalming for Gosden Children First
April 2006 - Gosden Children First
he ventriloquist Ray Allen without the help of Lord Charles hosted this show at the Ben Travers Theatre , Charterhouse. The Haslemere Firefighters helped out as male models and £5,000 was raised for Gosden Children First.
March 2007 - The Lady Taverners
Fashion show in aid of the Lady Taverners at The Mandalay, Guildford raised £8,000. Judith Chalmers, OBE hosted the show and Diana Moran was our star model. Pictured: Judith Chalmers, OBE, Diana Moran and Dee Brain
April 2008 - Home Start
A sell out crowd of over 400 watched Flavia Cacace and Vincent Simone kick their heels to start off the show. Flavia compered the show which raised £8,000 for Guildford Home Start
May 2009 - Fountain Centre
£10,760 was raised for The Fountain Centre. Hosted by Strictly’s Flavia Cacace and with Cranleigh fire-fighters providing the male models and Italia Conti Arts Centre the entertainment this was our biggest fundraiser for any single charity.
2010 Dee awarded the Mayors Award
In recognition for services to the community with charity fashions shows having raised over £135K for various charities, I was very proud to receive the Mayors Award.
Sept 2012 First Coffee Morning
We were delighted to join in and support the Macmillan coffee mornings, and for this first event and with the help of our customers we were able to raise £300.
May 2013 First Serendipity Garden Party
On the success of the coffee morning we decided in 2013 to hold a week of garden parties, each day representing a different charity. With this we raised £2352 For five charities.
September 2013 Second Macmillan Coffee Morning
For this second year of coffee mornings we slightly improved on the previous year, this time raising £317 for Macmillan.
June 2014 Second Annual Serendpity Garden Party
Building on the success of the previous year, in the summer of 2014 we were able raise an impressive £2,824 for five charities including Cherry Trees, Home-Start, Guildford, Bright, KSS Air Ambulance and Chilworth2gether.