Winter with The Flower Man: Festive Floristry and Frosty Fun

Most people would hate to work on Christmas Day, but not Paul Trudge, who told Angle News that Christmas day at the cemetery is his ‘favourite place to work’.

Paul co-owns The Flower Man stall, a familiar favourite of shoppers in Cheltenham.

The stall on the Promenade is hard to miss, particularly at this time of year, with its array of bouquets, wreathes and fun wicker Christmas characters.

The team operate the stall smiling, helpful and patient. But how stressful is the floristry industry at Christmas time?

I spoke to Rose Mansell, 22, who is one of the twelve team members at The Flower Man, and Paul Trudge, 33, who owns the floristry with his sister, Lucy Parr.

The Flower Man have a lot going on at Christmas time- from wreathe making workshops, to decorating shop fronts.

Team member, Rose, said:

‘The wreathe making workshops are really good fun! Loads of people come along.’

Paul agreed:

‘They are good fun. We have had really good reviews on them this year, saying they’re good value for money and that we offer a lot of stuff.’

So far this year, The Flower Man have done two workshops, at their store in Winchcombe, as well as one at Molton Brown and ‘a big one’ at the Curious Café.

Paul added:

‘I decorated the curious café as well this year and it looks really nice.’

Shop dressing and shop displays are another service The Flower Man provides, and something that Paul wants to ‘get more into next year.’

Rose said that Christmas at The Flower Man stall ‘is a good vibe’. She explained that ‘it’s lively when the Christmas markets arrive’, which is actually today 8th December. Paul added:

‘It’s good fun and keeps you busier than usual. It feels like it is suddenly 5.00pm and you will soon be home.’

Despite the cold, which can be ‘horrible’, Rose said that ‘the build up to Christmas is great’ because ‘everyone seems to be in a good in December’.

According to Paul and Rose, the 23rd December is always the busiest day at the stall during Christmas time.

Rose explained that tensions are usually high on the 23rd December because ‘everyone is tired and so busy.’

Christmas day however is ‘a good crack!’, Paul told me.

On Christmas Day, The Flower Man is only open outside Cheltenham Cemetery and Crematorium, where they sell ‘basic things such as carnations’ and a few bouquets that are ‘easy to place on a grave’.

Paul said that the cemetery on Christmas Day is his ‘favourite place to work’:

‘I know that sounds bizarre but almost everybody is in a good mood.

Everybody is up for a laugh, and I do think to myself, ‘This is weird’- you know for the atmosphere, but it is really nice.’

He explained that he will be there from 8.00am until 1.00pm and the business ‘won’t stop’. He said:

‘We close the road as there are people everywhere. It’s mad but it’s good fun.’

Christmas time at the stall is ‘a lot more stressful’, Paul explained. He said:

‘We have more stock, so we have more to think about.’

In preparation they ‘start planning for Christmas from the end of August’, and this year, they will be pre-making 150 bouquets. Paul explained:

‘We normally pre-make 250 bouquets but we have lost the high street, so we have scaled down a bit this year.’

To account for the Christmas surge they increase the number of people manning the stall.

On an average day only one person would run the stall but now they will increase this up to two on weekdays, three on weekends, and then four on the 23rd and 24th December. Paul said that this ‘won’t be enough, but it will do.’

The Flower Man source their flowers and plants from local suppliers and Dutch wholesalers.

According to Paul the prices of stock at Christmas ‘are increased by the growers’, who are local suppliers and Dutch wholesalers.

He said that this ‘annoys’ the team because regular customers will ask why products they usually buy are more expensive than usual.

Consumers change their habits at Christmas time, Paul told me. He said:

‘That always makes me laugh. For example, Hypericum does not move throughout the year and then at Christmas I could have 25 buckets out here and that still wouldn’t be enough!’

Christmas time at The Flower Man does sound intense but it also sounds like it includes a great amount of festive fun!

Paul said to me, ‘It’s a long old month, December’, and I think he’s only too right! So, if you’d like a bouquet or wreathe to ease or brighten your home this December then visit The Flower Man.