Browsing category: Look who’s wearing

We are proud to introduce our very first Look Who’s Wearing woman! It has taken us a while but with a number of women’s shoes and boots in our range, it’s time to start shouting about them with Rebecca’s help.

If you have read LWW before, you will know that not all our ambassadors are super famous. Rebecca could have had the chance to be just that, but she stuck to her guns and stayed loyal to what she believed in to find other ways of using her performing talents and squaring up to a few demons along the way.

Born on the Wirral but bred in Devon, she attended a small primary school before heading to high school where life was not so blissful.

“I had been sheltered at a small primary school where I could truly be myself. I loved singing and dancing and felt comfortable in my own skin. At high school, I looked for every opportunity to be involved in music, dance and sport, but that was when I became a target to be picked on. I was bullied for supposedly having a large ego, but also being picked on for being tall and lanky. I did not give up on performing though.”

Rebecca followed her dream of performing on the West End by studying dance and music in Liverpool. She also became a member of a girl band, but as soon as she began to be told what to wear, how to sing and even what lyrics to use, she realised she was not prepared to stick around in such a cut-throat industry. It was a turning point for Rebecca.

“The industry is so competitive, and it felt hard to keep my integrity and remain true to myself.”

She came home to Devon and positive feedback from a single dance session at a gymnastics club led her to opening her own dance school. 

Committed Dance Company was set up 14 years ago and now runs four street dance classes a week with her childhood best friend Lauren, who shares her passion for dance. In the beginning, she was gigging in bands too while juggling a desk job to pay the bills.

“I knew I never wanted to give up dance and music, but this way it was all on my terms.”

The terms are pretty crucial too. Rebecca’s experience at school never left her. She was determined to do something positive to drive out bullying where she could, with Lauren’s help.

“We make it very clear that we will not tolerate unkindness and bullying. We teach our students to spread kindness and embrace their individuality. We noticed that some of our children were really struggling, and dance was their space for one hour to two a week where they could be themselves. With street dance, there is no right or wrong. All children have their own flair. They can do stuff their own way.”

Rebecca’s stance against bullying stepped up a gear when she had her first child, Roary, now aged seven. To raise awareness outside of the dance school, she used her obvious love of fashion (see our photos for evidence) to set up Committed Clothing Company in 2018.

“The clothing range is a statement for what you stand for and being a community of people with those real ideals of being kind. The dance students wear it as their uniform. Their friends see it and comment on it, and the word has just spread.” 

Committed Clothing Company’s leisure wear is not just for children. There are men’s, women’s and unisex ranges. The important thing is that when you purchase an item online, you also sign up to a pledge, known as The #Commitment, to encourage people to be kind to others and themselves. Read it…it’s simple but inspiring.

“People are also buying something that means something. I did not want to just sell loads of clothes to people who did not believe what it was about.” 

Now a mum of two (her daughter Ren is five years old), who she home-schooled through lockdown as her businesses ground to a halt, her fully subscribed dance classes have resumed as usual, there are new lines due to be added to her the Committed range, and she is energised to keep spreading the anti-bullying message.

“I just want people to be the best versions of themselves.”

Follow Rebecca here:

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram 

At 23, Hugo Leefe is our youngest Look Who`s Wearing subject, just starting out in a world that is dominated by social media and creating your own brand.

Although still young, Hugo has clocked up some opportunities that have given him exposure most other twenty-somethings will not have experienced.

Part of the cast of season 17 of Made in Chelsea, Hugo had an opportunity to propel himself into the limelight at a rapid rate. However, the nature of the role gave him little room to live his own life, so he was glad to step away from the small screen.

Hugo said: “I was recruited into the programme; I knew a couple of the old cast members. I really enjoyed it to begin with, but what I didn’t enjoy about it was the time off screen. You had to be on call for them the whole time; you couldn’t book anything else in. I was not earning any money and it was not working for me as a lifestyle. I had some fun times with some good people whom I am still in touch with.”

Formerly a student at Worksop College in Nottinghamshire, Hugo went on to study at Northumbria University where, aside from his studies, he launched a start-up brewing company with some friends. Their sustainable, vegan-friendly craft lager led to them competing alongside other young businessmen and women in the EY Young Entrepreneurs of the Year programme.

Since then, Hugo has worked in PR and sales, currently in the technology industry, in his quest to earn enough money to enjoy his life to the full. In contrast to what many people may think of the cast members of Made in Chelsea, Hugo still has to earn his own living.

“I do not have a set career plan, but I am ambitious. I need to be putting things in place to make a success of myself. I am not going to have everything handed to me on a plate. I get the value of money and I work hard for it.”

Away from work, Hugo loves cricket. He opened the batting for Worksop and played county cricket for Surrey and Nottinghamshire. Other than running and cycling regularly to keep focussed and fit, he is does what any young man does…he loves going out and having fun.

‘Fun’ is a word that is frequently used by Hugo, especially when he talks about his friends, his lifestyle and his social media activity. Alien to many people from older generations, Hugo understands how to create his own brand using Instagram and he has given much thought to how he wants to live his life and appear to others.

“I have always enjoyed wearing formal wear and understand the dos and don’ts. I used to dress up as James Bond as a kid and walk around in a tie aged three! I suppose I want my brand to encompass a combination of friends, lifestyle and my eye for men`s formal wear. 

“However, my lifestyle brand feels a bit serious at the minute. I want to breathe a bit more fun into it!”

You can catch up with Hugo via Instagram @hugoleefe.

We have never had a Look Who`s Wearing ambassador who has left us feeling so zen!

To explain: When the uneducated think of fly-fishing, they may be excused of thinking of wet days and waders. Well, is far more than that. Howard Taylor makes fly-fishing sound magical; something that should be truly cherished as an inspiring activity enjoyed in precious surroundings.

Howard began fishing with his father in Kent, where he also worked in a shop tying flies. It was there he rubbed shoulders of some of the great and good of the fly-fishing world without really knowing who they were. These men shaped the course of his life. He studied environmental biology at university and then moved to Hampshire as young man to immerse himself in the world of chalk stream fishing.

He said: “The rivers in Hampshire are chalk streams with crystal clear water. We have 85% of the world`s chalk streams here. They are the equivalent of England`s rainforest.”

Just like the rainforests, the chalk streams are under threat too. While the north and Midlands have suffered flooding in recent times, rivers in the south are drying up…taking with them the plant life, freshwater fish and insects that live there.

Howard passionately campaigns to water companies and the Government to raise awareness of their plight and you can understand the source of his defence of chalk streams when he talks about a day on the river.

“People come from all over the world, in the same way they would to play a famous Scottish golf course, to pay homage and cast their line in these hallowed waters.

“An ex-American banker, who gave up his job in search of brown trout, wrote a book which began with the line, ‘Trout only live in beautiful places.’ That sums it up really.”

Howard loves the environment, the skill of studying the local insect population favoured by the fish, the tying of a feather and fur fly before casting the line to mimic the movement of that insect. Then there is the art of reeling it in once it is on the hook. A quick photograph later and the fish is returned to the water…and you start again!

“All your worries and mobile phone distraction just clear form your mind. You are focusing on one thing.”

Howard shares this experience through his business Upstream Dry Fly. He takes people out to more than 80 chalk stream beats to give them the joy of casting for a freshwater fish. His client list has included ex-presidents, comedians, actors, musicians, TV presenters, sports stars, business leaders and so on. Fly-fishing attracts quite the crowd,

“My love of fishing has introduced me to a complete suite of people I would never have met normally. It`s a real leveller. It does not matter who you are. It`s all about being in a beautiful place, having a nice picnic and having a chat. For them, it`s a day off. For me, it`s my job. I am blessed to do what I do.

You see. Zen on legs!

We were only too pleased to give those legs some lower limb support and comfort with a few pairs of our shoes and boots. And just when we did not think we could be any more appreciative of his world and how he lives his life, he topped off his day by replying to a sincere inquiry about his future plans by saying: “To show everyone my fantastic shoes!”

Many thanks Howard; time with you is indeed a levelling experience.

Think Nick Mason, think Pink Floyd. However, there is much more to the man than five decades as the only constant member of the band. Although his eminence in the music scene was sealed with a CBE earlier this year, he is showing no signs of laying down his drumsticks, with a new band on tour and a passion for fast cars and flying to keep him sharp too.

In the beginning though, it was all about Pink Floyd. Formed by Nick in 1965, he was the drummer on every one of their progressive rock albums, with Dark Side of the Moon being hailed as one of the greatest albums of all time. Pink Floyd were inducted into the American Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996 and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005. These facts make it an honour to include Nick as one of our Herring ambassadors.

Away from the drumkit and the breaks between reunions and tours, Nick found an extra injection of adrenalin from motor-racing and flying. Fast cars are in his blood; his father Bill was an amateur racing driver. A long-term member of the British Racing Drivers` Club, Nick has a fine fleet of rather speedy cars at his disposal. Both classic and new, he bought then to race and then kept hold of them.

For the petrolheads among you…you better take a seat. Nick`s car collection includes his father`s VdP Bentley 4.5-litre, a Bugatti Type 35, Jaguar D-Type, Ferrari BB LM, Maserati Tipo 61, McLaren F1 GTR and a Ferrari 250 GTO. We made Nick one of our Heritage Racing Red Bags with 22 on it to match the GTO.

Nick`s racing prowess is typified by his five appearances in the Le Mans 24-hour race and other notable sports car endurance championship races, including Nurburgring’s Nordschleife, Monza and the ultra, high-speed circuit of Spa Francorchamps. More recently, he beat The Police`s Stewart Copeland for the title of “fastest rock drummer from a band that begins with a P” on TV`s The Grand Tour. All wins are satisfying!

Not content with speedy race circuits, Nick also flies fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. His wife Annette also flies their Eurocopter AS350B3 Squirrel. Despite an initial fear of flying, Nick threw himself into this passion too…and since getting his pilot`s licence in 1983, he has collected a few planes along the way. There seems to be a theme here! In the 1990s, he took his helicopter pilot licence…again swiftly followed by his wife.

In spite of the joy created by the roar of an engine, whether in the air or on the ground, this father-of-four remains a musician. Most recently, he has formed another band, Nick Mason`s Saucerful of Secrets along with Spandau Ballet`s Gary Kemp, The Blockheads` Lee Harris, fellow Pink Floyd member Guy Pratt and producer/composer Dom Bekon. Their homage to psychedelic rock is illustrated with a website home page that will make your eyes water!

What strikes us about Nick is his longevity. Now in his 70s, he is still going strong…and fast at times! He is a welcome addition to our Look Who`s Wearing club.

Wearing our Silverstone II rubber-soled trainers (of course), Nick said: “It was a real pleasure to receive the racing bag from Herring. Anything in Ferrari red works for me!”

There is a certain synergy between Herring Shoes and the Bremont Watch Company. Both are inherently British brands, and both are influenced by the founders` fathers.

Adrian Herring’s father Richard started out in 1966 with his first shop in Cheltenham. Giles and Nick English were also inspired by their late father`s interests…old aircraft and mechanical timepieces.

In fact, the launch of Bremont was a leap of faith on their part. Having lost their father Euan in a tragic aviation accident in 1995, they both quit their jobs in the City to honour him in the best way possible.

Both pilots themselves, Giles and Nick had spent most of their childhood making and restoring things in the workshop of their father, an ex-RAF and award-winning aerobatics pilot, Spitfire and airfield owner with a PHD in aeronautical engineering. They helped him to build an aircraft they still fly to this day.

Euan English was passionate about mechanical timepieces too. He would often bring home an old clock from an auction for the brothers to try and get going again.

Giles said: “My father was an engineer from Cambridge but very talented with his hands so effectively we both grew up in the workshop building things and I went onto study engineering at university. That passion never dies…watches, cars, motorbikes are all lovely mechanical things.”

Back in 2002, when the brothers first looked around the wristwatch market, it was well and truly saturated with Swiss brands despite there being a strong British tradition in watchmaking which began in 1760, when John Harrison invented the marine chronometer.

Even in the early 1900s, British watchmaking was still the envy of the world with the globe setting its time by Greenwich Meantime and more than 50% of the world`s watches and clocks being produced in the UK. But this was not to last. The demise of the British watch industry was led by two key events: World War One and World War Two.

Giles explained: “If you were a watchmaker, you could machine metal like no other industrial worker, so those skills were in great demand to support the war effort machining components for guns, engines aircraft etc. The Swiss, as a neutral country, did not have those external pressures.”

So, they set to work with their ideas for manly, resilient and ingeniously mechanical watches. The result was a watch that would be equally at home in a boardroom and out on more rugged terrain. They wanted to create watches that would stand out amid a sea of Swiss brands.
“If we tried to do what all the other watch companies were doing, we were never going to survive,” added Giles. “Being British with unique product and two founders meant we could be that little bit different.”

Even the name behind the brand comes with a story. Their very English surname may have been perfect for a British watch but instead they opted for the French surname of very welcoming host, Antoine Bremont. Having landed their 1930s German bi-plane in this farmer`s field during a heavy storm, M Bremont offered the brothers a barn for their aircraft and beds for the night. Luckily for the Englishes, this 78-year-old was a former engineer with a passion for planes, clocks and watches. Sound familiar?

And so, the Bremont brand was born with a French name and British engineering at its heart. All Bremont watches are put through the most extraordinary climate, height and vibration tests to ensure they are fit for purpose while a Cambridge factory, which manufacturers Rolls-Royce`s turbine engines, hand-finishes their watch cases.

Henley-based Bremont is ranked among the top 15 chronometer producers in the worn by the likes of actors Tom Hardy, Ewan McGregor, Orlando Bloom, Hugh Laurie, Hugh Bonneville, Taylor Lautner, Jamie Bell, as well as the ex-SAS serviceman, Chief Scout and adventurer Bear Grylls, climber Leo Houlding and polar explorer Ben Saunders, among many others. Women also favour the Bremont brand with champion free diver Sara Campbell, F-14 Tomcat Fighter Pilot Carey Lohrenz and Australian model Miranda Kerr leading the charge.

Like Herring, it is pleasing to see these products worn by celebrities, but it is just as satisfying to know ‘normal` people appreciate the quality they are buying into.

Giles said: “A Bremont customer is an independent thinker; a man who appreciates fine engineering and lives his life with a spirit of adventure.
“Ultimately, is about the quality and uniqueness of what we are producing wrapped up in an English no-nonsense style. Our watches are timeless and made to be worn and enjoyed; because we also make so few, they hold their value rather well.

”

We are very proud to see our watches out there. We always say that when you buy a Bremont, you enter into the Bremont family, so I would always go up and say hello.”

Bremont now has 80 different retailers in the UK with a flagship store in Mayfair. They have an impressive following in the US and have ventured into the Hong Kong, the Middle East, Thailand and Australia. They are partnered with Jaguar, ejection seat manufacturer Martin-Baker and the aforementioned Ben Saunders. Their ambassadors, some of whom we share, are all men and women who push themselves to their limits. In short, they are no slouches!

Bremont is also the first watch brand to sign The Armed Forces Covenant, which is tailored to each business, organisation or charity that signs it and can include a whole range of pledges usually including the employment of veterans, service leavers, spouses and partners; providing a supportive environment for employees wishing to be Reservists; and taking part in Armed Forces Day events.

With both Nick and Giles sponsored through university by the RAF, the brand has always been proud of its relationship with the armed forces. Ever since Bremont started working with Martin-Baker in 2009, more than 20% of their annual sales have been from making watches for the armed forces around the world.

And are the Englishes, with three children each, ready to settle for a quiet life now Bremont is so established?

Giles concluded: “We are on a very long journey to produce more components here in the UK, train more apprentices and to grow around the world. So, we feel we have just started this amazing journey and love welcoming people to carry on and join us on it.”

Herring Shoes is proud to work with both Nick and Giles. May Bremont continue to thrive for generations to come.

Guillaume Bo, or Gui Bo as his near 72,000 Instagram followers will know him, is one of the most photographed men in the world. Yet he is not a celebrity or a model. He a street styler who even professes to be shy!

A long-term ambassador of the Herring brand, Guillaume has been seen sporting our footwear for seven years. We are all used to seeing him wearing our very British shoes to complete his classic outfits, but photos do not tell the full story. Look Who`s Wearing caught up with him on a recent visit to our Devon headquarters and the nearby Thurlestone Hotel.

This French-Canadian was born in Montreal, before moving to New York, San Francisco, back to Montreal and, latterly, the South of France. Before style became his career, Guillaume was a teenage tennis player and footballer, danced, took care of the biggest independent record store in France, worked for Vestax & Shure and became a hip-hop musician, DJ and producer for 15 years, rubbing shoulders with many of the greats of the time…think Carl Cox, Gang Starr, DJ Qbert and D-Styles.

But even in his DJing days, Guillaume wore suits; he even wore corduroy…with sneakers of course! This was in stark contrast to the ghetto stereotype that would have been applied to most hip-hop artists. But he did not care he was different; that his style.

“I was on a mission to make people understand that we [hip-hop artists] were not only poor people or ignorant people. I had always worn classic suits; it`s always been a part of my DNA.”

His move into menswear though was ignited by a photograph taken of him in a jazz club in San Francisco. When Guillaume then returned to Montreal, he set up a Facebook page called Montreal Needs More Style, which latterly became Men Need More Style. His musical influences, movies and books too, were still very much evident in his posts.

Fred Astaire, Sammy Davies Jr and the rest of the Rat Pack, James Brown and Cary Grant pour out of his, well, pores! A flick or several clicks through his Facebook or Instagram accounts will bear testament to his classic style and his passion for quality.

“All of a sudden, I realised I could do something with that. I am interested in mixing all these influences. But I am not a model; I am a street styler.

“It`s all about the fabrics, texture and colours. I believe in classic style. It`s timeless; it talks to a lot of people.”

Aside from giving his advice to his favourite brands and stores, this sartorial father-of-four earns a living from being photographed, often with a pair of Herring shoes on his feet, as seen as Pitti Uomo earlier this year. His choice of brands though is very personal. He does not choose the highest bidder; he must believe in the product he is advocating.

“I must be careful with who I work with. I`m very picky. I only share the right things. I promote only good quality and the right price.

“Herring is good quality at lower prices. It talks to me. Style has nothing to do with money. You can find many nice things in thrift stores and sales. Herring is perfect for that. You can purchase a nice pair of shoes for as little as £100.”

He added: “I love Herring`s tasselled loafer. I love them because they can be very chic and, at the same time, can be very casual. You can wear them in the Italian way with no socks and white pants or with a suit and a nice pair of socks. I love double monks too and spectators, of course.

When Tim Law moved down permanently to Salcombe, Devon, in 2014, he was tinkering with the idea of retiring. It seems though he has been busier than ever as his career has continued and his sailing passion has seen him take gold in the World Masters Games along with a whole host of other sailing accolades.

At Herring, we choose ambassadors with a passion…and it seems Tim`s biggest passion is for life. His sporting CV – not that he has one – is a myriad of sailing achievements, including winning the Fastnet Race in 1993.

Twenty-four years later, he took gold at the World Masters Games in New Zealand for his age group, leaving 44 other competitors in his wake. The World Masters Games is the equivalent of an Olympics for 35-plus year-olds. With many modern Olympians in their 30s these days, the standard is extremely high. A little publicised event, the games attracted 28,210 athletes in 2017, all competing for rostrum positions in 28 events across a range of age categories.

“It`s all about camaraderie. Everyone competes hard but it`s still fun.”

The son of a Royal Naval captain, Tim began sailing at the age of eight when his mother was looking for a way to entertain her sons during the long summer holidays. He started in a Cadet dinghy on the River Thames at Teddington along with his elder brother Chris. Although both boys were among the alumni of rugby-obsessed Millfield School, Chris was also a prolific sailor with two America`s Cups, several Admiral`s Cups and a Congressional Cup win under his belt. He also won the Fastnet Race and was an Olympian.

Tim narrowly missed out on qualifying for the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984, but by then he was working his way up the ladder in a London insurance firm – a career he still plays a leading role in today.

A family – wife Bernadette and two daughters – followed, and as he reached the pinnacle of his career, Tim began to wonder what lay ahead after the girls left home and retirement supposedly began. His immediate plans were to move to the sailing hot-spot Salcombe, which had been a holiday destination since 1985.

“Weekends turned into long weekends, then into a week and then two. To my daughters, Salcombe is home. The environment is wonderful. I don`t think people necessarily appreciate how lucky we are to live here.”

As alluded to already, moving to Salcombe did not mean Tim took his foot off the gas. He was urged to remain on the board as chairman of Lockton Global Energy.

Meanwhile, he joined a local cross-fit unit, Willpower Fitness, and found his love of exercise had not abated, which in turn fuelled his passion for competitive sailing, mostly in a Laser but he has sailed in the Finn and Etchells classes too. This year, he has been training in Antigua and Mexico and finished 10th overall in the Laser Masters Midwinters in Florida, in preparation for the European champions in Spain this summer.

“I never thought at 50, let alone 60, that I would still be doing this. You can kind of think your life is over when you get to that age and you wonder ‘What`s next?` You`ve got to make the most if it. You`ve got to make your life count.”

Tim is about to enter the next age category up in his sport, so while the last few years may have felt tougher due to the younger men in the same group, he will go back to being the youngest in the next category up.

When we saw him Tim was preparing for his youngest daughter`s wedding which had turned his attention to his feet…and what he would be wearing on the big day. Herring was only too pleased to help him out with a pair of Fencote two-tone brogues. We also got him wearing our Padstow deck shoes for days on the water and our Philip II monk shoes for the office.

When it comes to patience, Ben Moon has it in spades. He patiently went about his day-to-day job as a prop for Exeter Chiefs before finally getting his call-up for England last year at the tender age of 29.

Cue a flurry of articles about England`s newest recruit with descriptive terms, such as “cornerstone”, “mainstay” and “unsung hero” liberally applied to illustrate Ben`s longevity at the coal-face of the front row.

Currently hoping to get recalled to England`s match day squad for the Six Nations, Ben understands he must continue to work hard to be worthy of adding to his four international caps.

Hard work is not an alien concept to Ben. Born in Tiverton, he grew up in rural Devon where he spent every spare moment of his time on his best friend`s farm in Burlescombe. Still best friends today, dairy and beef farmer Dan Reed made Herring Shoes feel very welcome at Barton Farm keen to support Ben who he described as “more like a brother”.

As a youngster, Ben was in charge of the calves, but was happy to turn his hand to any other chores required of him. When Exeter Chiefs were still in the Championship and only training in the mornings, Ben would jump in his car and head back up the M5 to work with Dan for the rest of the day, thereby joining a long line of rugby players who hail from farming stock: Julian White, Tom and Ben Youngs, Phil Vickery…oh, and Richie McCaw, to name a few.

When not on the farm, Ben attended Uffculme School where he started playing rugby at the age of 12. His uncle Ivor was already playing for Cullompton RFC, so Ben followed in his footsteps there until Dan`s dad and coach put him forward for Devon U15s trials. Regional trials followed where he caught the eye of one of Exeter`s scouts. He joined the Chiefs` Academy but had to move away from home to attend Ivybridge College in south Devon.

Ben would join the Chiefs squad for training days and the odd second team game, but as a July baby, he was young for his year and scrummaging at senior level should not start until a player is 18.

“I had to get a letter from my parents giving the club permission to let me scrummage at the age of 17!”

Ben went on to play 20 games in the Championship for Exeter Chiefs making him one of the ‘Originals` that played in the season that saw them win promotion into the Rugby Premiership. There are now only three left at the club.

He made his Premiership debut as a replacement when Exeter Chiefs opened their top-flight account against Gloucester at Sandy Park…and won. This game proved Chiefs had earned the right to be playing the big clubs and they were not going to go straight back down to the lower leagues as expected.

“It was a really emotional day and I was so glad I was a part of it. That first win meant a lot to the club.”

Still just a youngster in prop years, Ben made his first Premiership start against a formidable Northampton Saints front row packed full of internationals, including the current England co-captain Dylan Hartley. From then on, Ben has been honing his skills, learning from experienced players that have joined the club and from those he has butted heads against in the scrum.

Exeter Chiefs` impressive success has seen them play in three Premiership finals, winning the second one in 2017.

“The final we won is obviously the highlight of my Chiefs` career, but it would have been nice to have done it the year before. My dad passed away after that one. He missed out on seeing us win. He would have loved it.”

His father Alan also sadly missed seeing his son win his first England cap. At 29, he may have thought his chance of international duty may have passed, but having bided his time, he received the call he had dreamed about…well, kind of.

“I thought it was a joke! I was at a children`s party and my phone did not have good reception. Henry (Slade) said England were trying to get hold of me but I didn`t believe him until I saw there had been a call from an unknown number.

“It`s all still quite surreal. I`m still in the mix but I need to keep my head down and focus on working hard.”

Ben made his debut against South Africa at Twickenham in front of 82,000 fans and a large contingent of the Moon clan, including his beloved and eternally supportive wife Laura, son Findlay, aged five, two-year-old Mabel, his mother, uncle, in-laws, and a few Reeds too.

“When you run out, you try not to think about the occasion too much; it`s too easy to get caught up in the emotion of it all, but it was a hell of a feeling!

“Family is really important to me. It was great they could be there. It makes it hard when I am away now though but it`s only short lived.”

With half an eye on the Rugby World Cup this year, the ever modest and unassuming Ben is concentrating on the immediate challenge of trying to get into the match day squad for the Six Nations.

“I would love to be involved in the World Cup. It`s obviously a dream of mine, but there is work to be done before then.”

Off the field, Ben coaches Cullompton`s colts, with Dan of course, and the younger players at Wellington School. He is uncertain where his future lies after rugby, although Dan seems keen to get him back on the farm on a full-time basis!

When Herring Shoes chooses its ambassadors, it`s not just about how many goals they`ve scored, businesses they have run or medals they hold. Herring is looking for passionate people with integrity who, quite often, do not think themselves suitable to be an ambassador.

Tim Boughton fits that criteria perfectly. Despite the knighthood and all the acronyms after his name, he insists on being called Tim, is very modest about his accomplishments and really wasn’t sure why he had been asked to be one of our ambassadors.

Without embarrassing him too much, his military CV with the Army and Navy is enough to make him a hero, but he would argue otherwise drawing attention to the other servicemen and women he has served with in the war zones of Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq among others.

His 20-year military career, firstly as an Army officer in the infantry and then as a Commando pilot in the Fleet Air Arm, has seen him serve in nearly every conflict zone since the end of the Falklands War. Tim knows the impact that service in conflict can have from a first-hand perspective on the ground and in the air.

Therein lies the passion that drives Tim on. First and foremost, he loves flying. His passion for flying came at an early age watching air shows and then developed into a career as well as hobby.

As a serviceman and Commando pilot though, he was exposed to scenes some of us cannot even imagine. His work has helped save people`s lives, he has transported critical personnel and equipment, and delivered many troops to their missions. In his words, his flying became “very meaningful”. However, it led to him suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PSTD) on leaving the military in 2008. He recovered quite quickly, going on to mentor others with PSTD and with it, igniting his passion for mental health issues.

What strikes us about Tim is that he is a ‘doer`. He does not simply have a passion for mental health issues; he does something about it. He is a trustee of the Oxford Mindfulness Centre, he helped The Samaritans boost their fundraising base from £300,000 to £3million through a successful LIBOR grant, he is working with an all-party parliamentary group to tackle mental health issues with the forces and emergency services personnel being one of his key concerns. In short, he is effecting change.

This no-nonsense, thinking-outside-the-box attitude made him a useful man to have around in the diplomatic and corporate world. Knighted for diplomacy within the Caribbean realms on behalf of Her Majesty`s Governor General in 2014, he has become the reliable ‘go to` figure for many governments. His time spent in private banking and the financial world has broadened his ability to connect in the commercial sector and provide advice on openings and joint ventures not seen, nor thought of. He has been recruited to challenge boards and expand their thinking and has often been used to sit alongside many CEOs and their teams to deliver direct and intelligent thought around the plans that they may have.

His passion though remains with flying, mental health and charities, and for that we salute him – he has personally raised millions for UK charities. We also like the fact that he does like a good pair of British shoes.

“One of the problems with working in the city or outside is that I go though shoes like a knife through butter! I`m a great believer in you pay for quality and that`s what you get from Herring. They are a small company that has established themselves as classic shoe designers in the UK. Jason (Simmonds, Herring Shoe’s MD) has that passion for what Herring stands for in spades.”

Tim added: “Passion comes from within, whether it is flying, helping others or watching the true craft of shoe making. There are few artisans and companies left that can articulate this passion so well and Herring Shoes is one of them. They strive to achieve the best they can, not only in customer service (which is a given), but also in the design and comfort of their shoes. I cannot recommend them enough…whether in the air or on the ground.”

We had the pleasure of meeting up with Andy in London to discuss mens’ fashion, shoes and all things sartorial. His passion for the subject shone through and the number of visitors to his askandyaboutclothes.com forum is simply staggering. Herring has a loyal following on the forum and we wanted to meet the man behind the site to learn more about him and what drives him. Andy has created a welcoming place for men to discuss everything about mens’ formal fashion and before he had the idea to put his book onto the internet and then founded the forum, there was no one else catering to US gents. We are delighted to feature Andy as a real gentleman’s gentleman. He was unfailing courteous to everyone he met and showed a very good sense of humour. Just our kind of guy! Andy was happy to wear a pair of our Matisse loafers in the photos.

Tim Hipwell is the owner of a gorgeous custom liveried Aston Martin in the Gulf racing colours. He was happy to bring his fabulous car down to our Devon base so we could take some shots with our Gulf styled driving moccasin. Along with our Grigio Silverstone and British Racing Green editions, these moccasins are proving very popular. A huge thank you to Tim for his time on the day and for letting us see his wonderful car up close and personal.

Alastair Gibson is a rising star in the art world with a uniquely recognisable style of sculpture. Alastair’s work incorporates elements from his Formula 1 experience, a love of engineering and a deep rooted fascination with the organic design of marine species and other animals.

Alastair has worked in several Formula 1 teams culminating in the position of race team chief mechanic for BAR Honda alongside Jenson Button. His ability to use carbon to create his flowing artworks, came from making pit-lane equipment for the team. This foundation gave him the skills to be able to create his art, but he also needed the courage and self-belief to walk away from a job at the pinnacle of his profession and risk everything to pursue a new career. With many of his pieces also incorporating recycled Formula 1 car parts it is no surprise that motorsport lovers have been eagerly collecting his work. He counts many famous names from Formula 1 as owners of his unique pieces.

We were delighted to see Alastair at his latest show at the Drang Gallery in Salcombe where we took some photos alongside the Hydro Octo, Aero Manta, Mako Shark and other stunning sculptures. We think a Herring would be a great addition to the marine inspired line-up too!

Sir Geoff Hurst is the only man to have scored a hat-trick in a football World Cup Final, which he did in 1966, the same year that Herring Shoes was established. We are very proud that Sir Geoff is a Herring brand ambassador and helped us celebrate our 50th anniversary in 2016. It is amazing to see him wearing our shoes as he travels the country supporting youth football in his role as a british sporting icon and McDonalds Director of Football.

We were honoured to meet such a towering figure of English sport and find him so polite, considerate and warm. There is a saying that you should never meet your idols, but in this case it was an absolute pleasure. Sir Geoff’s passion for football seems undimmed fifty years after that famous final, just like our passion for shoes.

Matt Bardock, a well known and loved actor on British TV, was kind enough to come down to Herring during his busy filming schedule for his latest series to get some more shoes. Matt’s first purchase, a while ago, was the Herring Dartmoor brogue with tweed and he thinks they are extremely lucky shoes. He wore them to the casting for the Coroner and obviously he got the gig! During the last series he wore our Canning shoe and he has just left us with the Fursdon and Redbridge. Keep your eyes peeled on the next series and you might see them crop up.

It was a delight to show Matt the warehouse, introduce him to the team and share our passion for shoes with a gentleman who also appreciates the craft and history of every pair. We finished off Matt’s visit with a few photos and some serious petrol-head chat. We are looking forward to seeing him again when our beautiful part of South Devon isn’t quite so wet.

Ed Stephens of Shawstephens cabinet makers in South Devon is a passionate master craftsman. Ed’s workshop is a homage to all things wooden with the lovely smell of wood shavings and the quiet noises of hand tools being used. This,, however, is a very forward thinking design studio. Ed uses both very old and very new machinery to create unusual and utterly bespoke carpentry solutions for discerning clients.

This similarity to our hand crafted British shoes made Herring a natural choice for Ed. We are, therefore, delighted that he chooses to wear our shoes.

Alex Gregory MBE is one of a very select number of British Olympians who have won two gold medals. He was a member of the coxless four that famously won a gold medal at the British Olympics in 2012 at the London Games and again won in Rio in 2016. Alex has since retired from competitive rowing and has made a record breaking Polar Row which enabled him to row further north than anyone has ever done before.

Alex was kind enough to meet us at Leander club in Henley where the elite British men train, and we fitted him with some of our fabulous shoes and socks. The famous Henley Royal Regatta course is shown in the background of some of the images.

Richard, the owner of Trafford yachts and Tom the head of sales, were delighted to show us their fabulous new Jeanneau NC11 in Plymouth dock. Both are Herring customers and are seen wearing our Fastnet deck shoe.

As a business selling millions of pounds worth of high quality yachts every year we are delighted that they choose our high quality products for their feet.

In a largely throwaway society, there are some people who are prepared to raise their heads above the parapet and extol a different version of events. Max McMurdo is one of these. His website would have you believe he is simply a designer who uses recycled materials and has gained a career in TV and writing books as a happy by-product. Well, his website needs updating, there is much more to this man than that as Herring discovered. Read on to find out more….

Raised by parents who remembered the effect of the Second World War, Max was used to mending and making do. A degree in product design and visualisation led him to Germany, where he was impressed by their use of recycled materials.

This inspired Max to start up reestore, with the purpose of designing and manufacturing a range of high-end desirable furniture items created from waste destined for landfill.

Although a worthy notion, Max was struggling to make a profit, so in 2007 he turned to BBC`s Dragon’s Den to see if he could win himself some backers with Ben the bin as his showcase product. His plucky determination, attention to detail and natural presenter skills managed to land Deborah Meaden and Theo Paphitis (another Look Who`s Wearing ambassador).

Eco designer Max has not looked back ever since. The spotlight and the investment injection have seen him rise from a hobbyist to one of the UK`s most respected and renowned designers and manufacturers of upcycled products.

Inspired by metal items from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, he takes care to make junk into beautifully crafted furniture, often using glass to finish them off. His aeroplane desk is a wonderful feature at Herring’s HQ, while The Body Shop has bought 200 of his bathtub chairs for stores across the world.

A natural presenter, care of good genetics (his dad was a mayor and his brother is a councillor), Max returned to our television screens and has been seen on Channel 4’s Shed of the Year, George Clarke`s Amazing Spaces, and Fill Your House For Free alongside property expert Kirstie Allsopp and Gok Wan, plus ITV1’s £10k Holiday Home with Julia Bradbury. Max is a living embodiment of all these TV shows care of his home; upcycled from a shipping container!

But away from the razzmatazz of media appearances, Max is still doing what he loves. Pottering about his shed, one of his latest projects sees him make a hot tub out of a Land Rover. All reestore`s pieces are still made by Max. After 17 years, his joy is compounded by having ready access to all the tools and parts he needs to make life a little easier.

He shows his appreciation for bring financially comfortable by actively trying to help others who have less. Having noticed the increasingly number of homeless people on Bedford’s streets, he upcycled an old family holiday caravan to create ‘the souper van’. He drove this around Bedford on Monday nights to hand out soup, hats, coats, scarves, etc. along with feminine hygiene products. This van has since been donated to a homelessness charity.

Max also headed to his university city, Bournemouth, with rapper Professor Green, to actively protest against the metal bars that had been put on benches to prevent homeless people from sleeping on them. His active protest involved an angle-grinder to remove the bars…plus, spanners, nuts and bolts to affix new bars that support tarpaulin sheets to give homeless people a shelter on the same benches.

Max said: “I’m a bit of an anarchist. I’m a doer! My brother would put a suit on and talk to the right authorities. I just brought my angle-grinder!”

Latterly, a divorce made him revaluate his, well, values, and he headed to Kenya where he has designed BOTL BLOX – a cupboard box filled with plastic bottles – to use as insulated building blocks for new schools.

“When I got to Kenya, I realised there were so many opportunities to help people. I wonder what I could do, and I came up with BOTL BLOX. There is lots of our plastic waste brought over to Africa. To make classrooms out of our plastic waste is so special.”

He added: “When you experience that love and appreciation from people who have no products or stuff, you feel a bit despondent when you come back here, and people are just worried about possessions and shiny stuff.”

While Max is not running his business and appearing on TV, he is a sought-after key-note speaker and he visits schools to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs and eco warriors.

“The best thing about being on TV is the letters I get from kids who are inspired by what they have seen. Kids get it. The first thing I do when I speak to kids is to apologise for what our generation has done.”

Read more about Max`s views on sustainability in his blog for Herring, Spread the cost with slow fashion.

Follow Max: @maxreestore, @BOTLBLOX