Christmas Spotlight: Lucy Rotchell

As we near the end of a landmark year following the gradual return to ‘normality’ post-Covid, we grab 60 reflective seconds with Lucy Rotchell, personal assistant at Towngate PLC, in an exclusive for the p.ublished group of online newspapers…

1. After a difficult time for many businesses during the pandemic, what was your primary objective at the start of the year?

Re-establishing face-to-face contact with our tenants has been one of our main objectives throughout 2022. Towngate has always been renowned for our personal approach, and I think reminding customers that they’re not leasing from a faceless organisation has helped in getting us all back on track during this post-pandemic period.

2. Looking back on 2022, what have been the 3 biggest highlights for Towngate?

The biggest highlight has to be Towngate reaching the amazing milestone of 60 years in business in June 2022! We are also currently operating at the highest ever occupancy rate across our portfolio — something we are all incredibly proud of.

Finally, it’s been fantastic for the whole team to gather under the same roof again. As a relatively small team, popping our heads around the door and asking a quick question in the moment is what works best for us.

3. And the most difficult challenge for your business?

The rise in the cost of materials has meant some of our planned refurbishments have taken much longer than expected — or haven’t happened at all yet.

4. If you had to sum up 2022 in one word, which would you use?

Fast-moving! How is it Christmas again already?!

5. What’s Towngate’s key goal for next year?

It may sound cheesy, but to keep on doing what we’re already doing! We’re a great team that works well together.

6. Name another northern firm that hope will have an outstanding year in 2023…

Scriba PR, of course!

7. How do you think the regional business climate will fare overall?

Having accompanied our marketing manager on some tenant visits during the year, overall, the feedback has been really positive. Some companies have understandably had to adapt their business model due to materials shortages, while others have diversified, offering alternative services. Although this is by no means a complete cross-sectional study of industry within the region, our findings would indicate that we possess the resourcefulness required to bounce back.

8. It’s perhaps the first opportunity to celebrate a ‘real’ Christmas post-Covid – what will it look like for you?

After two years of watching my daughter do her school Nativities online, hosting festive ‘get-togethers’ with friends over Zoom, and not having a work Christmas party, I can’t wait to do all those things in person once again!

9. What’s the worst Christmas gift you’ve ever been given?

I don’t think I can think of one specific thing. All credit to my husband, he is a very good gift-buyer! I don’t really like receiving toiletries and wouldn’t ever buy them for someone unless they asked, especially not anything heavily-scented, particularly lavender — I’m not a fan at all!

10. Describe Christmas at your house, in three words

Chaotic, special, fuelled-by-Baileys!