H&H Group mark Platinum Jubilee by planting a commemorative Red Oak outside Borderway Mart, Rosehill.
To mark HM The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, H&H Group chairman, Michael Scott, was joined by 80-year-old Mitch Carlyle and 17-year-old Victoria Twentyman, the oldest and youngest members of staff, in planting a commemorative Red Oak tree outside Borderway Mart at Rosehill, Carlisle.
Regal in its appearance, Red Oak (Quercus rubra) is renowned for its distinct rich red leaves in autumn and ridged bark which appear to have shiny stripes down the centre. Often referred to as the ‘Champion Oak’, it symbolises royalty and the phenomenal reign of Queen Elizabeth II as she makes history as the longest serving British Monarch.
Speaking of the Jubilee commemoration, Richard Rankin CEO of the H&H Group said: “We wanted to do something special to mark the Platinum Jubilee and it seemed fitting, giving Her Majesty’s rein, to invite our oldest and youngest employees to join our chairman in the planting of this Red Oak tree which will hopefully become a historical feature of H&H in years to come.”
The company’s oldest employee, former farmer and racehorse owner, Mitch Carlyle, works as a yardman at H&H; a role he has carried out since 2007. Mitch celebrated his own personal milestone when he turned 80 in February. Originally from Cannonbie, Mitch was a familiar face at the Langholm Common which is an annual festival steeped in tradition that involved riders checking the boundaries of the town commonly known as Muckle Toon.
At the other end of the scale, 17-year-old Victoria Twentyman is the youngest employee of the H&H Group. Following her chosen career in the financial service industry, Victoria joined H&H Insurance Brokers last summer as an apprentice admin assistant based at its head office in Carlisle, where she very quickly established herself as an integral part of the team.
With a diverse range of interests, the H&H Group PLC operates as a holding company, with operating companies and divisions encompassing Livestock and Machinery Auctioneers, Valuers, Chartered Surveyors, Property and Estate Agents, Auction Rooms, Commercial Printers, Graphic Designers, Digital Marketers and Insurance Brokers. Deep-rooted within agricultural and the wider rural economy and operating across the north of England and Scottish Borders in recent years the company has grown and evolved and today employs over 300 members of staff.