Jake and Amy’s story

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Winsor Bishop’s apprentice watchmaker Jake, popped the big question to his now fiancée Amy –  she worked over the road in the hair salon…. (she did say yes) in late August.  This is another story of Winsor Bishop playing a major role in love stories for 180 years and in some ways this is the biggest role that the brand has ever played: Love happened on the shop’s doorstep.

Newly engaged couple outside Winsor Bishop

Jake is the nephew of our Commercial Director Richard Peasgood, if you have ever bought a watch from the store you will have met Richard.  Jake joined the Winsor Bishop Group aged sixteen as a Sales advisor at the Pandora store in Chapelfield.   After spending 3 years  behind the counter, Jake worked his way up to earn a place on the concierge team at Winsor Bishop on London Street.
It was here Jake found a love for watches and for Amy!   Amy works as a hair stylist across from Winsor Bishop at Toni & Guy;  it is here , while letting customers into the store  that Jake saw Amy through the window.  Jake said “the moment I saw Amy in Toni and Guy I was smitten, she looked so beautiful”.   The feelings were not one way and Amy said “when I first saw him I thought he was really good looking and always dressed nicely in suits.  I always wanted him to talk to me when I went out for my lunch break because he was always so funny and I’d never met anyone with so much confidence in themselves”.

After staring at each other for the best part of year,  in January of 2014 Jake and Amy went for a drink at Cuba Revolucion with mutual friends from both Toni and Guy and Winsor Bishop.  It was here that they struck up a conversation and got to know one another.  Exchanging numbers they messaged constantly in the following days overlooked by colleagues at both stores.  Their first date was at Zaks – American Restaurant and this was followed with time meeting every lunchtime to spend time with each other.  Jake and Amy went on their first holiday together in June to Tunisia for one week spending every moment together topping up their tans.

At the time Jake started going out with Amy an opportunity arose to become an apprentice watch maker, however this would mean Jake would have to leave Norwich and May to go to the British School of Watch Making in Manchester.  Upon being accepted he said; “I had a big decision on my hands to leave home and Amy.  Both my parents and Amy were really supportive in knowing that this being a watchmaker is what I wanted to do with my life”.  Jake left for Manchester in late August, knowing one thing :  that he wanted to make a commitment to Amy.  Just before he left Norwich he  bought  a Winsor Bishop engagement ring.  Weeks before he took Amy into the Pandora store to buy Amy a ring as a gift and it was here he cleverly found out the exact ring size to fit.  The ring is a 3 stone with a colourless IF centre.

The beautiful three stone Winsor Bishop ring

Jake set about on an elaborate proposal; a treasure hunt around the city centre which would take in six locations which were significant during Jake and Amy’s courtship.  Jake organised six cryptic clues and five friends to help on this most romantic of proposals. The first Saturday Jake returned to Norwich from Manchester, he collected the ring, distributed the clues to his five friends and told them the locations to stand in.  Outside Toni and Guy, Jake handed Amy an envelope containing the first clue which lead her to Tesco Metro (where they’d frequently buy sweet treats for each other, particularly Oreos).  Picking up a clue from Kyle (Winsor Bishop’s other door man) this lead Amy to the market and the jacket potato stand (where they would have a healthy lunch).  Evie’s clue lead Amy to the Memorial Gardens (where they would eat their healthy lunch).  Damien, Winsor Bishop’s Marketing Executive held one clue  which took Amy to the Library Restaurant (where they spent many romantic evenings)  and this is where Andy, another friend was waiting with a clue to take Amy to Emily at the Grosvenor Fish Bar, (where Jake and Amy had a lunchtime date eating chips on a rainy day under some scaffolding). Emily had the final clue to take Amy to Jake to the Bridwell Alley where they would often set on breaks from work on a bench just to be in each other’s company. It was here Jake was hiding behind a wall and sprung out with a large bouquets of flowers as well as the ring and asked Amy to marry him.  Amy had a face of delight when Jake proposed “I was so shocked, the treasure hunt was a nice surprise but I thought it was Jake just doing one of the nice little gestures he does for me, I didn’t think he was going to propose so elaborately”. Jake says “I’m so pleased she said yes, I just wanted to show her how much she means to me and she has made me truly happy”.

The proposal on Bridewell Alley

Jake and Amy spend every evening on FaceTime when not travelling back and forth between Norwich and Manchester. This is just one story that Winsor Bishop has played a part in and we would love for you to get in contact with us to share your story. Please share your story on our www.facebook.com/winsorbishop using #YourStory by 28th of February to win a pair of sparkling Tresor Paris Earrings.