Goodbye Old Friend – Letting Go of Chesterton House

We moved into Chesterton House in 1991, changing the name of our business (from James Jervis Financial Services) when we did so. It’s been our practical and spiritual home ever since, and we’ve grown up as a business – and as people – within its walls.

Since the covid pandemic, however, our needs have changed. Before 2020 we were actively looking for additional premises in the town as we continued to expand. The pandemic forced a change in the way we work, kickstarting a move to working online, both with our clients and with each other, from which we’ve never looked back.

We still believe in getting our teams together regularly, there’s nothing like being in the same room to share ideas, swap stories and build friendships. Likewise, we will always have meeting spaces where we can welcome our clients and guests in a friendly environment, and we still have many meetings at our offices.

The reality is, though, that we have proven we can do all of this perfectly well from just one building, no 3 Rectory Place. If you’ve been to see us during the last year that’s where we’ll have met you. You may have wondered why the lights were off in no 2 next door, because it’s not been in use for most of that time, other than for storage. So we know that we can operate without it.

That doesn’t make leaving the building known as Chesterton House any easier. It’s been great for our business, offering a solidity and continuity that’s been part of our brand. It’s a building with huge character and history and we’ve all enjoyed working there. More than that, we’ve been part of the building’s long and fascinating history, and it’s wormed its way into our hearts.

But it makes no sense to hang onto a property that isn’t serving us any more, so we’ve decided to let it go. We moved our remaining furniture and files out this week (no small task after 35 years) and it’s now up for sale. We’d love to find a buyer who will respect the building’s long history, space and ideal location as much as we have. We’ll be next door watching with interest.

If you’d like to know more about the history of Chesterton House, you’ll enjoy this video that Andy created for the local U3A group a few years ago. And if you’re interested in acquiring it, you can find out more here.

Treat it well though. It’s an old friend of ours.