Following the fantastic announcement of Silver Cross as top nursery brand in the annual UK Superbrands awards, The Sunday Telegraph ran a Superbrands suplement featuring all that is good in British trade, industry and manufacture.

The suplement extensively featured Silver Cross as a a talisman of UK industry, forging into global markets and leading the world in the field of nursery design. Top business writer Kevin Coyd wrote:

“A UK heritage can be an advantage in more niche markets, as shown by pram manufacturer Silver Cross - a brand that has seen remarkable growth in overseas markets and a leap of 126 places in the Superbrands top 500, from 227 to 101. It’s British pedigree could scarcely be more impressive. Silver Cross is the world’s oldest nursery brand and it’s prams have been relied upon by the Royal Family for more than a century. More recently, celebrity owners have ensured that the company’s products have become a fixture in glossy magazines.”

Kevin went on to quote Silver Cross chairman, Alan Halsall, who stated; “Internationally, brands with our sort of heritage produce a warm feeling among consumers. We’ve developed over a long period of time, and people have a high regard for British workmanship.”

The expansion of the Silver Cross brand into international markets was the subject of a nice story in The Sunday Times at the weekend. The piece, featured in the business section of the perennial broadsheet favourite, focused on the burgeoning relationship with Chinese distribution partner Goodbaby.

Along with pictures from the recent Balmoral Pram photo shoot in London, business commentator Matthew Goodman wrote about the new Silver Cross presence in China through Goodbaby’s Beijing store and how it is hoped that the country will become a key market for Silver Cross in the future.

The seventeenth of July saw the proud launch of the Silver Cross brand in China. The Shanghai Nursery Fair is China’s (and one of the world’s) largest events of it’s kind, attracting a wide spectrum of high profile buyers from across China. Silver Cross has teamed up with one of the most prestigious nursery and children’s product distributors: Goodbaby Group. Goodbaby have a range of Chinese nursery stores and currently hold exclusive distribution rights for the Nike Kids and Miniman Fashion ranges for China.

The event was a huge success, with the world’s oldest nursery brand attracting a new and excited Chinese audience. With China fast becoming one of the world’s superpowers, the blossoming middle classes are keen to embrace the cream of western quality and design. Mr Shen - International Brand Manager of Goodbaby commented; “We have had a wonderful reaction to Silver Cross products at the show and we’re confident that the brand will have a bright future in China.”

.
Silver Cross has climbed an impressive 126 places to position number 101 on the prestigious Superbrands list ahead of such well known names as Pepsi, Orange and Walkers. Still the UK’s favorite nursery equipment brand, Silver Cross was the second highest Baby Brand after Pampers.

The Superbrand list is created through a robust and entirely independent selection process which seeks the opinions of experts and thousands of individuals administered by The Centre for Brand Analysis (TCBA) on behalf of the Superbrands organisation. Which is why we are so proud of the result!

The Silver Cross Dazzle stroller has once again set tongues wagging as the chic British design has scooped another award, this time winning the prestigious ‘Mom’s Best Award’ in the USA.

The Mom’s Best Network, who’s mission is “to be the BEST resource site in providing reviews and information specifically regarding products and services, as well as retailers that carry these products/services” awarded Dazzle their seal of approval after putting the stroller through the toughest test of all; being used by mothers and their babies. The testers were delighted with the stylish stroller, particularly the light weight and eyecatching fabrics. Here’s what moms had to say:

“The Dazzle is easy to fold and the recline is great for newborns through toddlers.”
“It’s so lightweight and such a pretty colour.”
“It’s very lightweight, easy to maneuver and the colours are great.”
“I really liked this product - nothing about it needs improving.”

On June 10th, Silver Cross and a gaggle of technical staff went on the road , all in the cause of fashion as we descended on one of the quieter corners of Islington for a photo shoot starring the classic Balmoral Pram.

Top fashion model Jen Dawson was on hand to provide the glamour, while London-based photographer Jonny Storey took the snaps. The shoot took place in a number of locations and included a host of great still images, along with some dynamic video. The results will be arriving on international Silver Cross sites in the next two months, so watch this space…

Following on from the successful showcases in Hong Kong, Silver Cross Asia is further developing it’s in store experience with a brand new display in the high-profile Forum Shopping Mall in Singapore.

The showcase, which sits in the main entrance lobby of the enormous mall, features standing space for Silver Cross strollers and a multimedia screen playing Silver Cross videos throughout the day. The stand will be initially used to promote the stylish Dazzle Stroller (pictured above), with plans to use it for the launch of POP & Fizz in July/August time.

For most parents, making sure that their new baby is kept safe usually means a shopping trip to get hold of all the latest, safety-conscious prams, highchairs and car seats, but for parents in Northern Spain, keeping baby safe means something completely different!

In a bizarre festival known as El Salto del Colacho (Spanish for ‘the jump of the devil’), babies born in the previous twelve months are dressed in their Sunday best and laid on mattresses in the streets of Castrillo de Murcia, near Burgos. Then men dressed as devils, carrying whips and truncheons, jump over babies by the dozen. This outlandish practice is said to protect the babies from evil spirits and illness. The festival, which originated in 1621, occurs every year on the Sunday following Corpus Christi, a Roman Catholic holiday observed across Spain.

The pictures above show the aerobatic devils in flight over unsuspecting tots. ‘El Colacho’ is pictured below in full diabolical regalia.

Mother & Baby have been conducting the latest lightweight pushchair like-for-like test in a bid to find out which strollers are best of breed.

The test was conducted by three mums and featured 6 different pushchairs from various manufacturers. The testers were considering criteria such as weight, practicality, style/looks and overall value. The Silver Cross POP pushchair proved to be the cream of the crop; recieving a four star rating and the coveted ‘best value’ award. Here’s what the M&B testers had to say about POP:

Gemma: “Getting my daughter in and out was a doddle. It’s also just the right height whether you’re tall or small.”
Charlotte: “Smooth to push, sturdy and the basket is a good size. Good reclining positions and it’s easy to change the seating position with a child in place, too”
Stacey: “Lovely to push and a smooth ride. The harness is easy to adjust, the raincover fixes on easily and it’s easy to recline the seat.”

In summary, Mother & Baby said: “Good value and good quality, our testers loved it!”

The Silver Cross Dazzle Stroller is the star of a new showcase window display at Planet Kids in New York City.

The display echoes Dazzle’s celebrity credentials, with the iconic British stroller taking centre stage in front of a horde of eager paparazzi, desperate to get the best shot! The addition of a red carpet underneath the Dazzles finishes off the glamorous scene nicely. The showcase is the first in a series of similar displays scheduled for New York kids boutiques over the next few months.

Sunday 18th May proved to be a great day for Silver Cross’ own Tamzin Hawkins (pictured above at the Christmas party!). Our fabric designer took to the streets of Manchester to take part in the Bupa Great Manchester Run.

In sunny and dry conditions Tamzin, running for this year’s Silver Cross charity, the Meningitis Trust, managed to complete the ten kilometre course in a sensational time of 53m32s, finishing in a fine 7,397th position out of 31,000 entries! Well done Tamzin!!!

One of the most difficult decisions all parents down the ages will face is what name to choose for their new arrivals.

While some parents will wait until baby arrives to make a decision (putting it off in other words!), many will have chosen names in advance of their due dates (mainly for nursery decorating and baby shopping purposes!). Nevertheless, actually coming up with a name that meets all the ‘relevant criteria’ can cause much anxiety. Here are some baby name ’criteria’ the Silver Cross team regard important :

.

Thanks guys! Certainly one of the best places to start is the most popular name rankings. National statistics are published every year and in the UK in 2007, Jack was the most popular boys name (again) and Grace the most popular girls name. In the United States however, the story is substantially different with Jacob the number one name for boys and Emily the top girls name. You can take a look at a multitude of historical baby name information from the US by visiting the Social Security Administration baby name statistics page.

Finally, our friends at babycentre have a neat little resource to help with the naming process - their baby name finder will give you plenty of suggestions and name meanings to help you on your way!

Silver Cross supports both the Princes Trust and The Meningitis Trust with regular donations and staff events.

As part of the recent work with the Prince’s Trust Silver Cross made a large donation during a musical event supported by top songstress Katie Melua and Welsh crooner, Aled ‘Walking in the Air’ Jones. As a thank you Katie very kindly donated her guitar which she used during the evening and put the icing on the cake with a great inscription on the instrument. The guitar is now on display in the Silver Cross reception area for everyone to enjoy.

Oh, and by the way Katie, we thought you were fab last night and you definitely have a loyal fan club up here in Yorkshire. x 

(Ms Melua is pictured above with Silver Cross Chairman Alan Halsall, CEO Nick Paxton and Head of Design Phil Taylor, her guitar is pictured below)

While working through our website email enquiries this week, our customer services department came across a remarkable story from Scotland…

Alison Anderson from Bonnybridge in Falkirk wrote to us, asking where she might buy a replacement Linear Chassis. She went on to write; “My partner had a bout of ‘baby brain’ and reversed over ours with his Toyota Tundra! In the chassis’ defence, it is all scratched however, it withstood the weight of the car!”

Naturally, we were absolutely amazed to hear about this ‘unorthodox’ test and were delighted to hear that the Linear had survived; although we definitely wouldn’t advise using it again! James Barraclough, Silver Cross Technical Manager said; “It’s not a test we’ll be repeating in the lab!!!”

This year’s Fast Track 100 awards ceremony proved to be a happy occasion for Silver Cross, with the pram manufacturer picking up the prestigeous international award for excellence

The event was hosted by larger-than-life Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson at his Oxforshire home and the guest of honour was Conservative leader, David Cameron. The Tory politician challenged British entrepreneurs to use their dynamism, creativity and ingenuity to help create a better Britain, stating; “Business is not just good for creating jobs and wealth, but it is a positive force for creating a good society.”

As the event progressed, attention turned to the 7 awards to be presented for excellence in categories such as technology, management and green credentials. The international award, sponsored by HSBC acknowledges outstanding growth and expansion into international markets. Wayne Bowser, HSBC deputy head of commercial banking was on hand to announce Silver Cross as the winner of the top award and present a commemorative plaque to a delighted Silver Cross Chairman, Alan Halsall. The picture above shows Mr Bowser (left) presenting Alan Halsall with the accolade.

Some other companies to win Fast Track awards were drinks manufacturer innocent, who won best use of technology… Gü Chocolate Puds, who won best emerging brand and Travel Republic, who won fastest growing company.

Following new legislation to be introduced in Australia on July the first, Silver Cross is set to introduce a red foot brake pedal to the Australian Dazzle stroller to comply with the new law (see above).

The new safety standards are being introduced to make footbrakes more visible following accidents involving prams rolling away. In addition to the foot brake, strollers will also be fitted with tether straps to remind parents to apply the brightly-hued brakes when stopping.

Silver Cross head of design, Phil Taylor stated; “The Australian Dazzle’s brake is now fire engine red to draw attention to the fixed-link mechanism. At Silver Cross, safety, attention to detail and quality are always our prime concerns.”

You can read more about the story in The Sydney Morning Herald

News from the UK: Britain’s most popular theme park, Alton Towers will be converting the nation’s children into thrill seeking adrenaline junkies at an even earlier age thanks to their new ‘Project Giant Gurgle’ baby rollercoaster!

The novel idea (brought to our attention by parenting website Raising Kids) will stand just 2 metres off the ground and allow parents to walk alongside while their little bundles of joy float along at a gentle two miles per hour. The ride will attempt to mimic the movement of a pram in motion and last 67 seconds.

Influential baby and parenting websites babyzone, babygadget, coolmompicks and Growing Your Baby have been testing the iconic Silver Cross Dazzle over the last few weeks and the resulting reviews have proved more than complimentary towards the stylish British design.
 
Babyzone paid particular attention to Dazzle’s aesthetic appeal; stating that the British stroller is best for “Hipster moms seeking eye candy that is affordable and portable.” They went on to say “This super-sleek, minimalist stroller looks like it belongs in a museum instead of your home,” and one of the mothers asked to test Dazzle commented; “I can’t stop staring at the stroller - it is like a piece of art!” Babygadget described Dazzle as “kind of neat, it’s lightweight, collapsible and suitable to use from birth.” Coolmompicks were also taken with Dazzle’s good looks, stating; “The Silver Cross Dazzle, in a word, dazzles! The streamlined style, appealing curves and modern colours are great!” Growing Your Baby listed the Dazzle’s extensive features, describing the British stroller as “A stylish lightweight stroller for quick trips to the mall or the Carribean!”

The talented folk at Love Creative have been taking a look at the packaging of our products and they’ve come up with some very smart designs for our entire range. Firstly, they  get our products to you in pristine condition, then the children on the boxes show your little ones just what can be done with an empty box. Hours of fun…

Cardboard boxes will always be a great source of entertainment and amusement for little ones; in fact very often, the boxes their toys arrive in end up being played with more than the toys themselves! After all, a dolls pram will always be a dolls pram. A cardboard box can be a house, a spaceship, a racing car, a boat, a bus… The possibilities (and the ideas kiddies have) are endless!

More about this story on how-do