City painters win top decoration

Bernard Watson Painting and Decorating Contractors was presented with the Judges’ Special Award for Excellence in a competition promoting high standards of craftsmanship organised by national trade body the Painting and Decorating Association.

The North Road company, received the accolade at the 28 th annual Premier Trophy Awards held at Northumberland Avenue in London, in front of hundreds of representatives from the industry.

Each year, the judges select a company for the prestigious accolade, which is marked against factors including an awareness of industry standards, the provision of a complete service for clients and a commitment to continuously reviewing and improving performance.

Bernard Watson is run by managing director Bernard Watson along with his youngest daughter Clare who joined the firm as a director in 1997. It was first established as John Corbishley and Sons in 1878 and passed into the hands of the current management, led by Bernard Watson, just over a century later in 1979.

Neil Ogilvie, Chief Executive of the Painting and Decorating Association, said: “Bernard Watson has shown that achieving high standards over a number of years really does pay off in maintaining and growing a successful business.”

Speaking after the awards event Clare said: “The award was completely unexpected and the day was a fantastic experience.

“We have a dedicated team of skilled craftspeople and work hard to give the very best service we can.

“We feel the award shows that hard work really does pay off and we are just absolutely delighted.”