Altamira is Cherry Chimes' third summer signing!

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The signings keep on coming for Cherry Chimes this summer as we are very pleased to welcome Altamira to readers as our third new advertiser to join the blog for this season. I was privileged to spend some time with Alberto who owns this special shop in Richmond Garden Centre, down in the centre of town on Old Christchurch Road and we chatted for quite some time about AFC Bournemouth. He has some fond memories and is of course looking forward to this special season in the Premier League and he hopes that you and your partners will spread the word about his Art Deco, jewellery, ceramic and furniture shop as well as visit his website and come down to the shop yourself to see what he has on sale.

You won't find another shop like this in Bournemouth so I think it is about time we got to know a bit more about Alberto, his love for the Cherries and Altamira.

Alberto and Gelyn at Dean Court.

CC: How long have you been living in Bournemouth and what is your favourite part of the area?

Alberto: It feels like I’ve been living here forever, 100 years? I am originally from Madrid, Spain and throughout my life have travelled and worked in various places. I first arrived in Bournemouth about 35 years ago on a Lambretta scooter. I fell in love with the area and bought my first property here on impulse but with no regrets; Bournemouth is very much home for me now and has been since the late 70’s early 80’s. I now live in Queen’s Park with my wife so am a little bias but I would have to say that is my favourite part of this town. The area its self like so much of Bournemouth is beautiful, with a large park and golf course just down the road which is ideal for me with a young puppy that requires a lot of walking. Of course being in walking distance to AFC Bournemouth is handy too.

CC: Can you remember your early visits to Dean Court and is there one player that always had you coming back for more?

Alberto: My first trip to Dean Court was in 1978/79. Things were totally different back then of course but things had already started to improve with Alec Stock being manager. One player I really remember well from the earlier days was Tony Pulis.

CC: Altamira is a specialised jewellery, ceramic and Art Deco shop in the Richmond Gardens Shopping Centre of Bournemouth, so would you say you offer a unique selections of items for sale?

Alberto: Yes, Altamira is one of a kind, particularly within the Bournemouth retail. I myself have been in the Art Deco business for decades; it’s a real passion for me and has truly taken me places- literally from across Europe and even Hong Kong.

For many years I owned an Art Deco Gallery in Westbourne on Seamoor Road, however with plans to retire I sold my business several years ago and well retirement never really happened so last year my wife and I opened Altamira; combining my love for Art Deco and her passion and knowledge of Jewellery.

Altamira has an unbeatably stunning collection and I am so proud of it, I think our selection is unique, 100% you won’t find anywhere with such a range of ceramics, glasswares, bronzes, pictures and prints and they are all originals! That's so important to us.

Alongside the Art Deco and Modern Art we have an exquisite range of New and Second-hand Jewellery with really competitive prices, we know when it comes to Jewellers in Bournemouth our customers are spoilt for choice, being an independent jeweller our stock varies massively to that of our high street competitor and so does our price tag, we always ensure our prices are some of the best in town.

CC: Do you have a repair service and what kind of items might people bring in to get repaired?

Alberto: We offer our customers of all types and really to us, no job is too big or too small. We work with one of the best local Goldsmiths in the area with over 30 years experience on the bench offering our customers expert repairs and also jewellery commissions. We also work closely with a skilled watchmaker servicing and repairing watches as well as a pearl re-theader dealing with anything from antique pearls to modern fashion jewellery. So we have all varieties of repairs covered, locally by professional and skilled craftsman. Every week we deal with so many repairs and no two jobs are the same; our customers can need anything from a simple ring sizing or stone setting to a complete redesign of a family heirloom or the bespoke design of an engagement ring.

CC: If away fans see things they like in your shop can but don't buy on their first visit can they buy on line easily?

Alberto: Our website www.altamiradeco.com is up and running but as with most things is a constant work in progress. Many items are currently for sale and over time we do hope to get everything in our online store. Online sales are fantastic and as technology advances we all move more and more online however with items such as Paintings or Bronzes you really want to see them and experience them in the flesh so to speak. But if one of our customers sees something they like and decide later that it’s the piece for them there is no quibble to make the arrangements that suit our individual customers.

CC: How special was it for you as a Bournemouth fan last season to see the team win promotion to the Premier League and do you remember when you started thinking we could go up?

Alberto: I was extremely delighted when Bournemouth made it into the Premier League, both for the club as a long time supporter and for the town itself, it really will do wonders for the town in tourism and really putting Bournemouth back on the map for more than just somewhere to retire.

I’ve always believed in AFC Bournemouth and over the years i have been a supporter the team has gone from strength to strength so I’d always seen the move into the Premier League as just a matter of time, and when they did it I was so proud, proud of the team and proud to have been a Bournemouth Supporter all these years.

CC: Do you ever have AFC Bournemouth fans coming in to discuss games with you at the shop?

Alberto: Yes! In fact sometimes I feel sorry for non-football supporters if they pop in when we are discussing the matches! We have a good group of fans from the football who always pop in when they are passing and we have a good old chat and try to predict up and coming results. My wife and I being local supporter means we can build great rapport with our customers and we are strong believers in customer service and keeping things personal, that’s what is lacking with online shopping and in some of the chain-stores. We would always welcome more fans to pop in for a chat and have a look around.

CC: How good a manager do you think Eddie Howe is?

Alberto: I think he’s a very good manager, he seems to be a very intelligent man and is also ambitious which is great for the club. I think he will really take the team places.

CC: Does it bother you when players for the Cherries are sold on - you must have seen a few favourites go over the years?

Alberto: No it doesn’t really bother me, which must sound terrible but I’m not sentimental about it. We’ve lost some good players but we’ve also gained some great players. It’s just the way things are in football, even more so these days and i try not to let it bother me and just seen the team as a whole. Overall I think we have a fantastic team with some really talented players.

CC: Which player interests you most of the new signings this season at AFCB?

Alberto: The deal for Lee Tomlin has been confirmed and it looks like he’s going to be a real asset to the Cherries. He was a star player last season and I think it was a great move by Eddie Howe.

CC: What match are you most looking forward to this season and why?

Alberto: There’s so many! My wife and I are really excited about the coming season and have planned our lives around the games. I think overall it’s going to be an incredible season for Bournemouth, particularly looking forward to the Man City and Chelsea games.

CC: Is it difficult sometimes to miss games if the shop needs to be open or do you have a special arrangement so that you can always get to see the Cherries?

Alberto: Altamira is open 7 days a week but we are only a very small shop and we both work there along with our shop manager Sam. Being a new business it requires a lot of time being put in and we like to be open as much as possible to be convenient for our customers. When the seasons start we work our rota out so we can have the Saturday afternoons off to watch the game. It’s not always possible but usually we are very lucky and are able to see all the games. Thankful Sam isn’t a season ticket holder!

CC: How do you think the Cherries will do this season?

Alberto: I think they are going to do well, and i’ll be there to cheer them on each step of the way. I think as a team we are really going places and this is just the start. There's no doubt in my mind we are staying in the premier league.

Well it is good to hear that Alberto has plenty of confidence in the Cherries and I know he was delighted with the club's first win at West Ham last weekend. Please keep checking out the Altamira website as different objects will keep coming up on it to buy.

If you also have a local company that might want to consider advertising on Cherry Chimes, just give me an email at cherrychimesblog@gmail.com