Mendip Profiles > Mendip Stories > Nicky Robertson
Nicky Robertson
Mendip Media
Director
The five Mendip Towns each have their own character. There are good networks that actually do work and provide business opportunities.
What is your occupation?
Video producer & communications consultant
Why do you do what you do?
Advise business, charities and public sector about online video & podcasts
Conceptualise business messages as moving images
Produce training, conference and promotional video
Organise distribution platforms for video: DVD, webcasts, online streams & download files
How long have you lived in Mendip?
10 years
How does Mendip inspire your work?
The area is a huge inspiration to me. I chose to leave the BBC after 12 years of working in Bristol and for months on location in Edinburgh, Hampshire and abroad. I wanted to work close to where I lived and to get the benefits of great natural surroundings, a young workforce and creatives willing to collaborate.
2 years on and the people of the Mendips still inspire me. They retain a sense of community, are independent and often buck ‘following the trend’. Their support and common sense gives me a space to create and develop my business away from the noise of media hubs like Bristol.
The Mendip hills have been such an influence on me so much that I’ve called my company after the area and incorporated it into my logo.
What are the advantages and drawbacks about living in this area?
Advantages:
- the natural surroundings
- the supportive community
- strong network of like-minded creatives
- space to think and concentrate.
Disadvantages:
- Missing the network opportunities presented by media hubs of Bristol and London. I’ve now got an office and a development director based in Bristol.
- Not having the retail outlets like PCWorld, Staples etc near by when you need a bit of kit. It means being super organised about ordering in materials.
- Lack of affordable serviced office space
What's your favourite part of Mendip and why?
Beacon Woods near Long Hill Crossroads outside Shepton Mallet. It is a small haven of wildlife and especially beautiful in the spring when there is a carpet of bluebells. It has an ancient history, although the woods are reasonably ‘modern’. Old burial mounds are scattered round about, the Roman fosse way runs through it and the Napoleonic beacon tops its crown. Within a tiny area it has pretty much everything you want on a walk. I spend a lot of time there.
What would you say to encourage people to visit here and work here?
Check it out. The five Mendip Towns each have their own character. There are good networks that actually do work and provide business opportunities. The schools and colleges produce well-educated students. Above all the Mendips is a super creative place: home of the Glastonbury Festival, the Academy Theatre School, Shute Farm Studios, the Shepton Sheep, Strode College, Frome Festival, Carnival etc. – it’s bursting with art, sculpture, music, performance and film. It’s a place to come and be inspired.
Website: www.mendipmedia.co.uk
