Regency Chess News

The Regency Chess Company Moves To New Premises

August 2010 saw the biggest development in the history of The Regency Chess Company. Due to our rapid expansion over recent months we desperately needed more space. We have now moved our entire operation into one central warehouse just ten miles from Bath city centre. Our new facility features a warehouse, pick and pack area, offices, photographic studio and best of all, a showroom! The showroom is the only one of it's kind in the UK, on display we have a multitude of chess sets, boards, pieces, travel chess sets. It's a great opportunity for customers to come and see our products in all their glory and to find out for themselves that our chess pieces really are the best they will find in the UK and Europe. Customers have been visiting from far and wide, the furthest traveller drove all the way from Stoke to buy his luxury chess set. Our business premises features free customer parking and is easy to find from the A36.

Another great benefit to our excellent new premises is that we are located just a few meters away from our local Fed Ex depot. This makes it even easier for us to be the best performing online chess retailer when it comes to delivery times and customer service. All order are dispatched same day using a next working day service, and now that we can dispatch later in the day than any of our competitors we are the best choice for those of you who need your chess set in a hurry.

Our extensive warehouse means we are able to stock a bigger and better selection of chess products. We already have the best selection of chess boards in the UK and carry extensive stocks of all wood types and sizes. Our ability to import chess products in much larger bulk gives us the advantage over most of our competitors. All of the products shown on our website are stocked at our new premises, so viewing your chess set before you buy has never been easier.

The Regency Chess Company funds charity skydive event

The Regency Chess Company was proud to be the main sponsor of a charity skydiving event to raise funds for the specialist cardiac unit at St Mary's Hospital, Charing Cross, Hammersmith. The unit is hugely effective in treating urgent cases and saves many lives that would otherwise be lost to heat disease. The lucky jumper was Ms Shelley Williams who's father was treated at the unit in 2008 when doctors discovered that his arteries were extremely blocked. Thanks to the specialist skills and resources at the unit Roydon Williams made a full recovery.

The Regency Chess Company contributed all necessary funds in order to pay for the skydive and organise transport to the parachute center. This meant that every last penny that was donated could be sent to the charity itself instead of any portion going to pay for the skydive. Thanks to Shelley's extensive fund raising activities a total of £1200 was raised with a further £200 pledged once the event had taken place. Regency Chess director Julian Deverell couldn't resist getting involved in the jump and can be seen tagging along in the photos and videos wearing his trademark bright red jump suit. A huge thank you goes out to John Bagwell who strapped a very nervous Shelley to himself and fell out of the plane, The Army Parachute Association and of course Big Phil Elston who caught the whole thing on camera.

The Regency Chess Company Supply Custom Made Chess set to Sir Patrick Moore

In early February 2009 we were contacted by Andrew Watkinson Trim from King Edwards School in Bath. He explained that the school had embarked on the project of sourcing a very special chess set for Patrick Moore, the world famous astronomer. Patrick required a pegged chess set that he could play without fear of the chess men being knocked over, something that had plagued him because of his arthritis. Full sized pegged chess sets are not commercially available so after some head scratching we decided to offer the school one of our luxury chess boards and a set of Staunton Chess pieces that would then be modified to the specifications that Patrick had requested.

One of our 23 inch Rosewood chess boards and a set of Broadbase ebony chess men were carefully adapted by the schools DT department. They did an excellent job, holes were drilled in the solid wooden board and wooden pegs fitted into the base of the chess pieces. The board was then returned to us for precise counter sinking of the holes and refinishing and polishing. The school then added a brass plaque to the board with a message to Patrick engraved on it.

The end result was a beautiful chess set that is truly a one off piece of craftsmanship. When the boys from the school presented it to Patrick it had the desired effect, immediately he started to play a game of chess with them. It seemed none of us could bear the thought of someone with such a great mind not being able to play chess for such a simple reason. Everyone concerned was delighted that this customised chess set will allow Patrick to play chess once again. The Regency Chess Company is proud to have been involved in this project and we wish Patrick many happy games of chess on the new set.

This project would never have happened without the dedication of Andrew Watkinson Trim of King Edward School, Bath. Below are some words from him about the project:-