NEW MANAGER FOR THE SHIRES

John Grinnell, manager of The Podium in Bath, has been appointed manager of The Shires Shopping Centre in Trowbridge and will start on January 4.

He succeeds Steve Murray who becomes a regional manager with responsibilities for shopping centres and retail parks at Didcot, near Oxford, Merthyr Tydfil and Swansea, South Wales.

Originally from Birmingham and a keen Aston Villa football fan, Mr Grinnell, 40, pictured right, moved to the West Country 10 years ago and has been centre manager at The Podium for five years. He was previously a manufacturing manager in the jewellery and lock industry.

Mr Murray, who lives in Chitterne with his wife Lisa and young son Jack, says he has enjoyed his time in Trowbridge but is delighted to have the opportunity to take on a new challenge with more responsibilities. He has been manager of The Shires since 2004.

Before moving to Trowbridge, Mr Murray was operations manager of the Marlands Shopping Centre in Southampton, having previously spent 23 years in the Royal Navy.

He has organised several successful events promoting The Shires, including Titan the Robot, an event which attracted huge crowds and earlier this year he organised a Formula 1 racing car simulator competition to coincide with the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

Mr Murray, who is a keen West Ham United supporter, is most proud of working with the police, the town council’s policy and resources committee and the town’s CCTV forum group on the installation and upgrading of the Trowbridge CCTV system.

The CCTV monitors are based in The Shires and monitored by the centre’s security team who have frequently been praised for their dedication, awareness and responses to emergency situations.