Vee Bee's - a business that's buzzing There's an infectious exuberance about Vivienne Bardoulet that explains a highly successful career in the hospitality sector spanning three decades.
It was a vocation that took her to London, Paris and Dubai, running four and five-star hotels and, while based here in the Scottish Borders, success with an award winning restaurant - the Horseshoe Inn at Eddlestone, Peebles, voted the best in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Born and brought up in Jedburgh, Vivienne has now returned to her roots, taken over a family owned property in Canongate and opened an antique and reproduction furniture business. Vee Bee's fulfils a long standing passion for interior design and a genuine desire to give something back to her local community. "As a girl I lived on the top floor of this property. The shop was then an ironmongers which was run by my grandparents Cecil and Jean Renilson. "I grew up here and have always retained strong connections with Jedburgh. The shop was empty after the previous business relocated and on the market but nothing was happening.
"I decided the time was right for a new venture. I got the premises in July, put in four months work remodelling the premises and opened just before xmas," said Vivienne.
Vee Bee's, specialising in everything from soft furnishings, furniture, glassware, pictures and ornaments, is now generating a lot of interest among visitors and local alike. "Interior design has always been a passion and the feedback I am receiving has been really positive. It's the perfect set-up for me because I also get to meet people and indulge my love of antiques and furniture," said Vivienne.