The Other Branch: About Us
About Us
Deryck Henley
Who comes up with all the crazy ideas for this site? The founder of course, Deryck Henley. Deryck started his interest in both art and nature at a very early age, as young as three infact, he painted his Grandmas dog with gloss green paint!
There has been a pencil, paintbrush or other creative instrument in his hand ever since. Always rising to a challenge, Deryck has mastered several; controlling the erratic art of batik to produce larger than life portraits, which he exibited around the world. Producing lifelike cats and fish in textiles and more recently reproducing individual birds sounds from offcuts of wood. (I suppose you could class a wife, Sarah Henley, and family as a challenge for an excentric artist too.)
Sarah and Deryck in classical pose.
So, how did it all start?
Deryck started his own company with a definate objective in mind, to produce quality gifts at an affordable price. Gifts that are not only a pleasure to give but a pleasure to receive, within an overall theme of the sights and sounds of nature. The range has grown from the first three realistic mobiles, the Macaw, Mallard and Barn Owl (now retired) that inspired the company name, 'Flights of Fancy', to the diverse range of both nature and educational gifts the company now produce.
... and so it continues
Year on year Deryck has come up with intriguing new ideas. For those around him both at work and at home there is always something to surprise, amaze and even laugh at. Many prototypes fill the Design Studio and every room at home, but they are only manufactured if they can be made by our team at a competitive price.
An interest, and concern in the environment has influenced not only the type of products produced but the way they are manufactured. Practically everything is conceived, designed, developed and manufactured in the Heart of England, in Royal Leamington Spa. The few products in the range that are not home grown have been carefully selected to complement the range.
We hope you will find them fun, informative, intriguing and appealing. We know you'll have as much enjoyment from them as we have had making them for you.