Education
To date, Simpkin has completed large barn and farmhouse conversion projects in the Cheshire plains.
To date, Simpkin has completed large barn and farmhouse conversion projects in the Cheshire plains.
He also been involved in product supply and distribution through to the sale of international property and the development of United Kingdom property. Simpkin is currently the Managing Director of The Simply Group of companies. Simpkin began his career selling lockers and changing room equipment to high street and commercial clients.
He believed the same approach could apply to other industries, and extended the range of products to include cafe furnishings, industrial racking, shelving and other products.
His company has supplied to Kurt Geiger, UGG Australia, Westfield Shopping Centre, Rothchilds, Buckingham Palace, and also supplied furniture for use in the Royal Wedding and BBC1 EastEnders. Mark Simpkin"s property portfolio includes complex projects in conservation, greenbelt, and protected areas.
Alongside property development, Simpkin also obtained planning permission for a natural burial ground in Adlington, Cheshire, in conjunction with Adlington Hall estate. This is intended to open in Spring 2016 and will serve surrounding parishes with burial plots in response to their current shortage.
Simpkin"s company also obtained planning permission to develop the local Street Johns Church in Bollington in to 13 apartments, work is due to commence shortly and is expected to complete in 2016.
Simpkin was a presenter for an ITV1 programme called I Want That House, about buying property abroad. He presented over 100 shows, including 15 live shows from Florida. He presented GMTV"s Fashion Police and LK Today, and Independent Television’s This Morning, where he presented a property segment called Police.
He also presented regular reports from around the world for BBC1’s Holiday.
Having missed out on a place in boy band Take That, he went into acting, appearing in ITV1"s long-running soap Coronation Street as the character Craig Brennan. Simpkin had roles in Zig Zag, an educational children's series on BBC1, a live reporter on the youth show The Totally Friday Show, the Travel Channel, Carlton Food Network, Manchester United television and the Granada Regional Newsroom, where he trained.
Simpkin hosted a nationwide series of youth conferences with Sir Alan Sugar for Lloyds Trustee Savings Bank. The road show promoted entrepreneurialism in Great Britain. He still works closely with local schools advising pupils interested in starting their own business.
Tricia and Mark had a wedding renewal ceremony on their 10 year anniversary.