"I think Andy's mum is wearing your Memory Keeper locket" said my son while watching the Wimbledon 2016 final. Sport daft, nuts about Andy Murray and eagle-eyed enough to be able to tell the difference between a toad and a frog at ten paces, my teenage son does not, however, take much interest in jewellery so I assumed he must be mistaken.
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Judy Murray had bought some Lily Blanche pieces online - in fact she was one of our first online customers - but she hadn't bought the Memory Keeper Locket, which opens to reveal six secret photographs. As Andy came close to playing the winning shot the camera panned onto an emotional Judy in the Wimbledon crowd and it was clear that she was indeed wearing the Lily Blanche Memory Keeper Locket in sterling silver. I squealed with excitement. As a small, but growing, jewellery brand, it was thrilling to think that Judy Murray had chosen our locket for this historic occasion. It was doubly exciting as our studio is based in Stirling, not far from Dunblane where Andy and Jamie Murray grew up and we’d watched their progress over the years.
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Later that week, one of our stockists told us that Judy had been in the shop and had bought several pieces of Lily Blanche, including the Memory Keeper Locket and the Handbag Locket | Garnet. We wrote to Judy and thanked her for wearing the piece and congratulated her on a thrilling Wimbledon.
She was kind enough to write back and tell us how much she liked our jewellery. "It's my absolute fave piece" she said. Since then, a number of our customers have noticed when she has worn the very distinctive designs and often message to tell us.
Our paths have since crossed a couple of times and despite her growing profile, she has always been completely charming. It's not always easy being a woman in the public eye, especially in such a male-dominated world as Judy's autobiography Knowing The Score reveals.
Silver Memory Keeper Locket
It's great to see some recognition of what she has achieved with her recent honour in the Queen's Birthday list. Judy coached not just Jamie and Andy to tennis superstardom but a whole bunch of kids - including the late Elena Baltacha, Colin Fleming and Jamie Baker.
Despite her incredible success, Judy has stuck to her (grass )roots bringing her Miss Hits tennis programme and her Tennis On The Road to a new generation. Her values and ethos completely chime with everything we hold dear at Lily Blanche. So whatever happens on centre court this year, Judy Murray will always be our real champion.
Shop the Memory Keeper Collection here
The LILY BLANCHE Memory Keeper Lockets were a hit