About Us
Names are important. They communicate identity, they enable reputation, they create history. My name is Richard Gossage, and together with Helen (my long-suffering wife and partner in crime), we set up Grey Goose Restorations. Helen brings the creative flair and I try to make her ideas a reality.
For me choosing the name became personal. According to the Penguin book of British Surnames the name of Gossage is ‘Old English’ and associated with Geese; either the water they swam on or their wellbeing. However, the association with the humble goose is even more personal. I had the opportunity to work in the US early in my career and, as soon as I got off the plane everyone called me “Goose”. Why? Well, unbeknown to me there is a very famous pitcher for the NY Yankees baseball team called Richard Gossage, but he was universally known as “Goose”, presumably due to the surname. Google Richard Gossage and you will see what I mean! For me it stuck. In the Americas I was Goose whether I liked it or not! Later I lived and worked in Australia for a number of years and the name followed me there. I am still known as Goose when I am down under.
Anyone who has spent much time in Australia will understand when I say the prevailing naming convention is ‘name it as you see it’. So, for me naming Grey Goose Restorations was simple: Grey (because I am) – Goose (because that is me) and Restorations (because that is what we do.) Too easy! What makes us different? Well, for a start we are not driven by making lots of money. Now, don’t get ideas, we do need to make a profit to cover the cost of tools, materials, and our overheads. But we don’t aim to maximise our profits, that is not why we run Grey Goose Restorations. We run the workshop because we love what we do, and we hope you love what we do too. When we put the Grey Goose Restorations name to something it matters. It matters that we have done our best to meet your needs, to create something of value to keep and use for years, and to use nature’s resources as wisely as we can. We aim to put a smile on your face when you get something from us, as big as the one on our faces when we made it.
