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We're Pirongs

The UK's favourite Academic Diary and Teacher Planner publisher.

Last year over 150,000 teachers and students planned their school year with us, with many returning year after year for their diaries and a catch up.

All of our diaries and planners are published to our own design and built to the highest standards of quality to last the academic year, in an ever-growing range of colours and designs!.

Since 1958

Our Story

Our name has been pronounced many different ways over the years, so why Pirongs? It's our family name, passed down from Sylvia and Paul Pirongs to their children, along with our small business based in the rolling hills of the South Devon countryside.

The business was started way back in 1958. Sylvia was on a train journey, when she was struck by an idea...

Phonetic SpellingPIH-rongz(Pirongs)

Sylvia's Story

“Where did it all start?”.

“We were both teachers and had married in 1952. Who would have guessed that six years later we would have had two children and started our own family business? PJ and S Pirongs Limited supplied schools with Christmas gifts, cards and calendars. It became most successful, but was very seasonal.

A few years later we were occupied with how to fill the gap for the rest of the year. I happened to be on a train journey one summer evening when an article in the newspaper caught my eye. It was about the increasing number of young people who would be moving on to colleges and universities.

By the time my stop had arrived a thought was persisting in my head - a diary for the educational year.”

Sylvia Pirongs

That's still us today, a friendly tight-knit team running a small family business! Read on to find out more about who we are and what we're up to...

Small & Friendly

The team

LouLouise is in charge of HR and finance, and as our longest serving employee has witnessed a lot of change over the years! When not in the office she likes nothing better than to be outside exploring Dartmoor or the coast with a camera and flask of hot chocolate in her bag, and her dog Monty by her side.

Louise RencherQ. What's your favourite...?Food: Cream tea (Devon)
Film: Back to the Future
Music: Blondie
TV: Frozen Planet
Book: In the grip of winter
Hobby: Renovating
Holiday: Greek Islands

JohnJohn heads up our warehouse team, and can normally be heard singing along to 80’s tunes in an impressive falsetto. He's always the first on the dancefloor at our Christmas party, normally before the rest of us have finished eating!

John WestheadQ. What's your favourite...?Food: Roast Dinner
Film: Gladiator
Music:80’s
TV: Sopranos
Book: Lord of the Rings
Hobby: Football
Holiday: Spain

KevinWhen not running things here as Managing Director, Kevin can often be found running the South Devon coast path instead, in training for his next ‘Big 6’ marathon. At home he’s kept in check by his three children and his wife Louise, who manages our social media.

Kevin McGovernQ. What's your favourite...?Food: Pizza
Film: Wonder
Music: Biffy Clyro
TV: Peaky Blinders
Book: Game of Thrones
Hobby: Running
Holiday: Wild Atlantic Way in Ireland!

JulieJulie is an avid golfer and gardener with a keen eye for design. When she’s not picking out new cover designs, brainstorming in the office or tending to the Pirongs lawn, she splits her time between her own (rather beautiful) garden, and her local golf course.

Julie PirongsQ. What's your favourite...?Food: Sirloin Steak
Film: Period dramas
Music: This Will Be (An Everlasting Love) Natalie Cole, Fleetwood Mac
TV: Augusta Masters, Solheim Cup
Book: How to stop worrying and start living ( a turning point in my life!)
Hobby: Golf and Swimming
Holiday: Sailing in the Ionian with my gorgeous husband

ParisTaking care of all things ‘goods-in’ is our assistant warehouse manager and forklift operator Paris. He likes nothing better than to get out into the countryside on the weekends for a walk or a scenic drive through the South Hams.

Paris WilliamsQ. What's your favourite...?Food: Mums Cooking
Film: Taxi Driver
Music: Slum Village
TV: The Boondocks
Book: A New Earth
Hobby: Walking the coast or countryside
Holiday: Costa Rica

RobinRobin left behind the bright lights of stage and screen to move back to Devon and head up the second generation of Pirongs’ at Pirongs. When not in the office Rob loves to make music, putting on his own festival in the garden every July!

Robin PirongsQ. What's your favourite...?Food: Tuna Tataki
Film: The Great Escape
Music: Hide and Seek, Imogen Heap
TV: Breaking Bad
Book: Watership Down
Hobby: Correcting Kevin’s grammar
Holiday: Every day’s a holiday

ChristianChristian has looked after things in our bustling office for around a decade now, and is equally busy at home with a 1 year old and a 5 year old tearing around the house (and occasionally the office!). He's a regular fixture on the bass guitar at Robin’s festival, occasionally appearing on stage in various local musicals.

Christian BrookerQ. What's your favourite...?Food:Anything Italian
Film:Interstellar
Music:Jamiroquai
TV:Black Mirror
Book:His Dark Materials
Hobby:Playing bass guitar or
homebrewing
Holiday:Cornwall with the kids

MontyMonty won’t leave his Mummy, and so if Lou is in the office, then Monty is too. He’s normally happy curled up somewhere under her desk, but given his size this is no easy feat!

MontyQ. What's your favourite...?Food: Important documents
Film:Turner and Hooch
Music: Snoop Dogg
TV: Lassie
Book: The Incredible Journey
Hobby: Barking loudly when people least expect it
Holiday: The beach!

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