Talking Heads Translation Agency Celebrates 20 Years — Talking Heads

8 Apr

Talking Heads’ first logo.

In 1999, linguist Eileen Enos took the step of setting up Talking Heads to offer translation and interpreting services.

Starting from her dining room table, Eileen soon had to rent an office and take on staff to cope with the demand for the excellent services she was providing.

With credit going to Eileen for her relentlessness in offering only high quality services, early on Talking Heads won work with high profile clients such as GlaxoSmithKline plc, Irwin Mitchell, local authorities, Granada Television, Oxfam and the DWP, as well as many local law firms in the South Yorkshire area.

Some highlights…

In 2003 the company won the opportunity to work for KFC.

Translations for KFC training materials included terms possibly never translated into Arabic before, such as ‘clunk of chicken’ and ‘ragged fillets’!

In 2005 Talking Heads sponsored a team at a Macmillan Cancer Support ‘Celebrity vs Emmerdale’ Cricket Match.

Rather than going with the sponsors assigned to them, the celebrities chose their teams by putting on the shirt in the changing room which actually fit them, and by chance Talking Heads’ celebrity turned out to be one of Eileen’s favourite musicians, Rick Wakeman from the rock band Yes.

Example of Talking Heads’ translations for Jamie Oliver.

Jamie Oliver brought his products to Talking Heads for translation in 2007 and this started the company’s love affair with food (clients)! It was the savvy chef’s products which started it all…

Read more at talkingheads.co.uk/fooddrink

In 2008 Eileen’s daughter Laurianne joined the business and the mother-daughter duo have run the company together ever since. Two other team members joined that year - Torkin and Ed - windup space hopper toys which Eileen and Laurianne adopted as the company mascots.

Across a wide variety of sectors, other clients that came on board were 3M, Barnado’s, Burgess Pet Care, Dalkia, Kerry Foods, New York Bagels, Warburtons, Hitachi, boohoo, Nouveau Lashes, Leeds Castle, Evolution Power Tools, the Tour de France, Arla, Cadburys, Crafts Council, Jaywing, Campbell’s, Max Factor and even the man from Del Monte said “yes” and he’s really picky! Sorry if not everyone is mentioned, but it really is impossible with 20 years’ worth of clients!

The company is proud to work with many organisations that handle sensitive information and look after people in the UK - of course they can’t be named here as the company is as committed to best practice confidentiality as much as the customers are.

The company has translated books, letters, emails, Word documents, case notes, spreadsheets, websites, phone messages, product labels, witness statements, manuals, ingredients, tenders, reports, doctor’s notes, certificates, patents, trademark applications, software, games, signage, adverts, press releases, brochures, mailshots, social media posts and interpreted at hospital visits, GP appointments, solicitor conferences, court hearings, factory tours, expert witness appointments, exhibitions, conferences, tours, seminars, film festivals, town-twinning visits, tourism events, social services meetings and visits, and even underground!

The values which we all come to expect from a ‘family’ business - integrity, hard work and ‘business with meaning’ - are present at Talking Heads and are passed on to the team, linguists and clients.

Excellent team members have come through the Talking Heads doors - some of whom have gone on to do other amazing things, and many who have stayed for the ride!

The company has seen three weddings (and two more planned), three babies, three puppies and one kitten. Not everything we’ve done or places we’ve been can be included here, but suffice to say, a lot has been packed in.

Talking Heads’ clients remain the top priority - the business regularly receives feedback that it’s a pleasure to work with the company and you can’t ask for more than that!