30 years in retail - a shopkeeper's tale - part four
My Shopkeeper Story
I moved my shop to Cranbrook in early 2017, and it felt like a real homecoming. I went to school in this tiny town 20 years earlier, and it was good not only to be in such familiar surroundings, but also to be so much closer to home!
I looked at a few spaces that were available for rent, but my heart was stolen by the most gorgeous shop with an incredible 15th Century, Grade II* listed ceiling. Beautifully carved dark oak beams that were rumoured to have originally been rood screens from Cranbrook church, hidden away during Henry VIII's reformation to keep them safe. Whether this is true or not, I knew that it would be an amazing experience to be part of the history of this special place.
My (very sparse) shelves the night before opening and that glorious ceiling
Growing up...
The shop was at least double the size of the Ashford space, and there was an awful lot of improvising, charity shop furniture purchasing and hurling tablecloths over things to get ready for opening. I somehow got the shop ready within five days, and on my first day, took more than I had in a week in Ashford. It felt like my shop was growing up, and I knew that I had made a good move.
The shop was blessed with an enormous window, and I made the most of it by leaning into my hobby of papercutting. I would sit on my sitting room floor from evening until the early hours, cutting out and gluing shapes by hand to hang up in the shop window, providing colour and conversation starters! From birds and animals, to plants, tea cups and playing cards. I even made a 1.5 metre tall Cranbrook windmill for my first Christmas in Cranbrook! My life got quite a bit more efficient when I invested in a cutting machine.
My handmade cardboard Cranbrook windmill at Christmas, and repurposed for summer!
Getting crafty...
I loved the idea of using the shop for creative endeavours as well as a retail space, so I introduced workshops taught by myself and clever friends. Cas Holmes, Louise Pettifer, Ali Stump, Bi Wilson, Anne Kelly, and Jamie Chalmers (Mr X Stitch) plus a host of others would come along after hours and on Sundays to teach textile art, cross stitch, printmaking and more. It was incredibly popular, as there was nothing quite like it in the town. I added a monthly craft club, where local creatives could come along for a cuppa, bring along a project that they were working on, and enjoy meeting and chatting with like-minded people.
A sold out workshop with Mr X Stitch in 2018
Panic on the high street...
In early 2020, I moved the shop furniture around to accommodate daytime workshops. I booked in an exciting programme of events, art exhibitions and workshops to give the shop a bit of a refresh. Little did I know what was about to happen. The word Coronavirus was starting to appear in the news, and there was a sense of unease in the air as it began to spread. I felt incredibly anxious. The thought of closing the shop was unimaginable, but the thought of getting sick would result in a closed shop anyway, as apart from Mama T, I had no other colleagues to cover me.
I wrote about the situation in my bullet journal, trying to work out a strategy, as lockdown seemed inevitable. I made a plan for two weeks of closure (which is hilarious, given the timeframe we ended up experiencing) and decided I would focus on the website, on social media and on emails - all things that I rarely had time to work on whilst running the shop. I closed the physical space one day before the official lockdown and got to work.
My customers were (and still are!) incredible. Every email and social media post was met with love and support, and the orders came through thick and fast. I turned my spare bedroom into a photography studio and packing room, and spent most days in a frenzy of gift wrapping, editing photos and posting orders. I continued to change my window displays as a way of feeling 'normal' and to give Cranbrookians something to enjoy on their daily exercise. It felt important to remind people that there was a human behind the scenes, continuing to send out good vibes!
Reopening came with its own challenges but again, my customers came through for me. Screens, masks and sanitiser became the norm as Cranbrook slowly came back to life. I had never been busier, and I was so grateful.
Moving on...
I decided to try opening on Sundays in 2021, and I looked for someone to join the team. Katherine applied, and I jumped at the chance to employ her. Her previous experience as a nanny showed that she had patience. Her qualifications in both motorcycle maintenance and floristry showed that she was versatile, practical and creative. Best of all, she'd also worked as a Christmas elf, so I knew that she was used to a busy festive season!
Behind the scenes...
Meanwhile, away from the shop, my personal life was changing too; I was in my first relationship in over a decade. I met James in 2018 through a mutual friend, and whilst was very happily single at the time, decided to give him a chance! He was based in Canterbury, and evenings and weekends were spent driving the 60 mile round trip to see each other. After four years together in 2022, we were ready to live together. As his children's school is in Canterbury, it made sense for me to be the one to move. I decided that with Katherine's help, I could probably keep the Cranbrook shop going, doing fewer hours myself and travelling to and from the big city. The plan changed...
Coming up next...
In the next installment, I’ll be sharing my most recent adventure - the big move to Canterbury!
In the meantime, I’d love to hear your memories of Cranbrook. Did you visit my shop in Cranbrook? Attend a workshop or admire a window display? Share your thoughts in the comments below!