The ups and downs of life as a shopkeeper

Today Wild Damson announced they would soon be closing the shop but continue the business online and at fairs.

Inside Wild Damson when they first opened.

I was working in Tricot Too then, selling clothes

More of Tricot Too's unusual clothes

And then one day I saw this shop next door but one from Wild Damson

Five years ago I worked in Tricot Too. I loved the shop and designed and made jewellery for it as well as serving the customers. When Wild Damson first opened I urged those customers to visit it. The shop sells furniture and gifts which it will continue to sell online and at fairs.

It was the fact that Wild Damson was so close by that made me so excited about taking on the shop next door to it, pictured above. So I could say that without Wild Damson there would be no Handmade Happiness.
Nowadays a lot of my customers say they love to visit Wild Damson and Handmade Happiness and I am sorry it is closing.

Recently I've been wondering whether this January and February aren't the worse months I've ever experienced in the shop. But today I checked back over the years and found that actually the takings are average, neither better than nor worse than previous years. It's just quiet because it's that time of year. It is tempting, after a particularly bad day to think that all days are like that, but they're not. Tomorrow is often much, much better and I mustn't forget that. In the meantime I am thinking about a bit of diversification...