Vintage ~ Handmade ~ Homes ~ Gardens

Sunday, 20 February 2011

Mavis and a trip back in time

In such a fast paced life where nothing seems to stay the same for a moment isn't it wonderful when you come across something that has hardly changed in 60 years. One such place is a craft shop called Mavis in Bushey village. It's a gem of shop too. Mavis http://www.mavis-crafts.com/ was founded in 1935 and stocks a huge range of knitting wool and all manner of sewing bits and bobs. No packets of six - here you can buy just one button if you like.


(No you were not mistaken, it is on Cow Lane)


Mavis makes no concessions to modern fashions (see below). It's a shop firmly set in the 1950s and brings back memories for me as a child visiting Alsops, the local haberdashery store with my Mother. Alsops of Loughborough was heaven to me. As a little girl it seemed enormous, set on two floors it was packed with fabric. The highlight was when you made a purchase your money was whizzed across the shop in a canister that went on wires above your head. I thought this was thrilling! 


Alas Alsops, unlike Mavis, closed many years ago. I tried to find an old image of Alsops on the internet and came across these images of Loughborough, the town where I grew up, taken in the late 1950s. They're taken during the annual fair which still takes place today. As a child this was the most exciting week of the year. Gosh, the memories these photos bring back. 















Have a great week.

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