JULY 3RD ONLINE -
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CREATED BY HAND OPENING THIS WEEKEND JULY 4TH
June 1st 2020 Hover Mouse over or Click for full size - numbered L-R 1-11
May 28th
Stamford Corn Exchange is reopening 15th June for shopping. https://www.facebook.com/stamfordcornexchangecafeandshops/ The Cafe probably later in July. There'll be restricted numbers, much the same as other shops, and a marked in /out route on the floor. At the moment 2 metres or 6 feet apart please until we hear different advice. Hand sanitizer available. As for the Fork Emporium, Sarah has revisited the Summer theme and a whole fresh batch of items can be seen.
Also Bourne Craft Centre https://www.facebook.com/thecraftcentrebourne/ will be open the same day. Small shop so only one in at a time for now. Pearl & Ruby Spalding https://www.facebook.com/pearlandrubyspalding/ will have their guidance on their social media pages.
For those shielding, vulnerable, isolating or wary of shopping we have started an online page with https://folksy.com/shops/forkemporium It is attracting some interest but no sales yet so please have a look and let us know your comments. Only half a dozen bracelets for now. Sizes are described and as usual a potted history where possible. We're always aware people like to try things on so we're not going overboard with online until we start getting interest so please share on Facebook and Instagram.
All fairs and events seem to be cancelled but Sandringham Game & Country still a possibility. Burghley House is closed to the public until next year, the Horse Trials cancelled and their plans for the Xmas craft event not known. We were not attending this year but we've had a few enquiries as to why we missed last year.
Stamford Corn Exchange is reopening 15th June for shopping. https://www.facebook.com/stamfordcornexchangecafeandshops/ The Cafe probably later in July. There'll be restricted numbers, much the same as other shops, and a marked in /out route on the floor. At the moment 2 metres or 6 feet apart please until we hear different advice. Hand sanitizer available. As for the Fork Emporium, Sarah has revisited the Summer theme and a whole fresh batch of items can be seen.
Also Bourne Craft Centre https://www.facebook.com/thecraftcentrebourne/ will be open the same day. Small shop so only one in at a time for now. Pearl & Ruby Spalding https://www.facebook.com/pearlandrubyspalding/ will have their guidance on their social media pages.
For those shielding, vulnerable, isolating or wary of shopping we have started an online page with https://folksy.com/shops/forkemporium It is attracting some interest but no sales yet so please have a look and let us know your comments. Only half a dozen bracelets for now. Sizes are described and as usual a potted history where possible. We're always aware people like to try things on so we're not going overboard with online until we start getting interest so please share on Facebook and Instagram.
All fairs and events seem to be cancelled but Sandringham Game & Country still a possibility. Burghley House is closed to the public until next year, the Horse Trials cancelled and their plans for the Xmas craft event not known. We were not attending this year but we've had a few enquiries as to why we missed last year.
May 13th
Over two months since our Milton Keynes weekend, our last but one outing. Traders there then were saying they were down 50% on previous years. John Lewis and Next were empty and Boots were selling out of cold medicines. The evening people still flooded out and packed the bars and restaurants. It must be a ghost town now.
Sarah's been getting in spoons and forks from ebay. They seem to have gone up and we are missing our bulk buying trips out to Antiques and other markets. They are very cash orientated so I imagine they are suffering.
I have added extra workshop space to the log cabin workshop in defiance of Sarah who dislikes my 'Steptoe's Yard' ambitions. It's a bit untidy yet but she'll come round. We bought a home welder with the idea of...well you'll see and I sure wasn't going to do it in the cold, wet and dark!
If you scroll down below you'll see I was thinking about online. A friend Louise from Samfire Handmade Greeting Cards and Gifts
suggested we try Folksy so there are four items there with details etc, a list we will soon add to.
[A list to which we will soon add? - nah!}
Doing it in a sloppy haphazard way is not an option and we are reminded why we didn't do online before.
We imagined in serious times that cutlery jewellery is probably not a number one priority but we've been looking at The Great Return with a view to Xmas and, because we haven't been driving poor spoons through our Fork abbattoir, we are down to our last few dozen. We made over a thousand last year! Popped on Facebook we've sold a few so perhaps people need cheering up and are feeling like a bit of retail therapy!
So far, Sandringham Game & Country Show is still on but who knows? Please keep an eye on Facebook CFE and hope to see you soon!
Over two months since our Milton Keynes weekend, our last but one outing. Traders there then were saying they were down 50% on previous years. John Lewis and Next were empty and Boots were selling out of cold medicines. The evening people still flooded out and packed the bars and restaurants. It must be a ghost town now.
Sarah's been getting in spoons and forks from ebay. They seem to have gone up and we are missing our bulk buying trips out to Antiques and other markets. They are very cash orientated so I imagine they are suffering.
I have added extra workshop space to the log cabin workshop in defiance of Sarah who dislikes my 'Steptoe's Yard' ambitions. It's a bit untidy yet but she'll come round. We bought a home welder with the idea of...well you'll see and I sure wasn't going to do it in the cold, wet and dark!
If you scroll down below you'll see I was thinking about online. A friend Louise from Samfire Handmade Greeting Cards and Gifts
suggested we try Folksy so there are four items there with details etc, a list we will soon add to.
[A list to which we will soon add? - nah!}
Doing it in a sloppy haphazard way is not an option and we are reminded why we didn't do online before.
We imagined in serious times that cutlery jewellery is probably not a number one priority but we've been looking at The Great Return with a view to Xmas and, because we haven't been driving poor spoons through our Fork abbattoir, we are down to our last few dozen. We made over a thousand last year! Popped on Facebook we've sold a few so perhaps people need cheering up and are feeling like a bit of retail therapy!
So far, Sandringham Game & Country Show is still on but who knows? Please keep an eye on Facebook CFE and hope to see you soon!
April 5th
All shops closed down mostly from the beginning of the lockdown. All fairs cancelled or postponed until at least September. No surprise, we imagine most people have more priorities and concerns now. Still not sure about online for that reason (see March 14th below) The log cabin is extended now so wooden things and new projects can be done out of the rain. Mainly done on sunny warm days before. Sarah has a lot of stock ready for the, fingers crossed, eventual rush / return to normality and for once has the leisure to be super creative again. She's been shopping for our elderly neighbour and her own parents and volunteered for the NHS Help group. I'm advised to stay at home; for the protection of greedy shopkeepers, clustering teenagers and those who don't heed the distancing advice. My folks, with hindsight, wisely exited this arena years ago and I view my grandchildren through a video app from it seems as far away as if I were on Mars or the International Space Station. Still, it won't matter if we never sell a single item again if it means our customers and families, past present and future, survive this dreadful time in one piece.
All shops closed down mostly from the beginning of the lockdown. All fairs cancelled or postponed until at least September. No surprise, we imagine most people have more priorities and concerns now. Still not sure about online for that reason (see March 14th below) The log cabin is extended now so wooden things and new projects can be done out of the rain. Mainly done on sunny warm days before. Sarah has a lot of stock ready for the, fingers crossed, eventual rush / return to normality and for once has the leisure to be super creative again. She's been shopping for our elderly neighbour and her own parents and volunteered for the NHS Help group. I'm advised to stay at home; for the protection of greedy shopkeepers, clustering teenagers and those who don't heed the distancing advice. My folks, with hindsight, wisely exited this arena years ago and I view my grandchildren through a video app from it seems as far away as if I were on Mars or the International Space Station. Still, it won't matter if we never sell a single item again if it means our customers and families, past present and future, survive this dreadful time in one piece.
March 18th
Had some cancellations so nothing until April 18th in Stamford on the Meadows. Shops are still going for now. <<>>
March 14th 2020
In view of current events we are thinking of additionally offering our things online via a shopping page. Problem is people need to try things on and they have a bewildering variety of wrist and finger sizes so the to and fro of posting back and forth seems frustrating on all sides. We can offer a ring sizer but there are many online jewellers already offering one. A ring needs to go over the knuckle but still fit snugly. Bracelets need to be a loose fit but not so loose they fall down over the hand too far nor so tight the magnetic catch pops open. A loose fit measurement with a tailors tape measure or a piece of string following these guidelines should be OK. If there's enough demand we can try it.
As for the hygiene side, if we actually get customers at our stalls, we are in a contact situation. At the outset we can steam the jewellery but it will eventually be handled as a trading day goes by. We have sanitizer gel on our side of the counter and will provide some customer side. Looking into an autoclave, a steamer used in hairdressers for combs, scissors etc but there is not always 240V AC so would need to be battery powered.
Contactless card payments would be appreciated on all sides but we'll never turn away a cash sale! Notes and coins can be sanitized too!
Footfall is lower judging by the weekly market reports but could be seasonal. We went to an indoor mall recently to a fair we had never done before and reports from old hands said takings were down 50%. The visible number of general shoppers seemed busy enough and no masks were seen. Masks are for the infected to prevent sneezes and coughs spraying out over others. The mask material is not a close enough filter to stop a virus going through is the advice.
Advice from event organisers is they are not closed down yet. Gatherings of 500 will be OK and the outdoor events will be safer than indoor. As the weather improves the spread is likely to slow down too.
It looks like a difficult period for all in the short term not helped by the headlines and we hope it will blow over with minimum casualties. For now we will take sensible precautions to safeguard both sides of our table and hope to see you at the events on our Events 2020 page
Chris & Sarah
Had some cancellations so nothing until April 18th in Stamford on the Meadows. Shops are still going for now. <<>>
March 14th 2020
In view of current events we are thinking of additionally offering our things online via a shopping page. Problem is people need to try things on and they have a bewildering variety of wrist and finger sizes so the to and fro of posting back and forth seems frustrating on all sides. We can offer a ring sizer but there are many online jewellers already offering one. A ring needs to go over the knuckle but still fit snugly. Bracelets need to be a loose fit but not so loose they fall down over the hand too far nor so tight the magnetic catch pops open. A loose fit measurement with a tailors tape measure or a piece of string following these guidelines should be OK. If there's enough demand we can try it.
As for the hygiene side, if we actually get customers at our stalls, we are in a contact situation. At the outset we can steam the jewellery but it will eventually be handled as a trading day goes by. We have sanitizer gel on our side of the counter and will provide some customer side. Looking into an autoclave, a steamer used in hairdressers for combs, scissors etc but there is not always 240V AC so would need to be battery powered.
Contactless card payments would be appreciated on all sides but we'll never turn away a cash sale! Notes and coins can be sanitized too!
Footfall is lower judging by the weekly market reports but could be seasonal. We went to an indoor mall recently to a fair we had never done before and reports from old hands said takings were down 50%. The visible number of general shoppers seemed busy enough and no masks were seen. Masks are for the infected to prevent sneezes and coughs spraying out over others. The mask material is not a close enough filter to stop a virus going through is the advice.
Advice from event organisers is they are not closed down yet. Gatherings of 500 will be OK and the outdoor events will be safer than indoor. As the weather improves the spread is likely to slow down too.
It looks like a difficult period for all in the short term not helped by the headlines and we hope it will blow over with minimum casualties. For now we will take sensible precautions to safeguard both sides of our table and hope to see you at the events on our Events 2020 page
Chris & Sarah
Corn Exchange Window for Valentines
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Happy New Year !
For now we've changed the Corn Exchange Cafe & Shops cabinets around (two now!) and Cabinet two has sale items to browse. We've applied for Kelmarsh Country Show and Lamport Hall in March and April so watch the Events 2020 page! We will be restocking Bourne, Spalding and Strelley. Sadly the White Robin are leaving us but we hope to try the Antiques Store in Grantham again with a different format. We never found glass cabinets satisfactory, people don't seem to like reaching in, so hopefully some sort of vintage wooden arrangement like a dresser. We'll see! |
Spalding, Pearl & Ruby's first anniversary - congratulations!
Jason - cos he's a Transporter - not everybody gets it. D'arcy and Vince have been proposed but it's still open...!
Vintage cutlery themed display frames. Customised hooks - choose your own style - even send us your tarnished bits and pieces hiding in your attic, garage, that cupboard full of ghosts under the stairs or the old shed with the door that won't open for undergrowth.
Stamford Corn Exchange Theatre window and New cabinet display in the Cafe & Shops inside.
See March 2019 Bracelets for newly made >>>>
Xmas decorations still attracting interest
February antique and vintage bracelets. Scroll down for most recent new year builds. For rings and earrings >> go here
- Corn Exchange Stamford January Spring / Valentines cabinet display
Hover mouse over images for description. Click image and cycle through with arrows ><
