Pop-up Beeston shop goes electric

The Pop-up Beeston shop

40 Beeston High Road

I did another stint at the Pop-up Beeston Shop yesterday afternoon and enjoyed the company of a steady stream of visitors, including two very special ones, not that I knew this at first — that came later in our conversation...

The extra special visitors turned out to be Steve and Lynn Hallam who own the shop. The other person in the pic, which was taken by Dan Walker of C.P. Walker & Son is me (Robert Howard).

I thanked them for their support and explained what we were trying to do; that it had all happened so quickly, that we were all volunteers, and we hoped the experience gained in their shop would enable us to work with Dan Walker when shops become empty in the future.

Steve Hallam was originally a Beeston lad (he's not related to the town's other Hallams) and his great-grandfather, a baker, Philip Wells Glover, came from Kegworth (follow this link to the Beeston-Notts History website).

Until Steve and Lynn came in none of us knew who the landlord of the old Thornton chocolates shop was or who we had to thank for our good fortune.

Later Steve and Lynn came back with Dan Walker and inside the shop was lit for the first time, which enabled me to take some better photographs. As this pic shows the lights being on even softened this exterior view and made the shop look more inviting. I also found more people came into the shop during the hour or so the lights were on; the whole shop was just so much more inviting.

The shop just looks better as these three pics show…

As I have mentioned in a previous post about the pop-up Beeston shop there is a need for what I call 'PUB commandos, to help us keep the shop open. A mix of 2–3 hour sessions Monday to Saturday covering the hours 10am–4pm will be more than enough. I say this based on previous experience in Lenton helping to run the then Crocus (community) Gallery for three years in a empty shop owned by Nottingham City Council (the flats were going to be demolished together with Church Square, where the empty unit, next to the Crocus (community) Café).

By the end of this week I will have done six sessions. I prefer to stay in the shop waiting for visitors to come in and when they do it is often to ask what is happening to the shop or to share reminiscences. The local historian in me believes the latter is reason enough, together with the We Are Beeston panels. Tomorrow (Saturday) I will take a contact notebook along to the pop-up shop.

Visitors who ask for more information about the shop are being directed by me to the excellent Exploring Beeston's History website, which has a section devoted the High Road and an entry for no.40, which is the pop-up shop. Follow this link.

I have taken the liberty of capturing this image of the shop from the website.

With thanks to the Exploring Beeston's History website

A lady came in last week and said she started worked in the 1950s in Ferrands when she was 15 and clearly remembered her time there with fondness. 

But there is a downside to running a pop-up shop — you need money to pay for electricity and water. That's about it, but in a shop such as this it will not be cheap. Beeston & District Civic Society is going to take the lead, but they will need our help and support.

I see this very much as a community venture drawing in local folk of all ages and by this I mean anyone who lives, works or has an interest in Beeston.

So over to you. What can you do? What would you like to do?

For now contact me via the comments section, but I will change this bit ASAP to a proper contact.

This is an exciting venture — be part of it and share the pleasure.

Pop-up Beeston going well and the perfect lunchtime snack in Beeston

Rosie Lea's Tearoom on Wilkinson Avenue was where I had a quick lunchtime snack today and in my book no one in Beeston does poached eggs better!

It's everything a teashop should be and is one of my Beeston 'go to' eateries. The other is Jo at the Local Not Global Deli on Chilwell Road, where yesterday I had a stilton cheese baguette. The best stilton in the conurbation, only rivalled by Park Stores on the Derby Road, close to The Park Estate entrance. I'm just sorry I didn't take a pic. Next time I will.

Below is a banner about to be made for use with the Pop-up Beeston shop locations. Unless the shop in the former Thornton's chocolate shop continues into next week, this banner will have to wait for its first outing.

Having been there for three afternoons I can say that it has been a great success. I will be there tomorrow (Friday). At the moment we're not sure if the pop-up shop will be open on Saturday. I hope so.

The banner has still to be finalised, small things, but it is coming soon.

How ‘community commandoes’ can help occupy PUBS in our town

The old Thorntons chocolate shop on Beeston High Road is now home to Pop-up Beeston space for the next few days at most.

I've spent the last couple of afternoons is the old Thornton's chocolate shop on Beeston High Road, which has become a 'pop-up' home of sorts for the
'We are Beeston' display panels, plus banners promoting the Blue Plaque guides and my Beeston pubs, cafes and shops map. We've also had copies of the latest Beestonian to give out. I was there this afternoon with Judy Sleeth, the Chair of Beeston and District Civic Society, and Matt Turpin, one of the founders of The Beestonian and progenitor of the 'We are Beeston' project.

An inside view of the old Thornton's chocolate shop.

The focus has been on students, especially new ones, but what I picked up on as well was the number of 'day-trippers' from places like Arnold, Bulwell, Bilborough and Sherwood, some by The Tram, others by the little L11 LocalLink bus; then there were the locals stopping to look at the 'I am Beeston' panels, (one lady exclaiming at the sight of a friend 'I know her!', then me reading out the text to her about her friend, which prompted a laugh and 'Well I never'). Such a simple exchange, but one which amply demonstrates the value of the work being done by Matt and his colleagues, who are driving the wonderful 'We are Beeston' project (there is crossover between 'I am Beeston' and 'We are Beeston').

I will in the o;d Thornton's chocolate shop again tomorrow afternoon (Thursday) and Friday. With luck the pop-up space will still be open for visitors on Saturday between c.11am and 4pm. Beeston's friendly estate agent, C. P. Walker & Son, have been supportive as ever, working with the landlord to provide the shop. 

It is in the nature of 'pop-ups' that they can disappear as quickly as they appear. Judy and Matt deserve our support for their enterprise and commitment. Between them they inspire much of what I do — hence my volunteering at short notice to help out.

What Judy and Matt need is a team of 'community commandos', who can be called upon to volunteer at short notice to look after 'pop-up Beeston' spaces is shops like Thorntons. When the displays have to go, Matt and Judy have no idea where he next 'Pop-up Beeston space' will be — hence the need for what I am calling 'PUB Commandos'! It is the kind of volunteering which suits me perfectly and there must be others like me who have routines — in my case it is doing the chores in the morning, leaving afternoons free to do what I want to do — hence my helping out this week at short notice.

'PUBS' are different to charity shops. They are local, they are topical and they are not fund-raising ventures. Attention grabbing yes, and if they get the Civic Society new members, and adverts for The Beestonian and my next map then that is a bonus.

As for advertising PUB locations, that is for those with Facebook or Twitter like skills. I only blog — which I know limits my ability to communicate with more people.

Someone may just see this blog post and pop along to the old Thornton's shop on Beeston High Road. It's a good display for such short notice and I'm confident they will get better with every PUB event.

in the meantime a big 'thank you' to Judy, Matt and C. P. Walker for what they are doing, and others, like Hairven and Simon at Pixel & Graphics, who are very supportive as well.