Keep Independent Retailers Alive: buy the one thing you love: Hockley, Sneinton and Derby Road

Featured Image Verna Poppy Designs at Sneinton Market 4th March

The have lots and have notts applies to  retailing, particularly how we support the ethos and diversity of independence in making and selling in Nottingham.

As long ago as April 2015 Sophie Thomas, writing an article for Notts TV picked up on the beautiful surface of independent retailing that belied the difficulties these professionals faced in developing and maintaining their products and customers.

Robin Pounder of Wild Clothing from Sophie’s 2015 Notts TV article and Upcycling from Madi Wallner at Minor Oak Ethical Market 4th March 2017 Robin sells online and from his  store on Broad Street. Madi sells on Etsy (you can pick up at the Left Lion) and at Ethical markets.

In Sophie’s article she listened to the opinions of Danielle Gotheridge,  renowned cake maker, as well as Francis Russell, owner of White Rabbit Tea House and I think she picked up on a feeling that many Nottinghamshire residents have about the council’s approach to micro and very small makers, the very idea of why can’t we, as a city, be out about our need to have an independent retailing entity within the city.

Independent and proud: a bit like a gay, black, disabled or gender right: living the aspiration to beautiful things made and sold locally by an increasingly diverse range of makers from all walks of life.

Access for gifted and talented individuals from all walks of life to make their businesses work, not expecting failure! The work the Joseph Rowntree Foundation did to highlight the social contribution street markets make to regeneration applies in the same way to micro businesses, makers and innovators from unruly spaces. When we think about the Victoria Centre do we realise how much their market contributed to the wonderful, powerful, seamless brands we covet?

We need to see the living relationship between the big and the small and to drift down to the wonderful people who are making and selling in Nottingham. Regeneration is here, now.

Above short capture of Fashion Week 2015 courtesy of Susi Henson, below the brilliantly networked Focus Gallery who are now running jewellery recycling workshops