ALBOTAT: wool and buttons and ribbons.. Oh my!!

I often drive through Thundersley - an area of Benfleet where I live - but don't often stop (not needed to) but I've been thinking about trying crochet again and remembered there might be a wool shop in area.  When I drove through last week there was a parking space and so I stopped - and I'm soooooo glad I did!

Bodkins is packed full of loveliness!!

On one wall there are buttons and ribbons (be still my button loving heart!!):

The shop is L shaped and this is only 2 of the 3 walls storing wool!!  It makes me wish my knitting and crochet skills are better than they are (but thats fixable because the shop runs classes!)

It really is a lovely shop - complete with vintage shop fittings (swoon), and the owner was really helpful and encouraging... 

I'd recommend a visit if you're in the area - you can find the shop in Hart Road, Thundersley, Benfleet... there are more photos and information on their website www.bodkins71.co.uk

x

How's this for good use of an empty shop....

.... instead of the shops sitting empty maybe they should be used to promote causes (or given to local artists for studio space (short term)) or the such - isn't that nicer than an empty shop on a high street where the windows will get covered in fly posters, the junk mail will pile up behind the door and it will generally become an eyesore?!
In the newly refurbed Victoria Circus shopping precinct in Southend there is one big space still not rented out and this is in the window:

Its a project by students of the Southend campus of South Essex College about disposable fashion.  How great is that - cardboard houses and highrises with the fashion spilling out.  I really like this - good use of unused space to promote the college, the shopping centre and the idea behind it.  The photo doesn't really do it justice.

Here's the accompanying explanation - on a huge swing tag - genius!

(I've had to make it a huge picture so you can read it! lol)