NCLSHLY

Last Wednesday we went to Chichester. As a town, it's quite similar to Canterbury. While Olly and I were walking around we couldn't help 'retail analysing' their high street compared to ours! Nothing was sacred, the size of their Topshop, their separate Next's for men and women (which thinking about it now seems almost sexist) and the number of empty units. We noticed and discussed it it all which must have been quite boring for my grandparents and possibly a sign that we need to get out of retail...

Anywhoo, one place we went was The Swallow Bakery where I indulged in a tasty blueberry cupcake (what else?). The others opted for Lemon flavoured treats. The Grandparents had cupcakes while Olly had a giant meringue, that's him eating it very dignified manner with a fork. This is the sort of thing that we're really lacking in Canterbury (there I go analysing again, whoops!), there's a Patisserie Valerie and a lovely independant cafe called Boho Cafe but nowhere that really does a wide range of cupcakes. My Ma and I would love to open a cupcake cafe one day so who knows, maybe we'll fill that particular niche one day?

On the way back to the car I spotted the Clothkits shop and had to go in. It was such a lovely shop with sewing machines set up and tons of pretty dresses. There was a particular one in the window that I fell in love with. All of the clothes on the mannequins had little notes on which said, and I'm probably misquoting, "Like me? Ask about our workshops to learn how to make me." I was really gutted that I don't have this where I live, but I asked anyway and they print the patterns and send them. Of course I purchased it and am expecting it sometime soon. I'm so excited and pretty sure that it will be documented on this very blog when the time is right to make it.

Another place that I visited was The Eternal Maker. I was desperate to visit here as soon as I found out it was in Chichester, in fact it was the whole reason we went that day. I was like a child in a toyshop and went a little bit mad. Again there's nothing quite like it in Canterbury yet. I say yet as The Sewing Room has popped up but is only little. The Eternal Maker started out quite small apparently but has now moved into a more warehouse type affair so I have hope that The Sewing Room will grow. I'm planning to share a little bit more about this trip there next week so stay tuned for all the pretty fabric!