Check Out the Shopkeepers

There must be SO many different kinds of shops - and it's fascinating how they've evolved over the centuries and decades. Equally fascinating are shops in miniature. For now I'm sticking to shopkeepers!

Let me introduce you to a couple of  1/24th scale Corner Shopkeepers from the 1960s - 70s......they do look pretty much alike....which at least demonstrates that no two Coombe Crafts characters are ever identical, even if the share the same clothes!

                                            

I loved those shops - my aunt owned little one which was crammed full from floor to ceiling and she sold everything from Cream Crackers (loose in a tin) to shoelaces, sherbet and writing paper. Magic!!

The next shopkeeper - in 1/12th scale - is actually a famous one, certainly in Nottingham where he founded the famous Boots chain of chemist shops and was a generous Victorian benefactor.  Please meet Jesse Boot!  

 

You might like this old photograph of a baker's shop taken around 1920 I think - the pony drawn cart has been loaded up with loaves of bread for delivery around the small market town and surrounding villages. Shops like this were very often at the heart of the community, and the baker here would cook neighbour's Christmas dinners for them in his big oven if their own were too small.

Finally a photograph taken very recently here in Thame - just a lovely reminder of an old shop now long gone, but not forgotten.

Last Sunday Celia Thomas (KT Miniatures) and I held the first in our new series of Nostalgia in Miniature Workshops, also here in Thame. The weather was WET - so thanks to the ladies who braved horrible journeys to attend - but we had a very enjoyable and enthusiastic afternoon and a whole number of accomplished Little Vintage Halls emerged from detailed instructions and prepared kits comprising little more than MDF, pieces of wood and  card, paint and glue! Magic!

For pictures of the workshop and details of the next one do take a look at our Blog.

Thank you for looking
Robin