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VIEWPOINTS
Tasting
Local Flavour Denise Laird, co-owner of Spirito, Glasgow: The tribal call: “I sense that there has been an increasing interest in local communities and businesses. This may be a reaction to the woes on the High Street combined with a realisation that communities without thriving businesses would be far less interesting places to live in. In our area people seem to be increasingly interested in connecting more with each other and there are now a number of websites, such as Nextdoor where residents can join to discuss local matters of interest.” Local action: “We have been really interested in both building and maintaining a local flavour since we opened back in 2000. Stocking greeting cards and products designed and produced locally is a good way of making the shop feel more personal and individual, and as buyers we really get to know the people behind the designs as they will often pop in to personally deliver their orders. Plus, customers always appreciate the story behind the products too. We have a selection of local and Scottishthemed cards and products in the shop, as although we are not situated on the tourist trail our customers often like to buy local products and also take them or send them to friends and relatives much further afield. Publishers that we source these from include Pink Pig Cards, who has a great selection of Scottish cards within its range - I particularly love the wedding card design where the groom wears a kilt. Plus you can also personalise Christmas cards by adding your city or town. Glaswegians are known to love humour and the ‘Glasgow Patter’ on greeting cards by local designer Top: Retailers are increasingly catering for local flavours with their card selections. Above middle: One of its Scottish designs from Pink Pig Cards. Above: Spirito’s Denise Laird with The Handcrafted Card Company’s Mark Lewis on the publisher’s stand at the Harrogate Home and Gift show. Right: One of Lisa Donati’s Gie It Laldy coasters that taps into the Glasgow sense
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PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE
“Local shop for local people - there is nothing for you here”, was the line Edward and Tubbs, the Royston Vasey shopkeepers in the off-beat TV comedy series The League of Gentlemen used to say to see off ‘strangers’. Following on from last month’s PG, retailers reveal how stocking cards and gifts that reflect their locality, be it specific captions, subject matter or artists/publishers from the vicinity of the store, is working for them. and publisher Lisa Donati (of Gie It Laldy), based on the same street as our store, are always popular with the locals. I am also a big fan of the Glasgow Map card by The Art File, while Periodic Society also has stylish Scottish cards which are a little quirky, including some scenic and some with iconic stags and Highland cattle.” Favourite flavours: “I think the best thing about Scotland is the Glasgow humour. There is the iconic Glasgow statue of the Duke of Wellington horseback outside the Glasgow Gallery of Modern Art and there is always a traffic cone perched on his head!”
Debbie Pritchard, owner of Bookends in Christchurch: Tribal calling: “The nautical theme here is extremely strong and always has been. These designs appeal to our locals and our tourists alike.” Local action: “We always have four flags flying, two of which are local as they are the Dorset flag and the Bournemouth FC flag! Our local cards mainly feature images of coastal scenes. We have a spinner of cards by local photographer, Roger Holman, along with two watercolour artists John Dimmett and Paul Craven.” Above: Being on the Dorset coast, Bookends has always done well with the nautical theme. Above right: A Paul Craven design featuring the Dorset coastline.