Most people would agree it’s a brave move to open a new shop in the middle of a pandemic.
Carlee Wakefield hopes the timing is right for her new Warminster town centre business, Iris and Olive. She will focus on sustainable products, many by makers and artisans from the south and west, plus selected books, including ‘Deepest Wiltshire’, which raises money for three Wiltshire charities.
The attractive little shop, in former Specsavers premises, is near the town’s Athenaeum Centre and popular Café Journal. Carlee, who was in the army for some years, plans to offer a range of workshops and classes upstairs, and to serve coffee and tea when the Covid-19 crisis is over and social distancing rules are relaxed.
The range of goods includes hand-made chocolate, baby and children’s clothes, designed to be handed down, not discarded after one child, hand-made soaps, and specially-selected teas and hand-prepared drinking chocolate. She describes her ethos as ‘thoughtful gifting and community’.
“We stock brands either made in the UK, hand-made, which directly benefit the makers or are purchased from responsible suppliers.”
One of the products is Arthouse Unlimited, hand-made chocolates with beautiful wrappers, produced by a collective of artists living with complex epilepsy and learning disabilities and difficulties, all of whom require varying levels of support. The artists work alongside instructors to create artworks which are developed into designer products.
Looking ahead to a time after lockdown, Carlee is hoping to run events in the shop, including talks by local writers. Planned workshops include beeswax wrap-making, flower arrangements, screen-printing, and calligraphy workshops.
Carlee, from Australia, was in the Adjutants General Corps and finished her time attached to 5 Rifles. After an injury, she left the Army, but continues to work as a civil servant, at the Warminster Garrison. Her partner Matt is in the same corps, currently serving at Colerne where he is regimental administration officer.
Her mother, who lives in Brisbane, is helping with the shop – making silk scrunchies, a useful accessory in lockdown when nobody can get their hair cut!
‘Deepest Wiltshire’ is raising funds for Wiltshire Community Foundation, Wiltshire Air Ambulance and SSAFA Wiltshire. The authors, Fanny Charles and Gay Pirrie-Weir made an initial donation of £10,000 from the proceeds to the foundation’s coronavirus emergency fund, launched in March.
Copies of the illustrated book are available at bookshops or to order through New Valley News: 01722 346892.
David Parker
Editor
01722 346892
http://www.newvalleynews.co.uk