My, How We've Changed!

Last Saturday was Merry + Bright’s 11th birthday. When we opened our doors on the last weekend of August 2009 we were called Plaisir (french for Pleasure, in case you’re wondering.) We had a roll-top bath full of marshmallows in the middle of the shop floor, as well as a few other somewhat experimental displays - Anthony’s mum and dad spent the entire day before opening wrapping wool around branches and twigs for us to hang jewellery on - and we had a mission: to surprise and delight any customer who was good enough to step through our door.

Well, the bath is no longer with us, the twigs have long since ended up on the compost heap (devoid of wool) but our mission remains the same. So here’s a '“Then and Now” trip down memory lane for those of you who have been shopping with us from the start. Thank you so much, we’re eternally grateful :)

Yikes indeed! This was our window display in the month before we opened.

Note the silver tree from a Paperchase store’s 2007 Xmas display!

Ah, we loved that bath. It certainly was a talking point!

Our penchant for writing on the windows started early!

Look closely to spot the wool-wrapped twigs (on the left)

The shop on opening day, August 2009

And this was our window display when we reopened after this year’s lockdown.

Some sterling tiling work on the cash desk, thanks to Clare’s dad

The bath was replaced by this handmade card display unit.

We let a professional do this one though.

Our range of clothes has grown a little since the early days!

Basking in the early autumn sunshine ten years later, August 2019