November Newsletter.

Wooooooooooo…wooooooooo…wooooooooo…hoooooooo! It’s November’s Shop Club Newsletter! What better way to start a new season of the year than by reading this newsletter and then tucking it under your pillow for good luck in the way of the ancient SHOP ancestors of yesteryear who lived in caves and made pillows out of mammoth bowels (as in the bowls of a mammoth) and newsletters out of leaves and news. Over to the newsdesk…

NEWS
SHOP GOES ALL HI-FI
It’s finally happened we convinced some poor unsuspecting fool into making us a website. It is ACE – have a look here: www.shoptheshop.co.uk

HOT SHOP!
A really really MASSIVE thank you to all the new SHOP-pers and Hot SHOP Members who have invested not only their love, but their fivers and tenners too by becoming part of SHOP in it’s new status as a Community Interest Company. If you fancy a bit of that, find out more here on our fabulous website: www.shoptheshop.co.uk/about_shop.php

MAKE AN EXHIBITION OF YOURSELF
SHOP is ready to throw itself open to applications for exhibitions in the shop. If you have artwork, photography sculpture, or anything at all that is exhibitable, then SHOP is yours. You can even sell it and we promise to keep our greasy paws off your dollar - you keep 100%! Go to our lover-ly new website and download an application form there: www.shoptheshop.co.uk/community_arts.php

EVENTS
31st October All Day FREE
Scary SHOP
SHOP will be decked out in scary stuff in honour of Halloween, There will be sweets that look like eyeballs and eyeballs that look like sweets and even some dressing up materials if you feel like getting down and scary. And probably pretty dirty too, as some of these materials can be rather messy.

Get in the mood of sustained fear and an unameable anxiety by reading some terrifying Halloween stories on SHOPs blog.: http://talesfromshop.blogspot.com/ Torch under chin not mandatory. But desirable.

2nd November 7.30pm FREE
Postponed Scary Fillum Club
As there is so much scaring going on on Halloween night, SHOP thought it would be better to string out those scares by moving Sssssccccccaaarrrrrry Fillum Club and the screening of Stephen Kings’s IT til Monday. Come down if you dare - one grown man told us that he cried with fear last time he watched IT.

7th November 10am – 3pm FREE
Christmas Steps Arts Quarter Artisan Market
It’s the second of what SHOP hopes will become a regular Artisan Market on the Christmas Steps. There are loads of lovely artisans with stalls of gorgeousness for you to peruse and cakes to eat and bunting and a saxophonist too!

20th November 7pm onwards FREE
Christmas Lights Switch On!
Disgracefully in an area called The CHRISTMAS Steps, which are situated within a wider area called The CHRISTMAS Steps Arts Quarter, there has never ever been an official Christmas Lights Switch On in the area! This is to be remedied this year though as the traders and residents club together organise a lovely evening of Christmassyness. Expect carols, mince pies and Christmas trees – oh and lights of course!

? November at ? o’clock
Pop Up Cafes
Mysterious, huh? Well, by way of explantion - MotherSHOP has landed. SHOP is offering itself to incubate your business ideas, (see Community Arts on the website again for more details). First to offer snuggle into the nest, SHOP has not one but two Pop up Cafes planned for November. Who are they? When will they strike? Who knows... Three-eyed people, keep one eye on the website, one on the blog and another on SHOPs Twitter to track it, demobilise it, then devour it.

We love you and we're here for you X

Sssssccccaaaarrrryyyyyy SHOP

I'm a real scardy SHOP, maybe because I've grown up on the Christmas Steps which is so olde - about 340 years - and have seen many bloody and brutal battles, murders and mutilations over the years. In fact, I saw old Colonal Lansford himself stabbed right through the heart (but I wasn't to blame) with my own shoppy eyes. Despite this, or maybe because of it, as a SHOP I am really rather keen on Halloween.

Here's some of my favourite stories that I've overheard throughout the years...

NEVER GO FOR A WEE IN THE WOODS
A boy took his girfriend out for a Halloween night drive (fool!) to some nearby woods (fool! fool!). He parked the car deep within the trees so no one could see them. After a few minutes, however this boy needed a wee and got out of the car to relieve himself. The girl waited for what seemed like ages before tentatively getting out as well, to look for him. She suddenly spotted a large figure in the shadows near a tree. Terrified, she fled back to the relative safety of the car and locked all the doors. Her first thought was to get out of there fast, but her hands were trembling and she struggled to get the car keys into the ignition. Then she heard a faint squeak ... squeak ... squeak. The noise continued until the girl by now scared half to death managed to get the car started and hit the acellorator hard. The wheels spun round and round impotently, the car, useless, didn't move - a rope had been tied from the bumper onto a nearby tree. She tried the acellorator again, and this time the car lurched forward, immediately she heard a blood-freezing, terrible scream. Petrified, she got out of the car to be greeted by the horrific sight of her boyfriend hanging from a tree a above the car ... the squeaking noise was his shoes slightly scraping across the roof of the car- before the acceleration of the car had hung him.

LECCY IS NOT YOUR FRIEND
Late one night a girl went back to her university room to get some books and things before heading to her boyfriend's room to celebrate Halloween. She went into the room but didn't turn on the light, so as not to wake her sleeping roommate. She stumbled around in the dark for a few minutes bumping into things and gathering books, clothes and a toothbrush before leaving. The next day, she came back to her room to find it surrounded by police. They asked if she lived there and broke the news that her roommate had been murdered the night before. Then, gently, they led her back to the room. There, written in gigantic bloody letters on the wall, were the words: "Aren't you glad you didn't turn on the light."

ROOM FOR A LITTLE ONE
Many years ago, a young woman on her way to town decided to break her journey and stay with friends at an old manor house. They gave her a room overlooking the drive which swept up to the front door. The brightness of the moon made it difficult for her to sleep so she was still awake when the grandfather clock in the hall struck midnight. Immediately she heard horses' hooves and the sound of carriage wheels clattering up the drive. She looked out to see who on earth could be arriving at that time of night. In the moonlight she saw a hearse. But there was no coffin; instead it was crowded with people. The coachman sat high-up on the box and as he drew up below her window, he turned and looked up at her, and said: "there's room for one more." She drew the curtain, terrified and cowered under the bedclothes. She was glad to leave the old house behind her the next morning and when she reached town that afternoon, she went happily about, stopping to go shopping in a big new store that had a lift - a new fangled device back then. She finished gathering up purchases on the top floor and called this lift to take her down to the street level. It was almost full, but her bags were heavy so the attendent ushered her in: "Don't worry Miss, there's room for one more." Her blood ran cold as she heard this phrase and she tried hysterically to get out again, but the doors clanged shut. Almost immediately the lift plummeted down, its passengers screaming and crying. The clamour ended with a sickening thud. There were no survivors.

Protect the Human Party!

Thank you to everyone who came to the Protect The Human Party last night. I really enjoyed hosting what was a lovely evening. If I had hands and a mouth I would happily have tucked into the platter that my volunteers and Hari from Bristol Amnesty Group had provided for everyone. The apple dunking though was a bit wet for me and I never seem to win the Tombola, although I noticed a few people were very pleased with their booty (prizes not posterior).

The Song for Amnesty was a good mix of self penned 'dittys', Bob Dylan (from when people thought he was good), William Shatner, and a few more besides. There was no 'winner' for best track this year....is it o.k to say that everyone was a winner? Benesensus then took to the stage and treated us to a super acoustic set including a cover of Billy Jean!

The auction was next but the Bristol Amnesty group were so impressed with the art auction pieces that they decided it was best to frame the work and take it to the bigger Amnesty Auction at the Watershed in December! People who had put bids on the books or who were interested were still encouraged to make an offer and 5 pieces were sold to add to the fund raising.

A Song for Amnesty auction update.....

I have just been handed two more photographic prints for the Amnesty art auction from Fotohaus.........unfortunately they are in really shiny wrapping, so these pictures of them don't do them justice.......

Wills Memorial Building by Liz Eve

(No Guide)

Clifton Suspension Bridge by Craig Auckland.

(No Guide)

Don't they look smashing? Hopefully still got a few more pieces to come. See you all tomorrow evening.

A Song for Amnesty

Those people that work for me are at it again, they are using me to host an Amnesty International Protect the Human Party this Tuesday, 20th October. It's called 'A Song for Amnesty' and you bring with you a song that speaks to you about being human, to be played on the night. It can be on a record, a tape, a CD or - bring an instrument and play it yourself!

They want to raise funds and awareness for the charity and have concocted an evening of diverse delights. Starting at 7pm (here - within me), there will be food, drink and party games and the songs about being human. Then at 8pm some live music from local band Benesensus and then from 9pm an art auction!

It will be £1 to get in, all going towards Amnesty.

Here is a catalogue of the works of art that are going to be auctioned off:

“LADY IN DRESS” by Lucie Sheridan
Screen print
Guide price £20-£40

“OI!” by Laurence Chalk RA, 2007
A-board sculpture, original
No guide price

“JUDO” by Abi Barfield
Screen print, edition 5 of 16
Guide price £20-£40

“GROWING LOVE” by Lucie Sheridan
Screen print
Guide price £20-£40

“RITUAL” by C. Jackman, 1994
Mini digital print, edition 39 of 60
Guide price £6-£12

“BRILLIANT TREES” by Little Dyke, 1994
Mini digital print, edition 39 of 60
Guide price £6-£12

UNTITLED by Angela Wood, 1994
Mini digital print, edition 56 of 60
Guide price £6-£12

“YOU CRAZY FOOL” by Burger and Pin, 2002
Framed digital print, original
Guide price £10-£20

”SARONG” 1994
Mini digital print, edition 31 of 60
Guide price £6-£12

“MOANING LISA” by Unknown Artist, 2009
Framed reproduction print with added felt tip pen, orginial
No guide price

I've Got a Web Site

Well well, yesterday was not only my third birthday and the beginning of my new life as a Social Enterprise, but a very nice man from a very nice gallery called Knifesmith made me a very nice website too and so lots of people came to me to get a first look at it.

I am 3 years old (but also a new born)

Hello!
I am celebrating my third birthday today.....but it's also my first day as a not for profit social enterprise (Community Interest Company)! So, it seems like the perfect couple of excuses to have an all day party.....here's some early pictures of what going on inside me.

Someone has made me a website and it's going to be launched later with cocktails and then more cake...