Wednesday 30 May 2012

Catch the June Bug at SHOP!

PHEWEE! After May's busy schedule, with the Night of the Year and that, it's about time the SHOP-elves put their feet up and caught forty winks ... NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

May was jam packed with exhibitions and June is no different, our little Arts Space has exhibitions coming out of it's ears. See below for what's coming up... We also have a sale coming up, and off the back of the Night of the Year we're shortly getting together with our neighbours to bring you more of the same, more regularly ... more on that next month.


SHOP will be closed for the Bank Holiday on Monday 4th and Tuesday 5th June. Business as unusual from Wednesday 6th. SHUT HAPPENS OKAY!


EXHIBITIONS!



STEPHEN MALLON
Bristol Biennial
  1st - 16th JUNE
12pm - 6pm


The Storytelling festival are hosting an audio-visual event in SHOP’s Arts Space for two weeks at the start of the June.
See the Biennial website for further information.
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Advanced Students of Digital Photography – Group Show

21st - 23rd June

12pm - 6pm
 

The second in the series of exhibitions from students of the City of Bristol College.

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  LOUIE MARYON
  25th June - 2nd July
12pm - 6pm

Louie Maryon exhibits paintings and prints of Ashton Court.

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FILL A BAG SALE!



28th - 30th JUNE
11am - 6pm


From Thursday 28th to Saturday 30th of June, SHOP is have a spring clean of stock!
We’re setting up a mountain of lovely vintage clothing in the Lounge and inviting you’all to come and fill a bag for just £5!

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Ethical Suppliers!

 


 
Since SHOP became a C.I.C we have been trying to implement our ethos into each area of the company, including the suppliers of our services.  Below is a list of our suppliers, all of whom are ethically led.

Phone and Internet
SHOP uses The Phone Co-op, who are run by people united by shared values, shared ownership and democratically made decisions. They are run and owned by their members.

Electricity
SHOP uses Ecotricity, they use customers’ energy bills to fund the building of new sources of green energy.  They like to refer to this as turning ‘Bills into Mills’ – energy bills into windmills.  They are a not-for-dividend company – all of their profits go into their mission.

Banking and Insurance
SHOP uses The Co-operative who believe that, in the years to come, the only truly successful businesses will be those that achieve a sustainable balance between their own interests, and those of society and the natural world. They are one of only two banks in the U.K that are ethically led and don’t provide banking services to industries such as arms dealers or laborotories where animals are tested.

Premises
SHOP’s landlord is Bristol City Council who are a social landlord, meaning they value people over profit, unlike most private landlords.

Exhibition: Binary Dreams

This week SHOP is host to Binary Dreams, an exhibition of double exposure photography, exploring dreams, desires and the hidden imagination.

The show comprises of intermediate students of digital photography at the City of Bristol College.

Tomorrow (Thursday 31st May) is the last day to catch it so come on down quick!


Flyer image by Charlie Pitt
L-R: Nehad Alhamwi, Laura Rankin, Wai King Tang
L-R: Alie Tyndale, Laura Rankin, Andy Morgan, Wai King Tang
L-R: Tom Gavriel, Andy Morgan, Charlie Pitt, Tom Gavriel

Monday 28 May 2012

Monday Stock Blog: Summer-time Women!!

Yes, we know we promised you menswear this week!!  But, please believe us when we say, it's on the way.  So, for this week, we return to the laydeez of Bristol and continue to help you top up those summer wardrobes. 

There's a summery theme of mint and peach colours and floral patterns, sounds almost like a tasty cocktail!

Homeware has also had a look in with some extra stylish pieces for you home, or summer picnics...


Light beachy jumper with added sailing ships
Summer wear for those uptight secretaries!
Match your jacket to your Taboo and lemonade.
Double use shirt: Preppy types, keep it buttoned, beachy types let it all hang out!
Look at me I'm Sandra Dee!
Mint and black - *heartattack!* the perfect retro combo
Did you know* paisley was invented in Azerbaijan? *eurovision fact
All the way from California, this one!
Butch, Porcelina, Rayson D'etre and little Trident
Something to house your frappucino?
Pretty ramikins, or could be used for jelly!
Check out your smoking-ravaged reflection in this beauty!

Thursday 24 May 2012

Butlin's: The Ultimate Vintage Experience

A SHOP contingent visited Butlin's in Minehead this weekend and whilst there discussed (like you do) the awkward romance of the British seaside experience.  There's nothing quite like it really; the soggy chips, the slightly decrepit buildings, the businesses that defy logic, the murky brown sea - the Costa Del it'll never be, which is of course part of it's strange charm

Both us have spent many a childhood family holiday at Butlin's, Minehead included, but it no longer resembles the particular glamour of it's heyday.  You can see some ghostly remnants, like the old army barracks converted into accommodation, but it's mostly been completely modernised.

In the gift shop, we picked up these old postcards, taken when Butlin's was in it's ascendancy, which are AMAZING and show Butlin's as it used to be:







Monday 21 May 2012

Monday Stock Blog: Women's Clothing

Women. Whoa-man. Whooo-man!  We are spoiling you! We haven't topped up the SHOP rails quite so emphatically in recent weeks. Have a look at some of the new treats in stock at SHOP this week...

(Don't be jealous now boys, it's your turn next week...!)

Floaty peach skirt, with pockets (SHOP believes all skirts should have pockets)
Little leather purse and a little leather bag
Go faster stripes!
Floral smock dress
70s tee, by 'Cinch'
Tourist shorts
Original 80s Benetton jumper, very lovely.
Pleated monochrone 70s dress
Boyfriend shirt with bat wings
A bank of Swans!
Anyone for Backgammon? (slice of pineapple, not pictured)

Monday 14 May 2012

Monday New Stock Blog - Accessories!

The Monday New Stock Blog is actually being delivered on a Monday this week!

We are currently sourcing some new clothing for men and women, so this week it's the turn of accessories and homeware!

Lacy gloves
1950s ashtray
Beaded 40s clutch bag
Partay Plate!
1920s salad servers
1950s diner condiment set!



The Night of The Year: Review!

The second biannual Christmas Steps Arts Quarter, Night of the Year (as part of the Bristol Festival of Photography) took place on Saturday May 12th and was a huge success!

Starting the event at 7:30pm was a slight oversight as the projections weren't visible until 9pm as they were competing with the glorious sunshine!  Not that we're complaining!

When the outdoor cinema finally appeared the assembled crowd were treated to an old cowboy movie, a 1960s Public Information Film on the dangers of drugs and the Carey Grant rarity "Room For One More". Rumour has it the outdoor cinema could become a regular feature on the Steps in the summer months! 

The parade of projections were interspered with a food stall selling the best curry in town and a fun painting with light workshop. Revellers spilled from Jenny Life Gallery and SHOP's arts space topping up their plastic cups at the Bristol Cider Shop as they went.

Thank you to all participating exhibitors, Jenny Life Gallery, Odd and Eden and Lydia Beardmore, Martin Harris and Danny Griffin. And a special thank you to SHOP, Fotohaus and Geneva Stop for organising the whole thing. Also to Lynda and Cathy for the food and Pete and Nick at Bristol Cider Shop for providing the Bar.

A great community event organised by the Christmas Steps Arts Quarter community!

Hoisting the cinema screen into position.
Lydia Beardmore setting up the light painting workshop, with a portrait looking on!
Finally!  A screen!
Beautiful sunshine, we were lucky with weather.
Cider-men, at your service in the Official Bar.
Blacking out the street lamps, so that the projections could shine.
Taking a photo, of someone taking a photo, whoaaa! Jenny Life Gallery in the background having a busy night at her exhibition and projection (in the lovely garden)
The light is fading and the projections are starting to show themselves

Lydia Beardmore's image of the Christmas Steps Arch, at the entrance to The Night of the Year
One of a reel of projections by Fotohaus
More Fotohaus projections (wish there really was a big wheel on the Steps!)
Three generations: portraits by Diane Auckland
Eating chips under the arch!
By around half past nine, the darkness really allowed the projections to show themselves in their glory
SHOP's showreel was back projected onto their window, it was a showreel of images of the Arts Quarter, past and present
The chapel at the top of the Steps, moved down the steps in photo-form!
Photo-lamposts were popular!...
...As was the Bristol Cider Shop bar!
Odd and Eden (photographers) showcased their portfolio.
The cinema!
Food was provided by Lynda and Cathy's pop-up veggie cafe and it was DELISH!
60s PIF about the dangers of drug-taking, you have been warned!
We all sat on the Steps to watch the films - it's the perfect natural amphitheatre.
The projector was retro to match the films.