If you have visited our shop you may have noticed the signs adorning the doors and windows the badges we proudly display that promote the Just A Card campaign. However, you might not necessarily know what the campaign is there to do. Well, it's certainly a cause that is very close to our hearts as a small independent business. The campaign came about as a result of artist and designer Sarah Hamilton who had a read a quote from a gallery that had recently closed its door which read "If everyone who'd complimented our beautiful gallery had bought 'just a card' we'd still be open". And so, Just A Card was born as a collective voice for artists, craftspeople, small independent shops and galleries who all have huge overheads in order to keep their livelihoods going and give them a future.
Indeed, by supporting us, you are not just helping For the Love of the North but also the now sixty five plus artists that we now work with who through your help can continue to grow and develop their business. We're hugely proud to be a small independent business and to be part of our wonderful community in Whitley Bay surrounded by a fabulous array of other small independents.
We love to support independents and actively ensure that wherever we go either on a day out or a little escape we are giving something to them, even if it is 'Just A Card'. There are so many wonderful small independent’s out there so let’s have a look at a few of our favourites...
For our first we shall take a trip on the train down to Middlesborough and along the gorgeous Eske Valley Railway Line to one of our favourite escape destinations, Whitby. Whitby is blessed with a plethora of thriving independent businesses.
Furbellow & Co Whitby
Furbellow & Co. just about ticks every box for Paul. Located on Sandgate on the historic side of Whitby it fits in perfectly and is a wonderful shop that caters for the gentleman's sartorial needs. It has such an old-fashioned vibe to it harking back to then golden age of the shop keeper and a real emphasis on customer service. Paul is literally like the child in a sweet shop at all the gorgeous tweed jackets, waistcoats, hats, bow ties, bags and accessories. The fixtures and fittings have been so carefully selected and goes hand with that wonderful old fashioned vibe. In addition to the shop it also hosts a barbershop and it is an attraction in itself to see the chair and all the accessories that show this indeed a “cut above” experience offering a tidy up of the hair to a beard restyle. What we also love about Furbellow is that it has a traditional hand painted sign and you all know how important that is for us. The sign here is courtesy of Pete Witney – “The Whitby Signwriter”.
Re-found Objects Corbridge
We always love a trip along the gorgeous Tyne Valley and of course it holds a very special place in our hearts from our time in Corbridge. The village is full of vibrant small indie businesses and somewhere we always enjoy a visit to is the amazing Re-found Objects. Founded in 2003 it is the most beautiful and carefully curated collection of homeware and outdoor objects you will ever find. We could literally spend hours there and never leave without picking up something special for our home. Lucy always loves to buy a box of their large matches whose covers are works of art in themselves and Paul has a penchant for their collection of Leone Candy Originals as part of his pocket paraphernalia.
The Yesterday Society Newcastle
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