Our Great Little Card Shop - RETAS Awards

Oh well, you can't win 'em all - and we are still feeling pretty amazed that our small but beautiful card shop, tucked away at the back of our even more beautiful art gallery, was shortlisted for a 'best independent, non specialist card shop in the South' award by RETAS. We were in fact in the final six and I set off for the awards ceremony in the chandelier bedecked ballroom of Grosvenor House in Park Lane, with my best frock and new shoes packed in my wheelie bag with a determination not to be disapointed if we didn't win. We didn't.

Still, it was a lot of fun and my first trip to London since the start of Covid. My friend, Tessa, came to Park Lane with me for support, and I'd have needed it if we'd won - the trophy was very heavy.

Tessa lives in Buckhurst Hill and provided me with somewhere to stay so the trip included a lovely, sunlit walk in Epping Forest, all gold, orange and red. Next day I met up with my ceramics artist daughter at St. Pauls, on my way back to Waterloo. Coffee in the Square by the Frink sculpture before crossing the bridge to Tate Modern. Ahh! it has been so long . . .