Happily ever after - the Wedding Season is here!

 

We are celebrating the season of love & marriage with a wedding inspired window courtesy of 2 local talents.  Our brides shoes are designed and made by Harriet Wilde the luxury London footwear label, established in 2008 by designer, Ruth Shaw & our bride wears a vintage wedding dress on loan from Yuksel of Resurrection Boutique.

Ruth Shaw decided to create her own collection of wedding footwear after searching for the perfect pair to accompany her own original vintage wedding dress - she was looking for  something less ‘fluffy’, more stylish - named after her great grandmother, the Harriet Wilde collection offers brides a vintage-inspired aesthetic with a touch glamour, and superior European craftsmanship.

The London showroom is open from Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm, with late evening available on Thursday's until 8pm Tel: + 44 (0)207 263 4147

Yuksel Karaagac studied at The London College of fashion and had a long career working in the industry for some acclaimed designers before setting up on her own at Resurrection Boutique on Archway Close (better known as Archway Island).  Her reputation as a tailoring luminary is radiating from her vintage sewing machine and her infectious enthusiasm for beautiful clothing is refreshing.  She recently became the subject of a mini film as part of "the makers of Archway" project - take a look here

Resurrection Boutique is at 3 Archway Close and Yuksel's opening hours are Monday to Friday 10:00 -18:00 Saturday 10:30 -18:00
Tel: 020 7263 2600

We have loads of great ideas for gifts for the happy couples!  Our Carnival letter lights not only make a fantastic gift but can make a statement on the day itself!  Particularly if the wedding has a vintage theme.

or how about these fun Coasters for the top table?

Cufflinks for the whole wedding party?

Frame up your memories!

Finish the wedding cake in style with this right 'Royal' tea set by PiP Studio!

and the day would not be complete without someone having to tidy up the confetti!

Summer Jewellery is here! Where's the summer?

When the summer weather comes we know you love to treat yourself to some new jewellery to compliment a summer outfit...........so despite the inclement weather our new fashion jewellery collection is arriving each day!  Fingers crossed the sunshine will return!  Here is a snapshot of what we have in store and online!

http://www.mapgiftshop.com/jewellery.html

Light-en Up!

Inspired by our own map gift shop signage, we sourced these stylish Carnival Lights, finished in rust or industrial steel - they make a stunning statement in any room!

Take a look at what our clever customers have been up to!

All the Letters and Symbols are now available on line here. We are quoting a 14 day delivery - so please contact us from our contact form or tel 020 7687 4005 if the lights are required more quickly & we can give you updated information. The lights require a mains transformer at £5 which can power up to 5 linkable letters - we strongly recommend mains usage.  Batteries are a good option for a party or wedding where mains outlets may not be practical, but remember to use good quality batteries.

And the winner is........

well sadly not us! 

Back in March we were selected as a finalist in The Greats Gift Retailer Awards, in the category "Best Independent Retailer within the M25" which was a massive honour!  Having one award under our belt already, (in November we won a Time Out Love london award for best shop) we were secretly hoping to win this award so that we could claim the double within a year and the acknowledgement at both ends of the transaction - our industry (suppliers & reps) and our customers but hey, today was not ours!

What a venue though!  We dined in the glitzy ballroom at the Swanky Savoy and had such a lot of laughs with Ben Norris the comedian and compere at the ceremony!  Thanks so much to our hosts The Really Good Co, who were not only sponsoring and up for an award themselves, but really good fun to be with too! 

Tatty Shops

If you have been around Archway recently you will not have failed to notice some of the changes underway.  The tower is shrouded in white, Hamlyn House is well on it's way to becoming a Premier Inn, even McDonalds is having a refurb.

Exciting times indeed for Archway! But it is irksome to have Archway's time in the spotlight spoiled by the pervasive preoccupation with how the property prices are "set to soar"  - a recent article in the Evening Standard's Homes & Property proffered plenty of put downs and like a protective parent I feel compelled to shield the Archway I know and love from the insults it is having to put up with, while surrendering itself to this period of change......Archway "can boast nothing more than a line of tatty shops at its heart" - is not only offensive to those who run businesses on Archway Close but also factually and metaphorically totally inaccurate.  

Let's take a look at some of those "tatty shops",  there's Second Chance which is a charity shop famous for inventive window displays (owned by the adjacent church, also in the "line" - the historic Methodist Hall), It has recently had a refurb as part of Islington's shop front scheme.  

Another shop to benefit from this scheme is Resurrection Boutique at no 3 in the "line" - the subject of a recent project called "Makers of Archway",  take a look at this mini film about it's proprietress Yuksel.

There's the dynamic Dowe Gym a solicitors and the restaurant at number 10 is about to reopen as 'Leafy Greens & Coffee Beans'........

.....and then there's 'The Gate'  - formerly the 'Tollgate' the "tatty shop" at number 6, with it's lovingly preserved beautiful original glass signage.

So if this is Archway's "heart".......then pulsing along the arteries are a whole host of other shops, businesses and eateries that Archway can boast about surely? The award winning Archway Kebabs - Officially the best takeaway in London, St Johns Tavern with it's majestic dining room and historically restored exterior, The stylish Oak & Pastor, the laid back Hideaway, The Charlotte Despard, Bread & Bean, our new neighbours Deli Junction the list could go on and on with any number of successful and useful shops both long-standing and new in between, offering this community much more than great service. We are genuinely proud to have been voted Archway's best independent shop in the Time Out Love London awards last November, we are in good company! 

According to the same article managing director of estate agent Whitehalls says "the area’s reputation as a rather shabby place to live will be hard to sweep away.  He suggests it should follow in the footsteps of Staines, now renamed Staines-upon-Thames, and call itself Whitehall Park in honour of the conservation area close to Highgate, where Archway’s smartest houses and highest prices can be found"

Did he really say that? For those of us who have been here 22 years (it still makes me smile to remember the guy who gave us 6 months when we were setting up shop), we have heard all this before - It is only the estate agents who are perpetuating the nonsense of needing a re-brand, Lower Highgate, slopes & borders, St John's triangle FFS here's a novel idea - why not reappropriate the area as Archway? 

Actually Archway can boast about a lot more than a line of tatty shops at its heart, it's still a place with soul!

Max Mausen - International Clarinettist

Born in Luxembourg - Max Mausen has always loved music, I have it on good authority he could whistle Benjamin Britten at age 6, he wanted to be a professional musician by the age of 15.... and so he began his journey to make that happen!  He started his musical training at the city's Conservatoire.  He then came to London to study at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 2009, (and it was during his time there that Max worked with us briefly). 

Acclaimed as a 'sensitive' and 'imaginative' performer, clarinettist Max Mausen excels as both a soloist and an orchestral player. He was appointed Principal Clarinet of the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra in September 2014.  

Photograph © Ian Dingle

Max began a crowdfunding campaign back in April 2014 to fund his debut solo album - luckily Ian spotted it via facebook and made a contribution  - he reached his target in record time and his plan became a reality with the release of 'New Waves'  in December 2014.

He has performed with orchestras and ensembles including the Orchestre Philharmonique de Luxembourg, Philharmonia Orchestra, United Instruments of Lucilin, Malta Philharmonic Orchestra and the Orchestre de Chambre de Luxembourg.

Oh and he also played at both MAP weddings! 


His repertoire is wide and varied -  as well as his orchestra & solo performances Max finds time to play in a band called Sudden Junction a "musical allsorts extravaganza", who's recent take on Fat Boy Slim's 'Right Here Right Now' won them an award from the London Song Company! Have a listen here

It's always great to hear stories of creative fulfilment from talented friends who have helped us out along the way!  Hoping Max has a long and successful career ahead of him - we look forward to following his news!

Featured Artists - Lula Tobitt & Angel Ashcroft AKA 'A Common Thread'

A Common Thread - @CraftyCoalition came onto my radar as soon as they hit the Archway scene!  Lula and Angel moved into Bickerton House Archway Studios in January, they run regular workshops at their studio covering knitting, crochet and sewing skills  - It just looks like great fun! 

Their manifesto:  

"we are a common thread: coalition of craft and we are taking our love for craft to the masses. we are a craft school for adults answering to a growing interest and enthusiasm for learning domestic crafts, helping people to uncover and develop their creative potential whilst learning new skills and having fun in the process. 

we have an online shop providing ethically sourced, sustainable and artisan craft supplies whilst also showcasing work from independant makers. we believe that craft can change the world through craftivism and yarn bombing and at the same time make it a more beautiful place to be in.

we believe in looking after the world we inhabit - we only using biodegradable or recyclable packaging, recycled yarns, cooperatives and animal welfare are high priorities for us.  Craft is both personal and political and we believe that with creating and making comes, not only an opportunity to learn about yourself but also an opportunity to engage with others and the world around you, 

but most of all we just want you to enjoy it as much as we do."

who could resist.....tea & strawberry tart anyone?

We were delighted that 'A common thread' accepted our invitation to collaborate on a window display,,,,our spring 'allotment' window hopes to inspire creativity and the joy of textile art.......why not book up for one of A common Thread's workshops ? - learn new skills, meet lovely people, experiment, create & most importantly have fun!......

Lula & Angel are also taking a stand at the upcoming Selvedge Spring Fair in London 2015, Chelsea Old Town Hall, London  25 APRIL 2015.