We love running a toy shop in Manchester.
Not only do we get to source and sell lovely products and meet the lovely people who shop here, but we have a laugh...
we've set up our blog to jot down some of the lovely things that have happened, some of the funny things that have happened and to record the plainly bonkers things that can occur without warning during our day.
Miaow the Cat
One of our aaah moments occurred not long after we'd opened, when a very small girl came in with her Grandma. Expecting a negative answer and in a resigned way, we were asked if we sold the Jellycat Merryday Cat. When we promptly produced said product the lady exclaimed in such a delighted way "Look they've got Miaow!!". Miaow was the very small girl's special toy, which had been lost the night before, causing the very small girl (and her parents) many tears at bedtime. The very small girl clutched Miaow to her, whilst her Grandma explained to her that he must have got lost whilst out and spent the night here. She then called the small girl's mum, who had been just about to drive over the Pennines to get one from a shop she'd found on the internet. Small girl's mum apparently burst into tears with relief that 'Miaow' had been found. Grandma and small girl went home very happy (and with a spare Miaow just in case he went off on his own again). We were extremely joyful that we had made a small girl and her family very happy.
The Pied Piper
When eight 11 year old girls giggled and gaggled their way into the shop it was pretty loud and chaotic, so Nicola herded them all outside for a boomerang competition using the new indoor boomerang's that had just been delivered. It was like watching the pied piper as they all duly trooped after her and took turns throwing the boomerang. 20 minutes later Nicola crawled back in, again followed by all the girls, with the winners being awarded a couple of pocket money toys.
Boomerouch
Nicola is very good at demonstrating the toys and in roping customers into having a game of ogo with her or having a go with the indoor boomerangs. Not being as exuberant as Nicola (really who other than Ruby Wax actually is) I'm not quite so good, but decided to demonstrate the boomerang to a customer who wanted something small for a seven year old boy. Standing near him I threw it round the shop and it whizzed round and then smacked him right on the side of his cheek. I was mortified. The customer left. They're only soft so it wouldnt have hurt but it's still one of those waking up in the night to cringe at moments.
Giddy Kippers Dancing Round the Shop
Not long after we opened we were slightly giddy at having our very own toy shop. We were also really very cold. Winter 2010 being the coldest since the Jurassic age. Listening to the radio (XFM) a particularly top song came on (can't even remember what it was now) but we combined giddiness with coldness and danced round the shop in a very enthusiastic manner. It was only after about 2 minutes that we realised there was a man stood at the door looking on with bemusement.
Pacman vs The Vortex
Being in business together is a bit like being married. Generally it's all good, but occasionally we can fall out or annoy each other. Nicola has accused me of being like pacman on the grounds that I can sometimes go on a bit, am a total nag and can make the occasional caustic comment (all lies) and she has started a list in the back room to prove this, so whenever I say anything ever so slightly out of turn it goes on the list. In return I have to put up with her extreme bossiness and habit of vortexing (disappearing for hours on end having gone to do a seemingly quick job such as buy milk) so I have started my own list called 'What I have to put up with'. What she doesn't realise is that I can also list her misdemeanours on this blog, cue high pitched cackling laughter, a ha ha ha ha, ha ha ha ha ha, ha ha ha ha