Eight years ago, I was a struggling artist, working freelance here and there for a bit of dough. I had great ambitions after my first taste of the big delicious apple but I found it hard to ‘say’ something significant, if anything at all in my work, so I decided to halt for a while.
I stumbled upon a lovely space in Earlham Street and there I saw my destiny. In the dark, desolate space, I had a romantic vision – a very bright one. And so, I made my dream come true. For the next five years, I built a boutique of many gems, desirables and treasures: solitaire! And I loved it.
By not following what everyone else was doing, I created an ambient world of my own and people came flocking in, to see, to buy, to want, to desire, to say hi…
It influenced the success of many independent brands that have become household names but indeed, I was in a world of my own and now left myself behind in the running race… to the top?
After being told I could not renew my lease because “you are not high street” I moved to the deserted but scenic Newburgh Street then to the graveyard of Kingly Court – where they bury independent retailers.
Finally, the honey moon period, a distant past, a love diminished by horrors of corporate sharks and nonsensical bureaucrats, I have decided to move on from retail – at least for now, at least in the West End.
Our society, our media, our government has seemingly made it virtually impossible for anyone like me to own a small business. I have worked from scratch and built something out of nothing and yet- I would be better off signing on at the dole office.
I have paid everything that is due to anyone, and I continue to do so, but it’s so hard when you love something and it doesn’t love you back. All I have are memories, bitter ones, sour ones and lovely ones… I hope to tell them here.
Kingly Court – Love Leluu is closing down in August 2010–
Come to get your bargains!