Satisfaction for the Shopaholic!

Many of us ‘happy shoppers’ still rely heavily on high street shops for our retail therapy fix – but look past these super-shiny and over-preened shop fronts away from the high street to less conventional locations and you will find an eclectic and unique array of independent and inviting outlets that will be able to satisfy even the most ardent of shopaholics.

 

One such shop, one of many, is located on the busy A49 which runs happily between the hills of Little Switzerland (aka Church Stretton) at Leebotwood (known by the locals by its old name, Lebotwood). Wilstone House and Gardens has occupied this former mechanics garage for the last 5 years. 

 

Wilstone House and Gardens – simply put is an Alladins Cave. We all know there are many of these shops dotted about – but this one is the one. The exterior of the building belies the interior, but the minute you walk through the door your senses are blown away! Crammed, stacked, leaning, in baskets, in pots, on shelves – unusual, odd items simply everywhere.

 

We all know that if you needed to buy, for example, oil for your car – you would head off to a certain well known chain store whose name begins with ‘H’, and stock up.

Would you know that if you needed to buy a camel saddle you would come to Wilstone, or if you needed a ship’s wheel, an ox cart, hand turned wooden ghee or butter pots, old brass tea urns, wooden jugs for goats milk, and that is just the beginning!

 

Wilstone was set up by Christo McKinnon who’s roots lay firmly in the antique business, until he and his milliner wife Kate decided to buy a rambling Georgian house with dilapidated barns amid the glorious Shropshire Hills. The McKinnon’s had previously spent many months travelling Asia and found a myriad of interesting and unusual items that they felt would enhance homes and gardens within England.

 

Christo and Kate regularly travel to India and source items of interest that are then shipped back to England in huge crates. Each crate represents a possible logistical nightmare, with many suppliers having to coordinate production and packing for the shipping date. But, once the container arrives, having been precariously driven around the tight lanes inhabited by the fearless chickens of Wilstone, where the main warehouse is located – it is like Christmas.

 

Hundreds of boxes and crates, miles and miles of brightly coloured shredded paper wrapping Cobalt blue ceramics, hand crafted stone troughs, jali panels in all shapes and sizes, fountains made of shiny white sparkly marble, old market cart wheels, symbolic shrines and temples that would have been disregarded on the streets of India, delicately hand carved wooden panels of all shapes and sizes depicting Peacocks, traditional floral designs, horses, Indian Gods and Deities and many carvings stemming from the period of the Raj. Victorian Tiles, taken from their original setting and turned into Coat Hooks. Iron Gazebos shrouded in bubble wrap, a pair of stately looking hand carved Lions, Stone benches shining a pale golden yellow in the afternoon sunlight. 

In a small hamlet, amid the hills of Shropshire, there are busy people organising and planning for their next trip abroad, to bring back many, many more fascinating and unusual things to delight and enhance the homes and gardens of Shropshire. 

Wilstone House & Gardens at RHS Chelsea and Hampton Court 2008

Christo McKinnon, co-owner of Wilstone said “during 2008 we exhibited at Hampton Court and Chelsea Flower Show, and we were all really excited about exhibiting at both places. Last year the response we got from visitors to both of the show was fantastic. We think their reaction was because the majority of our products are antique and reclaimed and very unusual!”

Christo’s wife Kate who designs the planting schemes and grows the plants herself at their Shropshire home said “the best part of the show for me is the planting -  it pulls everything together. It is hard work and some nights we are working on site until way after after midnight but the end result is well worth it!”

The Wilstone stands this year featured large and extremely rare Lingam stones, a classically designed hand carved wall fountain with a lead lion water spout, a large selection of hand carved sandstone pieces in traditional and contemporary designs and reclaimed architectural elements.

Christo continued “we exhibited a tented or canopied Gazebo at both shows, a new product for us. We sell a lot of our wrought iron Gazebos, but we have now added something unique – a tented section which attaches to the inner roof of the Gazebo to give cover or shade to those sitting underneath it.”

Made in natural canvas and available in burgundy or gold colour, the suspended tent allows the Wilstone Gazebo to become a room in the garden. Another new product from Wilstone is a classically designed sandstone pergola which features reclaimed timber roof beams. 

Wilstone also exhibited their popular wrought iron Kadais which can be used as fire bowls, BBQ’s, planters or water features. Christo said “heavy riveted wrought iron kadai’s where once used all over India as large ceremonial cooking pots for weddings and festivals.”

Kate and Christo McKinnon on their stand at Chelsea Flower Show

Where will Wilstone House and Gardens be exhibiting in 2009? Watch this space, and keep and eye out on the website at www.wilstone.com 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas Shopping by Aeroplane!

 

A Shropshire businessman doesn’t stock up at the wholesalers for his Christmas customers, or spend hours perusing gossy catalogues from his suppliers – he hops on an aeroplane!

Christo Mckinnon, who runs Wilstone House and Gardens with his wife Kate, from their home in Shropshire run a successful and, most unusual shop and wholesale business.

 

The interior of the Wilstone Shop

 

 

Christo sources a great deal of his stock by walking through the markets and bazaars of India, and

talking to local craftspeople to ensure that the items he purchases come under the ‘Fair Trade’ principle.

Christo told us ‘this is the most exciting part of being a business owner, to walk through the colourful markets and bazaars of India buying wonderful fairly traded goods from people and then transporting it back where it is unpacked and sold in the shop in Shropshire.’

Christo continued ‘my aim is to offer people unusual, decorative, colourful, quality items and sometimes to raise eyebrows!’ A few of the more unusual items in the shop includesa pair of camel saddles, a ships wheel and a Dragon Shrine! Christo said ‘when travelling the world for items to sell, it isn’t difficult to find strange things.’

 

If you want to see more of the unusual items Christo brings back from India, you can either peruse the Wilstone.com website or visit the shop. Please see wilstone.com for further details.

Wilstone House and Gardens

The Fairtrade ethos is now making more of an impact on the nation, with most customers being aware that purchasing items under the Fairtrade banner means that the workers have been paid a fair rate. Scan along any supermarket shelves and you are bound to see chocolates, coffee, tea, and dried fruit – but an eccentric husband and wife team based in Shropshire has taken Fairtrade to an entirely different level.

 

Christo McKinnon’s roots lay firmly in the antique business, until he and his milliner wife Kate decided to buy a rambling Georgian house with dilapidated barns amid the glorious Shropshire Hills. The McKinnon’s had previously spent many months travelling Asia and found a myriad of interesting and unusual items that they felt would enhance homes and gardens within England.

 

Christo researches traditional and functional designs in iron and stone, and commissions the highly skilled and fairly paid masons and ironworkers in India to re-create his designs. Christo also visits the production sites and talks to the workers ensuring that they are getting a decent wage with good working conditions.   

 

With the house bought, many months of ‘Fairtrade’ research and the business plan in place, Wilstone House and Gardens was formed.

 

Christo and Kate travel to India and source items of interest that are then shipped back to England in huge crates. Each crate represents a possible logistical nightmare, with many suppliers having to coordinate production and packing for the shipping date. But, once the container arrives, having been precariously driven around the tight lanes inhabited by the fearless chickens of Wilstone, it is like Christmas.

 

Hundreds of boxes and crates, miles and miles of brightly coloured shredded paper wrapping Cobalt blue ceramics, hand crafted stone troughs, jali panels in all shapes and sizes, fountains made of shiny white sparkly marble, old market cart wheels, symbolic shrines and temples that would have been disregarded on the streets of India, delicately hand carved wooden panels of all shapes and sizes depicting Peacocks, traditional floral designs, horses, Indian Gods and Deities and many carvings stemming from the period of the Raj. Victorian Tiles, taken from their original setting and turned into Coat Hooks. Iron Gazebos shrouded in bubble wrap, a pair of stately looking hand carved Lions, Stone benches shining a pale golden yellow in the afternoon sunlight.  

 

In a small hamlet, amid the hills of Shropshire, there are busy people organising and planning for their next trip abroad, to bring back many, many more fascinating and unusual things to delight and enhance the homes and gardens of England.