Friday 2nd January, 2026

In Which the New Year Begins to Make Itself at Home

January 2nd arrived trailing holiday-makers behind it, and the shop welcomed them in with open doors and a mild air of mischief.

There were families visiting from out of town, children darting between shelves, and the now well-established treasure hunt in full swing. Nine painted creatures remain hidden around the shop, and finding them all has become a very serious business indeed.

Some people pay for a turn on a vintage gumball machine with coins. Ours only accepts jokes as payment. One offering in particular was deemed worthy of immediate approval:

How do you get Pikachu on the bus?
You poke him on.

The gumball machine - with its looping slide and questionable sense of humour - dispensed a red gumball and the echo of a chuckle.

It wasn’t a loud day. No grand moments, no announcements - just the steady rhythm of browsing, laughing, and the low hum of summer holidays. The sort of day where time moves differently and the shop breathes easily.

It was a good day. A generous day. The sort that feels like a promise rather than a resolution.

A beautiful start to the new year.