Shopping destination

Where passengers once bought tickets for a journey on the York and Newcastle Railway branch line, you can now buy a beautifully crafted olive spoon. Or a bag made from repurposed bouncy castle rubber. Or a pair of little bronze lovebirds…

The Station Shop, at Richmond, is a veritable treasure trove of unique gifts. The more you browse, the more you are tempted by the artworks on offer. The outlet, which has been open almost a year now, has added another dimension to the rich offering at the Victorian station, which was reinvented as a cinema and social hub in 2007. The building, which still houses the platform on which passengers used to wait for the train, now encloses an estate agents, a micro-brewery, an ice-cream maker, a restaurant and exhibitions. “It seemed right to extend our wall gallery space, which takes predominantly 2D work, into a platform that can consistently support 3D artists of all disciplines,” says gallery co-ordinator Thea Treweek. “With The Shop, what we have created is a unique exhibiting space which prides itself on being fair to artists and showing emerging talent.” Plus, it’s a great place to pick up unique gifts.

The ethos behind The Shop is design-led. Work has to be crafted by artists and not mass produced. “We will stock gorgeous items from anywhere, providing they are exceptionally designed and the finish is perfect,” says Thea. Artists are both local and from further afield. “We don’t want to compete with other galleries in the town,” says retail assistant Sue Dewhurst. “Also, it’s frustrating for the artists. It is key for emerging and established producers to be able to have their work shown widely, both to promote their name, but also increase the number of locations for sales.”

The Station Shop has a mixed bunch of customers. “Some are collectors of ceramics and come whenever we are holding certain ceramicists; others are waiting for a film and pop in to get inspiration and see what lovely things we have,” says Sue. “We have a high tourist footfall and lots of local supporters who love what we are doing, too.”

Sue and Thea decide what to stock. They spot things at shows and fairs, respond to artists contacting them, and also approach artists whose work they love. Thea’s expertise lies in spotting emerging trends and she has successfully commissioned designs in conjunction with artists that have become instant best-sellers. Sue is an arts professional with years of gallery and buying experience.

“We have had several artists make exclusively for us, such as Ruth Sutcliffe, a silversmith from Sowerby Bridge,” says Sue. “We asked Ruth to create a range of contemporary stacking rings and at the moment The Shop is the only stockist.” This is the same for Catherine Boyne Whitelegg, a ceramicists from York. “She had some little spoons, which we loved, but we asked her to tweak them into delightful olive spoons.” Sometimes, the team spot people at tiny craft events who only make for themselves. “Because we are happy to take single or small batches of items, we might ask them to try stuff with us,” says Thea. “One example is Philip Milburn, a kitchen designer from Durham. I bought some bangles from wooden off-cuts and loved them so much, I asked him to make a small run with his next set of discarded wood discs. They are stunning and utterly sustainable.”

The Shop also stocks work by well-known Teesdale ceramicist Alistair Brookes, whose sculptures of shepherds and miners have a distinct grey/white glazing. “Alistair created a new range of sheep after a customer of ours requested them,” says Thea. “They are an absolute delight and though true to his usual style, show a slight redirection in composition.” Then there’s Artful Robin, aka Robin Fox, a contemporary sculptor of bronzes from Hexham. He creates mainly birds, ranging from small bronzes through to large sculptural pieces with waxed wood and multiple perched robins.

As well as gaining a reputation for lovely ceramics and sculpture, The Shop also stocks some unique jewellery. There’s Inky Linky a silversmith from Leeds, who creates landscape, fox and bird-themed pendants in etched, rolled silver with copper and enamelled highlights, and Mod Jool, who make unusual rubber and magnetic stacking bangles and chokers in bright colours.

The Station shop team are proactive and love involving their customers in market research campaigns, such as the 'What Men Really Want for Christmas?' survey which threw up some insightful answers and led to them stocking a range of “cyclist dreams” by ReCycle & BiCycle, a young company which repurposes cycle parts to make inner-tube bow ties and bike chain cufflinks. “ReCycle & BiCycle is a huge seller this festive season,” says Sue.

Customers are encourage to leave a comment in the Shop's Wish List book. One recent entry reads: “I haven't seen such a high concentration of quality design outside London before and all at such keen prices. This is just wonderful for Richmond, so pleased to have found you.” They can also leave a note of their favourite artists in there, then send clueless partners in to buy an item from the range. “That way, they get exactly what they want for Christmas,” laughs Sue.

• The Station shop,10am to 4pm, closed Wednesdays. Station Yard, Richmond, North Yorkshire, DL10 4LD. T: 01748-850123; W: the station.co.uk