Bohemia Village Voice

New card shop for Bohemia.

A new card and gift shop has opened at 130 London Road, most recently the site of the ill-fated Book Cafe. Roseanna and Brian’s Gifts and Cards, which opened on Thursday 8th February, is the joint venture of Roseanna Williams and Brian Cairns, and sells a range of cards, toys and trinkets. Roseanna and Brian have been business partners for four years. Previously, they had a shop on Hastings Pier, where for three years they saw business steadily improve. ‘It was just getting really good and then they closed the pier, so we’ve had to start all over again,’ says Brian. After that setback, the two of them tried opening another shop in Sea Road, Bexhill, but business wasn’t that good, so they took up the lease on the vacant London Road premises. Brian, who looks after the shop, worked in Canary Wharf as a building manager before he went into business with Roseanna. He says he spent 25 years in London before deciding he’d had enough.
 Roseanna was disabled after breaking almost every bone in her body in a car accident while she was in her twenties. She used to be an accomplished violinist but has not been able to play the instrument for many years on account of her injuries. She has been making cards for 15 years. ‘At first it was physiotherapy after I couldn’t work anymore,’ she says. ‘A friend of mine asked me to embroider a card for her, and when people saw what I’d done they started asking me for more. Then my partner at the time began taking orders at craft fairs and gradually the business grew. Later I had a stall in the market on the pier when that was still going, before Brian and I started the shop there. Eventually we had the largest unit there and then they closed it with only an hour’s notice.’
  Roseanna designs and makes all the cards for the shop, which is currently well stocked with cards for Mother’s Day, among other occasions. She works several months in advance to keep up with the regular festivals. ‘On Mother’s Day I’m doing Father’s Day,’ she says. ‘But I won’t do Halloween cards. I draw the line at that.’ However, she does make cards for the major Jewish festivals. Prices range from £1.75 for the smaller cards to £3.50 for a 7 x 5in card that comes in a box. The shop is open from 9am until 5pm every day except Sunday, though Brian says he always closes for lunch between 1 and 2pm. [JB]

Roseanna Williams.

Brian Cairns.