5 weeks, 4 days, 4 lorry bays, 1500 bolts of fabric

Apparently, our criteria is a pretty tricky list to fulfill in this area.  Parking, space, light, easy access.  We soon discovered that although we could tick one, maybe two boxes on our list, to tick all was seemingly impossible.

We spent days driving up and down each road leading into town, trying to find THE place.  It had to exist.  Mum pointed out each potential place while I mentally tried to convince myself that this could work yet all the while it’s negatives helped to confirm an image of the place that couldn’t possibly exist, yet would be perfect. 

Finally Mum pulled in at one end of Terminus Road.  I was just thinking to myself, this is it, we either shut up shop, or go to one of the places that was wrong,and move again in a year.  This was not what I wanted.  Mum lost patience with me (obviously this happens a lot, but this time was pretty bad).  “What is it exactly you want?” she asked.

“A cross between an old brick warehouse and an old fire station” I said, having seen a cool fire station conversion online recently.  

I can’t remember her answer, and quite possibly it’s not something I want to repeat here, I must keep her image as a respectable lady.  The point was, there was NOTHING like that to be found in the vicinity.

We drove on.  And 2 minutes later, there it was.

Now, unfortunately, I don’t have any before photos of the building as a whole from outside, but I have some closeups.  As you can see, it needed a little bit of work.

It was an old lorry depot.  The walls and ceiling were covered in diesel, grime, and goodness knows what else.  The fittings were dated from a time long before regulations, and the windows were cracked and peeling.