As two young art students in their early ‘20s, Geoff Williams and his wife Diz opened a tiny 15 sq ft shop in an alleyway in Nottingham in 1973 selling Clarice Cliff pottery and a few handmade cards, with a sign proclaiming the shop to be: ‘Purveyors of old pine furniture and antique goods’.
“We had no money and no idea what we were doing,” Geoff told GiftsandHome.net. “We made it up as we went along! Fifty years ago, pine furniture was very trendy, while today, people are painting those same pieces with Farrow & Ball paint!”
Geoff, who carried out the furniture restoration side of things, admits that tracking down product was a bit of challenge, so when he and Diz discovered the Blackpool Gift Fair in 1976 it was something of a revelation. “It was great to find that we could go to an exhibition, source products and get them delivered, and it’s how we branched out into giftware, gradually phasing out pine furniture and fittings.”
Moving from their original shop onto a bigger store on the high street – where the rent was £25 a week – Geoff and Diz began selling fine stationery, Filofaxes and paper that was sold by weight, with gifts a natural progression. “We were early adaptors of Emma Bridgewater and plush,” recalls Geoff.
Today, located in a third shop in Nottingham’s St Peter’s Gate, Geoff says that, in essence, not much has changed productwise over the past 30 years. “We still sell Emma Bridgewater and plush, although the gift range has broadened and now includes home fragrancing, fashion jewellery, mugs and gift books, along with baby, christening and wedding gifts. We like to keep a balance, offering giftware for children, mothers and grandmothers, as well as the student population.” Geoff and Diz’s daughter Holly is now very much a part of the business, joining her parents some ten years ago.
Commenting on how retail has evolved over the past five decades, Geoff comments: “Nothing is guaranteed any more so, as a business, we have to batten the hatches and just carry on. I would like to think that one day
Holly will take over the business and continue to be very successful too.”
Meanwhile, he and Diz are not only looking forward to celebrating The Tokenhouse’s 50th anniversary, but also their 50th golden wedding anniversaryin September. “As a business, it’s been a very enjoyable journey so far,” states Geoff. “We’ve weathered so many storms along the way, but fortunately, we’ve been able to fix them.”
Top: Geoff, Diz and Holly Williams outside The Tokenhouse in Nottingham’s city centre. The shop is currently celebrating its 50th anniversary.
