Dear Customers,
Some of you know me well but for those of you that don’t, I am the owner of cambridge contemporary art and cambridge contemporary crafts.
I still can’t quite believe that the place I work is now closed for the foreseeable future. This coming September will mark my 20th anniversary of working at cambridge contemporary art. It was my first job after studying History of Art at the University of East Anglia. I was taken on as a temporary part time Maternity Cover. Fortunately for me the position was made permanent and five years later, at the age of 26, I had the opportunity to buy the gallery (with the help of several business loans) from the previous owner Denise Collins, who now owns Castle Gallery in Inverness. It was incredibly daunting and exciting at the same time, especially at such a young age! Then in 2009, building on the success of cambridge contemporary art and the demand for handmade crafts made in the UK, I launched its sister craft shop, cambridge contemporary crafts, on Bene’t Street.
cambridge contemporary art on Trinity Street
cambridge contemporary crafts on Bene’t Street
Running a business or being self-employed can be scary, sometimes lonely, and full of responsibility. At the end of the day who do you turn to when you are supposed to be the “boss” and you don’t know the solution to the problem? Thankfully, in 2010, I was joined by Manager, Rhiannon Coke-Woods, and then in 2017 photographer, Zuza Grubecka, joined the managerial team. Without these remarkable, hard-working, dedicated, talented women the businesses would not be where they are today. I am eternally grateful for all their help and friendship, never more so than in these incredibly difficult times.
Rhiannon
Zuza
I have so many great memories of working at cambridge contemporary art on beautiful Trinity Street, in the historic centre of Cambridge. Many films and TV series have been filmed around us. My personal highlight was when the gallery was transformed into a general grocery store as part of the filming of the Christmas special of Grantchester, fake snow and all. I was starstruck by James Norton and just about summoned the courage to ask him for a photo. You can’t tell in the photo that I am pregnant and suffering from terrible morning sickness.
Gallery during filming of the Grantchester
James Norton and me!
Other highlights have included seeing professor Stephen Hawking, professor Brian Cox, the Tour de France whizzing past just metres in front of the window (the most incredible atmosphere in town!), and the recent school strikes with hundreds of schoolchildren going past us. Despite not being at all interested in royalty I have to admit I was swept up in royal fever when the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited the city in 2012, passing by just metres from the gallery. We’ve held many fun events in the gallery and the most memorable will probably be meeting Sir Peter Blake, the grandfather of Pop Art and creator of the Beatles iconic album cover Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club.
Professor Brian Cox recording outside of cambridge contemporary crafts
Rhiannon, me and Sir Peter Blake
