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Nottingham Post
Nottingham Post
Entertainment
Lynette Pinchess

New coffee shop and quirky vintage store a 'breath of fresh air' in old GP surgery in West Bridgford

There's no missing this new coffee spot - simply look out for the big blue camel with stripy black and white socks which lends its name to the Blue Camel Cafe.

The camel, bought from the former Red Hot World Buffet at Nottingham's Cornerhouse, takes pride of place in the front garden along West Bridgford's main strip of shops, cafes and restaurants.

It's just one of the many weird and wonderful artefacts at the business, which boasts two floors of unusual finds in what was once a GP surgery, Trent Bridge Medical Practice, and more recently the Parlour Garden.

As well as a place for coffee, tea, hot chocolate and alcoholic refreshment, the Blue Camel, in Bridgford Road, is an eclectic place to shop.

Since opening at the end of last year, it's proving a winner with locals who enjoy browsing the goods set out in small rooms and down a long corridor, where doctors would have previously seen patients.

Owned by Liam Woodgates, it is the sister store to vintage and antiques emporium Hopkinson, near Nottingham Railway Station, and Cobden Place, off Pelham Street in the city centre.

Shoppers will find antiques, vintage clothing and homeware, plus vegan and zero waste items.

Traders within the store include Nottingham businesses Dash Vegan, Tweed Elite and Gong Nong Bing Vintage as well as Woodgates' own carefully curated stock.

Two of the rooms have been dedicated to the bar and counter - aka the 'Dispensing Department' - and vintage-style cafe, decked out with a chandelier, a photo of Nottingham Forest's 1968 squad, a wicker sofa and crotchet blanket (both for sale).

At weekends the bar is open until 11pm.

Supervisor Alex Townley said: "One of the joys is you'll never know what you'll find here."

Dressed head-to-foot in Hopkinson vintage clothing, including a coat, skirt, blazer and buckle belt, he described himself as a "walking advertisement" for the company.

Alex said both antique lovers and students in search of vintage clothing had embraced the new store.

"I think it's a bit of a breath of fresh air for Bridgford. It's franchise after franchise and the feedback we're getting from people is it's nice to see something independent.

"I think our prices are reasonable. The general nature of antiques' shops is that we can negotiate a little bit on prices and people like that element rather than going in a shop and there being a set price and then potentially turning away or going somewhere else.

"I think we've hit the nail on the head. There's going to be loads that's going to be different over the next few weeks. We're going to be opening more rooms upstairs and doing more events.

"We're getting a lot of positive comments about our vegan and zero waste products as there's nothing like that around here."

Jane Adams, of West Bridgford, was visiting for the first time for a browse and ended up buying a pair of green-framed vintage sunglasses and a hot chocolate.

She said: "I have been delighted ever since I came in. I didn't realise it had all this marvellous vintage stuff. I'm very surprised."

Her friend Helen Bullivant, also West Bridgford, added: "I've been four or five times. I was introduced to it by my son and his partner because they're vegan and there's a vegan shop here. I like the cafe - it's quirky, a little bit different and it's good coffee."

The day we visited we found Denby Pottery, glassware, toys, ornaments, old-fashioned suitcases, furniture, jewellery and a anatomical cross-section of an ear.

Dash Vegan's shelves were stocked with chocolate, nut butters, dog treats and zero waste toiletries.

Gong Wong Bing Vintage, whose founders are from China but based in the UK, sells clothing from the 50s to 80s, jewellery and accessories, and fuses fashion influences from the east and west.

Tweed Elite's room full of hand-crafted cushions in colourful fabrics, which are remnants from the fashion industry.

Have a look inside here:

Events hosted at the site include a monthly open mic night allowing aspiring local talents to perform.

Every Wednesday an open-air flea market takes place with exciting and unique antiques and vintage items on sale and a vegan market is held every Saturday.

Beth Tootell, branding and marketing manager, said: "We are always on the lookout for new vendors to rent with us and join our community, too.

"We currently home over 100 vendors across our three sites and would love for this to continue to grow.

"We are so excited to be a part of the wonderful West Bridgford community, and have been overwhelmed with the support we have received in all our ventures as a team from the wider Nottingham community too.

"This new venture is an exciting addition to Bridgford Road and gives the community a chance to support the growing Hopkinson presence and a local, small business."

The business is open Tuesday to Thursday 11am-6pm, Friday 11am to 11pm, Saturday 9am to 11pm and Sunday 11am to 4pm.

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