Amazing Emmaus!

Hi…I feel like I’m getting a bit behind with my blog updates lately. I know I did one a couple of days ago, but that was about Helen’s wedding which was two weeks ago, therefore I should have done that two weeks ago, so now I’m two weeks behind!  I’ve got loads of stuff I wanted to blog about so now I’ve got to try and catch up! I’ve been back to Somerset to my Mum and Dad’s for a few days and I’ve brought back loads of stuff from home that I want to photograph and put on here, such as my childhood badge collection! Wow bet you can’t wait can you??!

1940s Wakes weekend at Kelham Island Museum. 31st July & 1st August 2010 (image taken from the Sheffield Industrial Museums Trust website)

Yesterday we went to Kelham Island Industrial Museum where there was a craft and vintage fayre, based on the theme of ‘Holidays at Home’ (it’s on again today if you happen to read this early in the morning and want to go!) It was good and there were some lovely craft stalls, aswell as some vintage bric-a-brac stalls and vintage clothing. I didn’t end up buying anything, which is not like me at all, but I did have a good chat with some of the Craft Candy girls who had stalls at the fayre!  We also had a look round the museum, as I’d never been before.  I get the impression that most people who grew up in this area went on school trips to Kelham Island when they were kids, but obviously I never had that opportunity!  I still felt drawn to the souvineer shop though, as if I was 10. Pencils, sharpeners, keyring, rubbers…stuff you get on a school trip!

There is now a National Fairground Archive gallery at Kelham Island Museum (image taken from the Sheffield Industrial Museums Trust website)

Anyway, here is a photo taken outside the museum looking down the canal. It’s an interesting area, there’s so many old factories and mills and stuff and lots of them are derelict now.

The canal at Kelham Island

I wanted to tell you about this new shop I’ve found!  It’s called Emmaus, and on Friday we went to have a look round for the first time!  (Emmaus is pronounced E-may-us).  If you haven’t heard of Emmaus before, and if you like vintage clothing boutiques and bric-a-brac shops then you must try and visit soon!

Emmaus sign

Emmaus is a homeless charity, which was originally founded in Paris, in the late 1940s, and was first introduced to the UK in the early 1990s. The idea behind the charity is that people who have previously been homeless are offered an alternative way of life, in the form of the chance to live and work in a small Emmaus community. The people who live there are known as Companions and they become self sufficient by learning new skills, and then earn their living by refurbishing furniture and electricals, which they sell in the community shop. In return for the opportunity to live at Emmaus, the Companions agree to  refrain from drug use, or any criminal behaviour, and they also sign off of primary benefits. As it says on the Emmaus website “Each community is thus a way for people to move from dependancy, to self reliance and self respect”.  Ex-hostage Terry Waite is a long time supporter of Emmaus, and is now President of the charity. He has even visited the Blast Lane branch, and there are some photographs on the website!  I had never heard of the charity before until recently when I heard an interview on BBC Radio Sheffield with some of the Companions from the Sheffield community, and then I made a mental note that I must visit the shop!

Emmaus shop on Blast Lane (this is just round the corner from the main Sipelia Works entrance on Cadman Street, you just have to walk or drive around the corner onto Blast Lane, to get to the shop entrance)

Blast Lane

There are Emmaus communities in various different places in the UK now, including Manchester, London, Dover, Cambridge and Coventry, and there are hundreds more communities all over the world. I think they are a really good idea, I like the fact that the help people back to work and offer them a place to live. I also like that they have 2 shops in Sheffield which are just the sort of shops I like!!

The approach to Sipelia works on Cadman Street

The Emmaus community in Sheffield, is based at Sipelia Works, an old cutlery factory next to the canal and situated on Blast Lane (via Cadman Street). It isn’t very easy to find, but the directions are on the website. The building is really cool. The guy who showed us round said that eventually all of the units in the building will be opened by small businesses. There are also landscaped gardens which have been created and maintained by the Companions, and they look really good. (You can see them on the website!)

Sipelia Works on Cadman Street

The main community shop has 2 large spaces with furniture such as sofas and armchairs, tables, cabinets, dressers and beds, and then there is a smaller area which houses a large book section, CDs, DVDs and computer games, along with homewares, framed pictures, and other knick knacks.  We got an amazing framed print of a stag on a holographic background for 20p, and I managed to get a CD I’d been after too!

The mighty stag

The staff are really friendly and helpful, and a guy took us down to show us the larger furniture warehouse they have in a unit further along the building. This had loads more chairs, sofas, tables, cabinets, shelving units, and large framed pictures and paintings. In the warehouse we met the community cat! She is called Kipper and was very friendly and followed us round wherever we went!

Kipper the friendly cat!

There is also a vintage clothing shop at Emmaus, which is a few units along from the main shop.  It is called La Boutique, and is run by four French students, who are on volunteer placements from La Rochelle International Business School for 3 months. They have created the shop themselves and they’ve done a brilliant job! It is really well stocked with men’s, women’s and kid’s clothing, 2nd hand, vintage and retro stuff, jackets, coats, and nightwear. There’s also a huge selection of accessories including shoes, handbags, purses, belts, jewellery and hats. The shop has a nice friendly feel and is well set out, with a sofa and mirrors, and the girls are really friendly. Rob got some trousers with a fine turn up, and I got a nice jumper for when it gets cold!

Rob's trousers

My jumper

Here are some photos of the Sheffield Tinsley Canal which runs along, and under the Cadman Bridge next to Sipelia Works.

Canal view, taken facing away from Sipelia Works

Canal view, taken facing towards Sipelia Works

I really recommend a visit to Emmaus if you haven’t been before! We will definitely go back for another look round soon. Here are the website links for more information… x

www.emmaus-sheffield.org.uk

www.emmaus.org.uk

www.emmaus-international.org