FlipTop
New member
FlipUpDate Folks
First and foremost thankyou from the three of us for all messages of support, offers of support and help. You never know we might actually take you up on that
Thankyou.
To all that don't know, well we got a call on Saturday night just as we were settling down to the first calmish weekend in a month, friends in Belfast had been walking past and saw a few of the 16 Fire Engines (nice try Lads) sitting outside and thought we might be interested hohoho. You can imagine how we felt coming into the city on the M2 smelling smoke on the wind in the car for fucks sake Not one of the most pleasant Saturday evenings of my life, especially as the first folk we met were our neighbours at the Arcade who ran the Gallery whose first words to us were "It's all gone Lads, all gone" and to say his wife was distraught is an understatement. That 30 secs after that is a little vague :-/ an utterly physical shock went through me - a freaky horrible experience, the IMPACT of the realisation is a good word, the last months BLOODY hard work gone not to mention everything in the shop including my nice new pipe. Those of you who got em, wellll they're a good bit more exclusive today, even so they are the one thing in there that will DEFINATELY be OK - stoneware pottery fired to 2000 degrees or summat!
Anyway after an hour or two of all sorts of freaked outness, talking to Firemen, those nice folks in green (human after all) and looking in real total disbelief at a burning building, we scuttled off to create a cloud of smoke of our own (as opposed to participating in creating a large cloud of smoke in the city centre) and figure out "what the fuck happens now?!?" It took no time to figure out after a smoke or two - We just keep it going. What the fuck else?!?! After all we all 3 of us are on a high from the move, all this means is we get to rethink it all again. Better.
Those of you who saw the shop, to a man (and the odd woman) I can say with all confidence were heartily impressed with what came together there.
Anyway that was last week, oldish news to most folks, though its not the end of the community of North Street Arcade. The place is and has been and gonna be for a few days a Crime Scene. Its not in the media as yet but what we hear its being treated as suspicious. Very odd it burns down a week after plans for the development of the area are announced. We had just been to our first meeting the week before about how the Hertitage folks and Arts folk and the business community would deal with the fact that North Street was earmarked for a CAR PARK. This was a Grade B1 listed building built Art Deco Style in 1932, it was allowed to be run down (which made it attractive to small businesses and organisations - low rent) and another thing we hear is the fire was started in TWO places!!! Hmmmm *rubs chin* I wonder?
The NOW! Well in between meetings at the City Hall with politicians, other traders, and friends wanting to help we have been BUSY BUSY BUSY
B.I.G. Shop Situation as today, Weds
We are already in our OLD premises on Lawrence Street again
Phone/email is back on at that address
Our suppliers were horrified to hear about what happened and are all on board to give all assistance we need........
The first restock bits arrived TODAY
No shelves as yet so its out of a box at the moment
Orders go in tomorrow for the BIG restock so anyone wanting kit at some point we would love to hear from you in the near future. support us by growin yer own
We've already got customers leaving in deposits for stuff after hearing what happened, and more calling in saying they'll be in soon!!!! Suppliers helping out, making us a priority. Friends wanting to help with painting, lifting stuff, making stuff. Folks offering fixtures for the old/new?!? shop. Folks offering things for auctions for fundraising. Sparks, Chippies, Web heads, just Heads, MPs, musicians, all we could do with after next week is a rush of customers all eager to grow shitloads of weed for themselves, or tomatoes whatever flicks yer switch.
The Old Lawrence Street Shop lives on for a wee while (we have had customers call in that didnt even know we'd moved) By this time next week, you might have to climb over boxes to get in here. Replacement stock for a shop 3 times this size is on its way! Nevermind the OTHER stuff we have in mind now unfortunately put back till we sort this mess out (so end next week then? Looks like we have it under control )
Watch closely and you'll see a Phoenix arise.
FlipTop and the other two
PS Shop is manned, has a few useful bits n bobs and a kettle - pop in for a cuppa, and some maybe surprising (if a little seriously intense) optimism
First and foremost thankyou from the three of us for all messages of support, offers of support and help. You never know we might actually take you up on that
Thankyou. To all that don't know, well we got a call on Saturday night just as we were settling down to the first calmish weekend in a month, friends in Belfast had been walking past and saw a few of the 16 Fire Engines (nice try Lads) sitting outside and thought we might be interested hohoho. You can imagine how we felt coming into the city on the M2 smelling smoke on the wind in the car for fucks sake
Not one of the most pleasant Saturday evenings of my life, especially as the first folk we met were our neighbours at the Arcade who ran the Gallery whose first words to us were "It's all gone Lads, all gone" and to say his wife was distraught is an understatement. That 30 secs after that is a little vague :-/ an utterly physical shock went through me - a freaky horrible experience, the IMPACT of the realisation is a good word, the last months BLOODY hard work gone not to mention everything in the shop including my nice new pipe. Those of you who got em, wellll they're a good bit more exclusive today, even so they are the one thing in there that will DEFINATELY be OK - stoneware pottery fired to 2000 degrees or summat!Anyway after an hour or two of all sorts of freaked outness, talking to Firemen, those nice folks in green (human after all) and looking in real total disbelief at a burning building, we scuttled off to create a cloud of smoke of our own (as opposed to participating in creating a large cloud of smoke in the city centre) and figure out "what the fuck happens now?!?" It took no time to figure out after a smoke or two - We just keep it going. What the fuck else?!?! After all we all 3 of us are on a high from the move, all this means is we get to rethink it all again. Better.
Those of you who saw the shop, to a man (and the odd woman) I can say with all confidence were heartily impressed with what came together there.
Anyway that was last week, oldish news to most folks, though its not the end of the community of North Street Arcade. The place is and has been and gonna be for a few days a Crime Scene. Its not in the media as yet but what we hear its being treated as suspicious. Very odd it burns down a week after plans for the development of the area are announced. We had just been to our first meeting the week before about how the Hertitage folks and Arts folk and the business community would deal with the fact that North Street was earmarked for a CAR PARK. This was a Grade B1 listed building built Art Deco Style in 1932, it was allowed to be run down (which made it attractive to small businesses and organisations - low rent) and another thing we hear is the fire was started in TWO places!!! Hmmmm *rubs chin* I wonder?
The NOW! Well in between meetings at the City Hall with politicians, other traders, and friends wanting to help we have been BUSY BUSY BUSY
B.I.G. Shop Situation as today, Weds
We are already in our OLD premises on Lawrence Street again
Phone/email is back on at that address
Our suppliers were horrified to hear about what happened and are all on board to give all assistance we need........
The first restock bits arrived TODAY
No shelves as yet so its out of a box at the moment
Orders go in tomorrow for the BIG restock so anyone wanting kit at some point we would love to hear from you in the near future. support us by growin yer own
We've already got customers leaving in deposits for stuff after hearing what happened, and more calling in saying they'll be in soon!!!! Suppliers helping out, making us a priority. Friends wanting to help with painting, lifting stuff, making stuff. Folks offering fixtures for the old/new?!? shop. Folks offering things for auctions for fundraising. Sparks, Chippies, Web heads, just Heads, MPs, musicians, all we could do with after next week is a rush of customers all eager to grow shitloads of weed for themselves, or tomatoes whatever flicks yer switch.
The Old Lawrence Street Shop lives on for a wee while (we have had customers call in that didnt even know we'd moved) By this time next week, you might have to climb over boxes to get in here. Replacement stock for a shop 3 times this size is on its way! Nevermind the OTHER stuff we have in mind now unfortunately put back till we sort this mess out (so end next week then? Looks like we have it under control
)Watch closely and you'll see a Phoenix arise.
FlipTop and the other two
PS Shop is manned, has a few useful bits n bobs and a kettle - pop in for a cuppa, and some maybe surprising (if a little seriously intense) optimism
