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Linda George
Do
you know that a peacock has the longest quill among all the birds
in the world? I didn聮t. Before I met Ken Hall, that is.
It
was on a lazy day that I wandered into Whitehead聮s Handicraft
Store on London Road. Maybe it was the shock of seeing a handicraft
display on a road peppered with kebab shops and furniture stores
that aroused my interest. Well I stepped in anyway and it was sheer
magic that greeted my eyes聟
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| Ken
proudly displays some of his wares! |
Rugs,
clay, paints, paint brushes, candles, bobbins, pompons, fabric colours,
cross stitch kits, beads, crystals, tissue paper, glitters, batik
dyes, blank paper cards, terracotta, stickers, rugs, craft varnish,
stencils, and threads聟an entire wall dotted with threads of
all possible shades and colours.
Ken
was born on Palm Sunday in 1925.
"I
don聮t do things the ordinary way or on ordinary days",
he says.
He
joined the army at the age of eighteen and got hit by a shell on
Bastille Day. He still boasts of the 11" scar on his thigh.
He then worked as a jeweller聮s assistant.
Ken
and his old friend Mr Whitehead started a handicraft store at Chapel
Walk in 1970.
"The
Church of England's rent got too high and we needed a bigger store,
so we shifted to London Road in 1987", Ken jokes.
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| Selling
pieces of magic since 1970 |
The
only time the shop faced a crisis was during a fire in April 1992.
Lots of goods had to be thrown away and replaced as a result of
the fire. The store was reopened in August the same year. And it
has been selling bits and pieces of magic to Sheffielders ever since.
"拢4
million have passed through my hands in my life time. And I have
worked with the poor and the millionaires."
All
in all, Ken believes that he has had a rich life.
"I
have never hoarded money. If I win a lottery, I might even give
it away"
His
work partner Barbara Ricarder helps him at the store. Ken insists
that Barbara knows more about craft than him. Barbara is an active
Girl Guide Leader and is the one who first tries out all the new
handicrafts that come into the store. She and her husband Philip
Ricarder are Ken聮s closest friends.
Ken
and Barbara believe that their service is not just about taking
something off a shelf and selling it, but about studying the product
first and explaining it to people who love craft.
"We
know that we can find you a craft to try out, no matter what your
experience".
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| Vicky
from Coronation Street used to come to the shop! |
Ken
has had his share of fame and glamour too. "Vicky of Coronation
Street used to come here, but I found her Mum more beautiful!"
Ken
thinks that very few individuals have a genuine passion for handicrafts
these days.
"People
think that no other place exists besides Meadowhall, but when they
desperately need a craft to try, they come here. And I try to help
because I am a people, figures, money and craft person. After all,
who would bother with handicrafts at the age of 77?"
If
Ken does not have the answers, he tries his best by directing you
to a place where you can find them.
Ken
spends most of his time at his beloved store. But he does find time
for his other passion 聳 gardening. He is also a member of a
snooker club. Watching quizzes or solving puzzles helps him relax.
Ken聮s
partner Florence Bower is a Charter Accountant聮s Secretary.
"We
are on par intellectually and intelligently. She聮s just perfect
for me."
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| "The
nicest people in Sheffield come here." |
Ken
has three children 聳 his daughters Lorraine and Josephine and
son Michael. They are all horse mad, he adds. Michael and his wife
Lindsay live in Sheffield and they are Ken聮s greatest supporters
at home, he says. He dotes on his grandson Ben who is a college
student.
Ken
loves his job. He has reasons for it 聳
"I
didn't want to go to University. I have enjoyed every bit of my
life. I have never had much money, but I am happy. This job holds
my interest. The nicest people in Sheffield come here."
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