Category: Advent Calendar

Shoots and Spores

Today’s Advent Calendar window opens for Shoots & Spores, a new mushroom shop that has opened at Nene Court and the first shop of its kind in Northamptonshire. They grow many different types of mushrooms including unusual varieties such as Lion’s Mane at the shop, which has a viewing window inside, allowing visitors to see the mushrooms growing and being harvested.

Founded in 2020, Shoots & Spores have been offering a home delivery service to customers and decided to expand into retail premises in October to meet the growing demand for their amazing mushrooms. We popped in on a recommendation from a Wellingborough Eco Group member and met the shop’s owner, Dom, who showed us what they do, so we videoed him for you:

Dom also said: “There has been a huge interest in these amazing ingredients and many studies are ongoing into the possible health benefits. Mushrooms are very delicate and have a short shelf life, so we know our customers appreciate the quality they receive when buying from Shoots & Spores. We have had fantastic feedback; visitors are impressed with the produce and enjoy the experience of seeing the growing room.”

Visit Shoots & Spores today at Units 2-3, Boxpark, Nene Court, The Embankment, Wellingborough, open every Wednesday to Saturday from 10am to 4pm. They also offer a local delivery service across Northamptonshire. For more information find them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter or email shootsandspores@gmail.com.

Wellingborough Swap Shop

Today’s Advent Calendar Window opens for Wellingborough Swap Shop because we have two of these this week! Today as every Tuesday there is a Swap Shop in Glamis Hall’s Community Room from 2:00-6:00; and on Saturday there is another Swap Shop at Glamis Hall’s Christmas Festival from 9:30-4:00!

Wellingborough Swap Shop is a free and local exchange where members of the public can pass on things they no longer want, in exchange for something they need. You could describe it as a kind of cashless bring-and-buy sale. Participants do not need to bring anything in order to take away goods, and vice versa. Our ‘Swap Shop’ recognises that things no longer wanted by someone, might be another person’s treasure. By reusing things we cut down on the amount of waste that goes into landfill and reduce the amount of resources that we use in manufacturing of new products. And it saves you money!

Wellingborough Eco Group originally set up Wellingborough Swap Shop last year as a Facebook group (join in!) so items can be swapped or shared with others; and in February we started hosting Saturday Swap Shops at the Victoria Centre on Zoom with the One Wellingborough Plus project. In September we started hosting in person Wellingborough Swap Shops at Animals in Need’s Open day. This proved to be very popular, so we decided to have weekly Swap Shops in Glamis Hall’s Community Room during our Tuesday Tidy Ups with Wellie Wombles.

This Tuesday’s Swap Shop promises to be bigger and better than ever! With food surplus from Glamis Hall and Redeem Funds, plus produce from our Community Allotment there’s lots of stuff for all. In Glamis Hall’s Community Room from 2-6 it’s all for swaps or just take anything you want, it’s all free!

On Saturday we have another Wellingborough Swap Shop at Glamis Hall’s Christmas Festival, where we will have a selection of books and other items to swap or give away. We will also have pocket money games for everyone including a ‘reindeer race’ and a ‘find the seeds’ game, just for fun. Entry to the festival is free. You can meet Santa for just £5 and have your face painted for £2.50, plus there’s lots of other stalls, a café, a raffle and a tombola. Glamis Hall are requesting that you book Santa and face painting in advance to avoid disappointment.

Swap with Wellingborough Swap Shop, see you between 2 and 6 on this afternoon in Glamis Hall’s Community Room and from 9:30 until 4:00 on Saturday at the Christmas Festival in Glamis Hall; we look forward to welcoming you!

Lunar Tree

Today’s Advent Calendar window opens for a shop door that will soon be closing. The independent gift and homeware store called Lunar Tree, which specialises in unique, handcrafted and ethical goods will close in Wellingborough for a new life.

The count down is on as Christmas Eve will be the last day trading for the Lunar Tree shop. Owner Amy is closing her shop to concentrate on her hair business which will keep the same name.

Amy said “So much will be missed here but I feel if I don’t follow my heart I run the risk of living with regret. I finally got the narrow boat I’ve been dreaming and working towards, I plan to close the shop to pursue a more simple life on the canals and continue my dreadlock work from there.”

Until then, Lunar Tree is selling its fairly traded, local and ethically sourced goods. Everything they have in stock is 100% Vegan Friendly & Cruelty Free! Here Amy, the shop’s owner, shows you around her shop:

They stock a huge range of incense, candles and other smellies including bath bombs, soaps & brulee’s that smell & look good enough to eat. Other Products include:-

  • Crystals
  • Hand Crafted Jewellery
  • Ethnic Clothing & Tapestries
  • Wall Hangings, Mirrors & Figurines
  • Salt/Crystal Lamps & Candle Holders
  • Oil Burners & Oils- Handmade Cards
  • Crazy Colours Hair Dye
  • Boxes & Trinkets

Additionally if you’re thinking about having dreadlocks, this is the place to be. Amy offers customers new dreads, dreadlock maintenance, permanent dreadlock extensions and temporary dread extensions. Amy and Lunar Tree will keep doing the dreads after the shop closes, find them on Facebook to keep up to date.

So pop into Lunar Tree on Cambridge Street and find those special gifts for Christmas. They are open Tuesday to Saturday 10:00 – 17:30, but be sure to get there on or before 24th December for all this lovely stuff and a bunch more nice things to make your family and friends feel ZEN!

Adkins Cycle Store

Today’s Advent Calendar opens for C. E. Adkins and Sons, your local independent bicycle shop and cycle repair experts. Trading since 1923, Adkins are one of, if not the oldest retailer in town. On the face of it, not much has changed in their 98 years, which is good, because it’s hard to find good ‘old fashioned’ customer service like you do at this shop.

Gerry, grandson of the original Mr Adkins, showed us around. He and his father Dave run the shop. They do have a selection of bicycles for sale but are mainly fixing bicycles at the moment, mainly due to a shortage of bicycles caused by the pandemic. Gerry (pictured below) hopes that these supply issues are sorted soon, as he expects to have sold out by Christmas!

Repairs start from just £9.50 for a puncture, £12 for a bent wheel and £25 for a gear and break service. They also have parts and accessories available.

C. E. Adkins & Sons stayed open throughout the pandemic as an essential repair service at the request of Wellingborough Council. They also support the monthly Critical Mass cycle rides to encourage people to swap four wheels for two, plus are very positive about our Repair Cafes and are happy for us to refer people who need cycles repaired to them.

Visit Adkins Cycle Store at 8a Cambridge Street or call them on 01933 222678. Their opening hours are Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10am until 2pm. Do pop in for all of your bicycle repairs or if you fancy something new to ride on.

Wellingborough Library

Today’s Advent Calendar window opens for Wellingborough Library who are hosting their Christmas Fair today!

There’s always something happening at the Library and the staff were very keen to tell us all about it, so we videoed them for you. On the video, Sophie, Dee and Jen tells us about Wellingborough Library and the exciting things they do, plus all about today’s Christmas Fair!

The Christmas Fair opens at 10 and finishes at 2. There will be a visit from Father Christmas, a few raffles, lots of craft stalls, some live music and plenty of pocket money games. Entry to the fair is free and it costs just £2 per child to see Father Christmas, which includes gift! Bring family and friends for a festive treat!

Watch now to discover the activities at Wellingborough Library

About Wellingborough Library

Wellingborough Library is a large, busy library in the heart of town, offering a wide range of services to customers: from business support to children’s activities. Staff are friendly and happy to point you in the right direction. The library is always kept clean and presentable. There is also disabled access via a lift and disabled toilets.

As well as having thousands of books, they have computers to use and meeting rooms for hire. The Library shop sells a selection of greetings cards, gift items, children’s toys and educational material. They are also the place to find out about local tourist information.

Opening hours

​​Opens​Closes
​Monday​​9am​​6pm
​Tuesday​​9am​​6pm
​Wednesday​​9am​​6pm
​Thursday​​9am​​6pm
​Friday​​​​9am​​6pm
​Saturday​​9am5pm
​SundayClosedClosed​

You will find them at Pebble Lane, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, NN8 1AS. They also have a busy Facebook page that shares lots of posts about their activities. Visit Wellingborough Library at any of the times above, or if you can for their Christmas Fair today!

Happy Birthday Food for Thought!

With today’s Advent Calendar, we are opening a new window for a fabulous shop, that is celebrating its first anniversary with a party tomorrow. Happy Birthday Food for Thought! We featured them on last year’s Advent Calendar on their opening day, and we’re really excited to show you around again a year later…

Food for Thought have food, cleaning, personal hygiene products and accessories for sale. Kerry, the shop’s owner, gave us a tour of her emporium, and we videoed it for you. Here is Kerry telling us all about the products available at Food for Thought, including lots of new ones:

Say hello to Kerry and packaging free food

Kerry has opened her ‘zero-waste emporium’ in Nene Court, Wellingborough, to reduce plastic pollution & celebrate locally made. Their motto is more joy with less waste!

At Food for Thought, you can buy loose and eco friendly goods, such as food stuffs, self-care and cleaning products. You simply fill, weigh and pay for what you need. So save your jars and bottles. Wash them out and refill at Food for Thought!

Here are some photos of Food for Thought:

So if you’re looking for great food and cleaning products with zero waste, find Food for Thought at 21 Nene Court, Wellingborough, NN8 1LD

Opening Hours

Monday: Closed
Tuesday: 8.30am-12.30pm
Wednesday: 10am – 3pm
Thursday: 11am – 7.30pm
Friday: 10am – 5pm
Saturday: 10am – 5pm
Sunday: Closed

+44 (0) 7912 696097

Find out more at https://www.foodforthought.shop/

Scope

Today’s Advent Calendar window opens for Scope’s charity shop in Wellingborough, because they are urgently requesting donations of good quality clothing, bric-a-brac, electricals, toys and shoes and bags. Don’t throw your unwanted items, give them a new life by donating them to Scope, the disability equality charity in England and Wales.

To help, Wellingborough Eco Group have Scope donation bags at our Swap Shops and Repair Cafes if you need them. Every donation of a pre-loved item helps them to fund their vital advice and support services; and it stops usable items ending up in landfill:

  • Scope provides practical information and emotional support to disabled people when it’s most needed, through a telephone helpline and via an online community forum. They also provide a range of employment and child sleep services, community engagement programmes, partnerships and more.
  • Scope are campaigning to create a fairer society with their Everyday Equality strategy. For the last 5 years they have campaigned for social change, on issues about fairness, justice and rights at home, at school, at work and in our communities; so that the 14 million disabled people in the UK have equal opportunities.
  • Donating items to charity shops like Scope for re-use, diverts millions of usable items from landfill and into low-income households, tackling poverty, saving hundreds of thousands of tonnes of CO2, and supporting a vast, growing network of people through volunteering, employment and training opportunities.
Your guaranteed a warm welcome and plenty of bargains at Scope Wellingborough

There are no limits on number of bags you can donate and you don’t need to make an appointment at the Wellingborough Shop. Just drop off at your convenience to 26/27 Silver Street, Wellingborough, NN8 1AY. They are open Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm and closed on Sunday.

The Scope Wellingborough shop sells a wide range of new and second goods including: clothes, shoes, homeware, accessories, furniture, CDs and DVDs, books, toys and much more. They offer discount prices, with tops for £1, bags and shoes for £2, dresses for £3 and jackets for £4. Call 01933 227001 or visit https://www.scope.org.uk/ for more info.

Wellingborough Organisations

Welcome to the first day of our Advent Calendar! Today we open a window for one of our partners, Wellingborough Organisations, who this year are using our Advent Calendar to make a new Wellingborough Town Guide! We are supporting this to promote local sustainability and to support local businesses and community organisations.

Wellingborough Organisations have been sharing local services and events for five years. They have recently built a new website that features local organisations including businesses, charities, groups and services.  The organisations on the site can do anything, as long it is in or serves Wellingborough. All posts will be categorised as News, Community or Business; and categories will also attached to these so that you can easily find what you want. News and events will also be featured!

They also manage Wellingborough Forum, a place for everyone to share information and discuss services. They set this up to encourage discussion, to improve communication and to increase collaboration between Wellingborough’s organisations, but it can also be used by anyone to seek assistance or support, or to just chat. You can also join in and contribute to Wellingborough Forum on Facebook or on NextDoor.

We’re really excited that they are making a new Wellingborough Town Guide and you can help them by sharing what’s going on and what you do. You can do this on Wellingborough Forum, with an email to info@wellingborough.org or with them on social media. You can find Wellingborough Organisations on Facebook and Twitter (@wellyorg) like and follow them for the latest updates locally!