Ronnie Bernard
When did you start the shop?
30 years ago.
What’s proving most popular at the moment?
The globes are doing very well. We sell traditional ones, which would look good on a wooden table in a study, and more contemporary ones that light up. We also have a new range of cool gadgets like wireless charger pads and GPS kits to find your car when you have parked it and can’t find it! Our Dartington glass always does well especially now there is such an interest in gin! You can pair it with a gin cocktail book!
Do you get a different range of stock at this time of year?
Yes, we are always looking ahead - we start looking for Christmas gifts back in the summer. I make sure there are lots of smaller items in the shop for stocking fillers. I definitely see more people coming in for, lets say, six £5 presents rather than one £30 item and quite a few are on the lookout for Secret Santa gifts.
Do you have a favourite gift in here?
We have super little cubes that you touch and they show you the time. I also like the wooden speakers that look like large pebbles; you run your finger down the back to control the volume. I will always have a soft spot for our Tintin range.
What did you do before this job?
I used to work in London in the theatre business. I ran the bookshops at the Old Vic and National Theatre and, for a time, was front of house organising anything from buffets to big events. I really enjoyed it and got to see all the performances for free, but after 22 years I ‘retired’ to Devon to open a shop! It wasn’t easy, I lost money the first few years and had to do painting and decorating jobs in the evening with a Kingsbridge based interior design company. That’s actually what I studied at college – I did a design and display course learning how to do window displays and sign writing.
What do you like about running the shop?
I love finding something that I’m passionate about at a trade show, then bringing it back to the shop and seeing someone pick it up and be as excited as me!
Are there any disadvantages?
We are in a seasonal town and I think a lot of traders dread the January until Easter lull. We are reliant on footfall and it’s so quiet at that time of year.
Do you try new things to keep people interested?
Yes, I never stray too far from my initial theme - ‘gifts for gentlemen’, but I do add things that men and women may want in a home, like teapots for example. I go to the NEC trade show twice a year and I also travel to London to look for new suppliers there. I have stayed loyal to a few suppliers which I have had from the very start.
Does it tend to be more men coming in?
No, we are open to all! Children are often fascinated by some of the gifts. I regularly get couples with ‘the man that’s got everything’ but the wife is pleased as there’s usually something that he hasn’t seen before like our Bolin Webb iconic razors. They send the husband off somewhere and then pop back!
What do you do when you aren’t here selling your wares?
We go to the Flavel a lot. I enjoy the live screenings and theatre productions.
What will you be doing for Christmas?
Paul and I usually have 10 -12 people for Christmas, all friends and people who are on their own. But this year we’re having a quiet one – just the two of us. I will be working here until about 4pm on Christmas Eve. I enjoy the afternoon as you see more and more slightly frantic people coming in realising they have a matter of hours to get all their presents!
What is your drink of choice during the festive period?
We like to mix up the odd cocktail at home! My favourites are a Manhattan or a Negroni.
What are your hopes for 2019?
To be pain free! I got a new knee this year so I‘d like to get out walking and enjoy being mobile again in 2019. I hope to still be running the shop. I’m coming up to 69 and want to run it until I’m at least 70. Even if I did retire I would have to find something else to do – I couldn’t sit around doing nothing!
First published in By The Dart magazine December 2018