Hello! I thought I'd better give a quick blog about me.
I'm Karen, the owner and creator of The Forgotten Toy Shop. I am a strong believer that children should stay children for as long as possible and to keep the magic of childhood memories alive.
So a bit about me. I live in a village on the outskirts of Nottingham, UK, with my partner and our crazy Labrador dog, Flynn. I have had quite a few different careers in my adult life, from a Computer Support person, Graphic Designer, to Hotel Duty Manager, oh and not forgetting a stint as a cook whilst travelling in Australia. But one thing stayed the same during all the different careers and that was always listening to the customer and providing the service they required.
When I came back to the UK from Australia, I came back to the darkest times this country had ever seen in my lifetime, recession had hit, everyone was fearing the worst and couldn't see beyond the dark. So I knew I had to do something to keep my spirits up. And what better way than to set up my own business and give that customer service I knew how to do best.
So with that in mind, and a little help from my family, I created The Forgotten Toy Shop. I actually started off with the name of Kooky Gifts (this name derived from Kooky Exclusive Designs, which I set up a few years before for my design work), I set myself up on Melton Mowbray Market, selling a range of gifts along with the traditional toys, but it didn't take me long to realise that my passion lay with the toys so as I slowly sold off the gifts and the range of traditional toys grew, I had to change the name of the business. Now the usuals like 'Traditional Toy Shop', 'Past Toys' had been taken I had to find a name that suited the business. So thinking about the customers and what they would say when they came to my stall, and that was "Oh I'd forgotten about that toy" and so The Forgotten Toy Shop was to be the new business name.
I love to see the peoples face when they see my stall, you can actually see them returning to their childhood. The memories flooding back and the smiles returning to their faces. Hearing the stories of how they played as children, it's such a joy and brightens up my day also, especially on these cold wet days. People often say that they really enjoy coming to my stall, it brings back the magic of childhood memories and takes them away from the hectic, face-passed life, if even for just a moment.
It is my mission that the products offered atĀ The Forgotten Toy Shop will allow you and the child in your life to step back from modern day living and relax into a space where the wonders of childhood can flourish again, where kids can be kids, where people can interact, and where you can revel in the pleasure of simply spending time together.
I would like to thank you for your support and hope that you will join me on this mission....
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Wishing you all a Happy New Year and a prosperous 2014.
