Read Online The Hat Shop on the Corner by Marita Conlon-Mckenna - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Marita Conlon-Mckenna
Ads: Link
Seeing the admiring reaction of her guests and the photographers pleased her enormously.
‘Ellie, everything is gorgeous enough to tempt anyone to spend a fortune,’ declared Francesca Flaherty loyally as her husband Paddy insisted on buying his lovely wife the most expensive hat in the place, saying the glinting green silk matched her eyes.
Ellie was brimming with happiness as people admired her work and Kim made sure she mingled with everyone. Some strange temptation had made her send Neil Harrington an invitation. She wasn’t surprised he didn’t show, but had to admit to being disappointed. It was daft, for she didn’t need his approval.
The chic little shop on South Anne Street quickly attracted attention as the bright window displays of colourful hats and unusual headpieces enticed women of all ages to step inside. The ‘Blossom’ hats were greatly admired and sold quickly. Variations on them were ordered. A glowing mention in the weekend section of the
Irish Times
helped, as did the use of two of her hats in a fashion shoot for
Image
magazine.
The young milliner concentrated much of her efforts on creating just the right atmosphere, for the purchase of a hat was such a personal affair. There were mirrors and good bright light and two re-covered comfortable chairs. A large glass vase was constantly filled with fresh flowers and greenery, which added to the gaiety of the place, and outside two cream-painted stone urns of violets welcomed customers as they stepped through the door. Clutter was kept to the minimum, as it was her hats that she wanted people to notice.
Interiors were one thing but providing a unique collection of hats that appealed to a certain type of customer was essential. Ellie decided also to create a fun range of gay hats in strong colours, yellow, pink, red and orange, using tulip-print material that she had ordered in from Amsterdam, and another based on simple straws with big print bows and dancing yellow, orange and red silk flowers.
Women of all ages loved them and in no time Ellie found her order book beginning to swell.
Standing outside the doorway of number 61 and seeing her name written above it, Ellie experienced a sense of joy unlike anything she had ever known. She was proud of the shop and proud of following in her mother’s footsteps and continuing the tradition of hat-making.
‘You’ve done a great job, Ellie. You’ve transformed the place,’ said Sissy Kavanagh, who, together with her sister, Kitty, ran the small newsagent’s along the street. ‘You make the rest of us look dowdy.’
David Hannah and his wife, who ran the jeweller’s down near the corner, were also impressed.
‘You must have spent a fortune!’
‘Not as much as you’d think,’ she confided. ‘I didn’t have that type of money, just a small loan. But I decided to start afresh. Everything was cleared out and I expanded the shop’s floor space a bit and redesigned my workroom. The fancy lighting makes a difference too.’
Some of the older shopowners said nothing as they inspected the place, for all of them were nervous of the huge construction project that was due to begin in a few weeks’ time. Many feared that, like the other small businesses, they too would have to close down.
Harry Regan, who ran the shoe shop across the street, admitted he was also thinking of selling up.
‘Couldn’t you just do something similar to what I’ve done?’
‘Ellie, girl, it’s not worth it. I’m too old and none of my kids are interested in the business.’ He shook his head. ‘And don’t tell me that when that fancy shopping gallery opens across the street there won’t be an expensive shoe shop or two in there. No, it’s better to take the money and go now, while I have the chance. The shop’s been good to me.’
Ellie would be sad to see him close down, as he had been a good friend to her mother over the years.
‘Seeing your shop, though, does my heart good,’ he added, looking around
‘Ellie, everything is gorgeous enough to tempt anyone to spend a fortune,’ declared Francesca Flaherty loyally as her husband Paddy insisted on buying his lovely wife the most expensive hat in the place, saying the glinting green silk matched her eyes.
Ellie was brimming with happiness as people admired her work and Kim made sure she mingled with everyone. Some strange temptation had made her send Neil Harrington an invitation. She wasn’t surprised he didn’t show, but had to admit to being disappointed. It was daft, for she didn’t need his approval.
The chic little shop on South Anne Street quickly attracted attention as the bright window displays of colourful hats and unusual headpieces enticed women of all ages to step inside. The ‘Blossom’ hats were greatly admired and sold quickly. Variations on them were ordered. A glowing mention in the weekend section of the
Irish Times
helped, as did the use of two of her hats in a fashion shoot for
Image
magazine.
The young milliner concentrated much of her efforts on creating just the right atmosphere, for the purchase of a hat was such a personal affair. There were mirrors and good bright light and two re-covered comfortable chairs. A large glass vase was constantly filled with fresh flowers and greenery, which added to the gaiety of the place, and outside two cream-painted stone urns of violets welcomed customers as they stepped through the door. Clutter was kept to the minimum, as it was her hats that she wanted people to notice.
Interiors were one thing but providing a unique collection of hats that appealed to a certain type of customer was essential. Ellie decided also to create a fun range of gay hats in strong colours, yellow, pink, red and orange, using tulip-print material that she had ordered in from Amsterdam, and another based on simple straws with big print bows and dancing yellow, orange and red silk flowers.
Women of all ages loved them and in no time Ellie found her order book beginning to swell.
Standing outside the doorway of number 61 and seeing her name written above it, Ellie experienced a sense of joy unlike anything she had ever known. She was proud of the shop and proud of following in her mother’s footsteps and continuing the tradition of hat-making.
‘You’ve done a great job, Ellie. You’ve transformed the place,’ said Sissy Kavanagh, who, together with her sister, Kitty, ran the small newsagent’s along the street. ‘You make the rest of us look dowdy.’
David Hannah and his wife, who ran the jeweller’s down near the corner, were also impressed.
‘You must have spent a fortune!’
‘Not as much as you’d think,’ she confided. ‘I didn’t have that type of money, just a small loan. But I decided to start afresh. Everything was cleared out and I expanded the shop’s floor space a bit and redesigned my workroom. The fancy lighting makes a difference too.’
Some of the older shopowners said nothing as they inspected the place, for all of them were nervous of the huge construction project that was due to begin in a few weeks’ time. Many feared that, like the other small businesses, they too would have to close down.
Harry Regan, who ran the shoe shop across the street, admitted he was also thinking of selling up.
‘Couldn’t you just do something similar to what I’ve done?’
‘Ellie, girl, it’s not worth it. I’m too old and none of my kids are interested in the business.’ He shook his head. ‘And don’t tell me that when that fancy shopping gallery opens across the street there won’t be an expensive shoe shop or two in there. No, it’s better to take the money and go now, while I have the chance. The shop’s been good to me.’
Ellie would be sad to see him close down, as he had been a good friend to her mother over the years.
‘Seeing your shop, though, does my heart good,’ he added, looking around
Similar Books
