Marple, the wonderful little town where I live, has a bit of a thing for unusual Christmas traditions. My favourites are the Santa Dash, where hundred of people dress up in Santa suits and race down the hill to enjoy mince pies at the garden centre, and when Father Christmas and his elves sail down the canal on a pimped-up barge on the first Friday night in December.

There has been none of that this year, but one thing that has remained steadfast is our amazing small businesses. Through all the trials and tribulations of 2020, they have continued to adapt, show up and serve the local community.

Marple Christmas video

It was at one such local business - The Coffee Bean Dream coffee van at Marple station - that an idea started to take shape between me, Sarah Laker of Stationery Supplies and local filmmaker Gavin Sturgeon … to make a short video to celebrate all the wonderful Marple indies and to inspire people to shop local.

And on Saturday, the first weekend shopping day after lockdown ended and also Small Business Saturday, Gav and I ran around Marple to film these small business heroes in action. It was a joy to chat to the business owners, to hear how they have found the year and their plans for the future, and to see Marple buzzing with activity. This really is a special place.

I hope you’ll enjoy the video, and have a read below to find out more about the businesses featured. Support them by buying from them - even something small or a voucher to use at a later date - and by giving them love on social media and recommending them to others.

You can view the video here.

The stars of the Marple Christmas video

In order of appearance, we start off with the voice of the wonderfully talented and big-hearted Sara Starling. Sara lives in Marple and is an award-winning voiceover artist who counts the likes of the BBC, Lego and Oxfam among her clients. She has kindly offered to lend her voice to this video and we are very grateful! Visit Sara’s website.

British Red Cross

12 gifts a gifting

Our first stop is the British Red Cross on Derby Way, one of several charity shops in Marple and one of my personal favourites. My family and I have a tradition of buying each other second-hand books as a Christmas Eve present, but charity shops are also a great place to shop for Christmas presents. A more environmentally-friendly option than buying something new, gentler on the pocket and more personalised, too. If you’re buying for young kids, there really is no need to buy new (they don’t know any different). I also love their I Have the Power range (Santa, if you’re listening…). And not just for presents: if you’ve had enough of family fall-outs with Monopoly or Trivial Pursuit, maybe find a new-to-you board game or jigsaw puzzle to entertain the family.

Address: 14-16 Derby Way, Marple

Cloudberry Cafe

11 cappuccinos

Cloudberry Cafe is our next stop. Cloudberry is all about coffee, cake and creativity, and while it looks a bit different right now to the Cloudberry we are used to, it remains a great local and independent option for a coffee and cake during Tier 3 restrictions.

Address: 68 Stockport Road, Marple
Opening hours: Wednesday - Friday 10.30am - 1.30pm (When not in Tier 3, Cloudberry is open 10-3 Tuesday-Saturday 10-3)
Vouchers? Pop in and owner Karen will make one up for you.

Harmony Decor

10 cosy cushions

Harmony Decor is an independent soft furnishings company on Market Street, specialising in the making of curtains and Roman blinds and offering a large range of complimentary interiors products such as coordinating designer wallcoverings. For our video, co-owner Alan showed off one of the fun cushions they stock in-store.

Find them on Facebook or email Alan and Lisa.

Suburban Muse

9 boots and jumpers

Market Street boutique Suburban Muse has everything you need for your festive wardrobe and beyond. From beautiful jewellery to footwear, dresses and hoodies, there is lots to choose from for the woman in your life (or yourself). A great option is the A Muse Me hoodie, part of Suburban Muse’s own fair wear range in collaboration with sustainable fashion brand R Designs.

Address: 34 Market Street, Marple
Opening hours: Monday to Friday 9:30 to 5, Saturday 10 to 5. Special Christmas opening hours to be announced soon.
Vouchers? Available in-store or online.

Kala Walsh Ceramics

8 handmade vases

Ceramicist Kala Walsh is well-known in Marple for her beautiful ceramics and workshops (I have one of her wonderful 2020 Christmas decorations on my tree!). Follow Kala on Facebook for the latest on her workshops in the new year if you want to get a little creative at The Potting Shed, where these are held.

Barkley and Fetch

7 collars clipping

If you want the dapperest dog in town, Barkley & Fetch is the place to be for all you need to dress your dog in style: collars, leads and harnesses to custom-fit dog coats, and - my personal favourite - bow ties! A must-have for your Christmassy canine, and you can shop online and collect in-store too.

No matter the size of your dog, owner and designer Jane Nketiah can make anything to fit their needs. Big necks, short necks, long bodies and wide girths are all no problem!

Address: 12 Derby Way, Marple
Contact: Call 07576851730 or email info@barkleyandfetch.co.uk to make an appointment with your pooch
Vouchers? Buy online

Semitone Studios

6 songs a-singing

Our local music venue Semitone Studios doesn’t just offer wonderful open mic and performance nights when we’re not in lockdown, but the talented musicians also teach during lockdown. A great gift option is their special voucher deal which is £66 for six online lessons in voice, piano, keyboard, guitar, ukulele or mandolin.

Address: 130 Stockport Road, Marple
Buy a voucher: Email info@semitonestudios.com or ring 0161 826 7613 and leave a message (someone will ring you back!)

Stationery Supplies

5 golden pens

Award-winning Stationery Supplies sells a wide range of beautiful stationery, greeting cards and gifts. Owner Sarah Laker says eco wrapping is on trend this year, so their recyclable, recycled Christmas wrapping paper coupled with wax to seal is proving very popular.

Address: 44 Stockport Road, Marple
Opening hours: 9am - 5pm Monday - Saturday
Vouchers? Starting from £5 and available to buy in-store.

The Hound Dog Grooming Spa and Deli

4 doggy treats

The Hound Dog Grooming Spa is not just a place to get your four-legged pal a Brabyns bath or an oatmeal and blueberry facial. You can also pick up some tasty treats. Owner Maria says their Christmas Deli Boxes are popular, filled with a fantastic selection of 100% natural treats that will keep your dog occupied until 2021! Every box can be catered to your dog and even includes one of their fun toys.

Address: 60 Market Street, Marple
Opening hours: 9am - 5pm Tuesday - Saturday
Order treats online from The Hound Doggy Deli. Everything they stock in the shop can be bought online.
Vouchers: Available from the shop and are accepted for grooming and shop purchases.

Little Button Bakery

3 treat boxes

Kate Tynan of Little Button Bakery is best known for her award-winning wedding cakes. However, as the pandemic stopped so many weddings from happening, Kate started offering beautiful gift boxes for all occasions. A Date Night ‘In’ Box subscription for one, three or six months starts from £25 and can be posted anywhere in the UK, or delivered locally for free. Kate says it’s the gift that keeps on giving!

Address: 130 Stockport Road, Marple (above Semitone Studios)
Vouchers: Available online.

SVC Lighting and Electrical

2 monkey lamps

Go to SVC Lighting & Electrical on Market Street for quality LED Christmas trees, lights and novelties (the Christmas lights I bought there on Saturday were immediately appropriated by my children for their Christmas tree!). In addition, Carolyn and Simon have their usual extensive range of LED light bulbs, table lamps, floor lamps, light fittings and electrical accessories for your home or business.

Pop into the shop to chat to them about what you need, and keep an eye out for the adorable monkey lamps featured in the Christmas video (also available online).

Address: 56 Market Street, Marple
Opening hours: 10am - 5pm Monday - Saturday
Special offer: 10% discount on LED light bulbs when buying a light fitting from SVC’s stock or when ordering from their extensive range of UK lighting supplier catalogues.
Contact: Pop into the shop to discuss your requirements or email.

Aggie’s Bar

A cold beer and tasty bar snacks

I really can’t wait to spend a LOT of time in Aggie’s Bar when all this is over. From the old church pews as seats, salvaged from the Methodist Church, to the house wine straight from my South African homeland, I felt right at home.

Until then we can take advantage of the fine takeaway/delivery menu, including cocktails, draught and bottled beers, and fine wines. And it’s worth walking past to see if the mulled wine is on, too - absolutely worth stopping for.

Order online here.

Opening hours vary at the moment, so check the website or Facebook page.

Marvellous, merry Marple makers

Not all of our indies have premises in the precinct, but we can still buy from them online. Here are a few of my favourites, also featured in the video.

Abstract heroes

At Abstract Heroes, Chris and Helen create a wide range of prints that aim to spark memories and emotions. It could be your love of music or travel, your favourite film, or the first car you owned. Personalised prints are also available to create that extra special present for you to gift this year.

Online gift cards start at £10 are available online.

Studio Lauren Taylor

Contemporary jeweller Lauren Taylor aims to please lovers of colour with her beautiful jewellery. Inspired by Manchester’s roots in the industrial revolution, Lauren hand spins cotton thread into rope, embedding time and skill into the very fibres of her jewellery. Celebrating humble materials is something Lauren feels passionately about; she believes non-traditional jewellery materials can be made precious when combined with a craft person’s skill and creative mindset. All Lauren Taylor jewellery is made from 100% cotton which is sourced in the North West.

Word up creative

Word Up Creative is an online lifestyle store selling gifts, stationery and home decor products. Owner Alexa Stretton creates a stylish collection of on-trend greeting cards, prints, stationery and carefully selected gifts, boxed gifts and letterbox gifts for all occasions. Her boxed gift sets make the perfect Christmas gift to send direct through the post or to give to someone in person.

magpie cottages and spa

Self-catering Magpie Cottages and Spa gives you a great option for when family come to visit you in Marple. The five cottages in the complex are not just in a beautiful riverside location with free fishing, but it is dog and family friendly too (kids can feed the chickens, collect eggs and even learn to ride a pony).

The cottages are comfortable and some can adjoin for bigger groups to accommodate family celebrations.

Welcome packs including homemade organic bread, butter, jam, drinks, and eggs from Magpie’s chickens will make you feel right at home, and you will have free use of the tropical spa (hot tub, sauna, steam room, relaxation area … sounds like bliss).

There is also a fabulous range of holistic and beauty treatments to choose from!

The lovely Liz can design personal vouchers with any message and any amount - treat your family for Christmas to a stay with Magpie next year! Email Liz.

Draw With Fi - Illustration & Online Courses

Illustrator and art teacher Fiona Meakin designs and makes greetings cards, prints and decorations, and during lockdown began running her Draw With Fi sessions via Facebook. Fi now offers group courses, 1:1 tuition and drawing parties as well as online art courses.

Her latest online drawing course is Draw CHRISTMAS With Fi!. This year Fi wanted to create an alternative gift, as her house couldn't fit any more toys in! Plus it's something families can do together and a great festive activity if you're isolating. She hopes this Christmas drawing course will help people relax whilst learning new skills and being connected to each other.

Check out Fi’s blog or email Fi.

Eat homemade

Dan from Eat Homemade makes seriously good food from scratch and delivers it to you, wherever you are. Their ready meals are made with ingredients from small independent producers and retailers, and then prepared in small batches to maintain the highest standards possible. Eat Homemade doesn’t use artificial additives, preservatives or other nasties – they simply cook and then pop everything in the freezer to lock in the goodness.

Vouchers for these small-batch frozen meals are available starting from £10 on the Eat Homemade website.

Now what?

If we can afford to, we all buy something (even if it’s just one small thing). Before we habitually buy something from where we’ve always bought it, we pause for a moment and consider what that purchase means: whether each person involved in getting it to you has been paid fairly, for example.

How we spend our money has the potential to change the world. Choosing to buy locally rather than from a large chain can have a huge impact if lots of us do it.

Nobody is expected you to buy from all the independents. But we can support them with a like on social media or by telling someone else about them. By sharing this video!

But we should all try to do something, because we need these shops in our community. We need these makers doing creative things and we need to keep money flowing in our local economies.

Every pound you spend is a vote for the kind of community in which you want to live.

**I want to give a big, BIG shout-out to Gav and Sarah with whom this idea took shape and became a reality. True good eggs. And to Sarah of The Coffee Bean Dream whose caffeine and brownies make magic happen!

My Instagram account often resembles a bit of a love letter to Marple. If that’s your jam, I’d love it if you followed me!