April 12 arrived as a great relief for both new and established shops in the High Street, Needles Passage and Cinque Ports Street, as they were at last able to open after the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown – and “Sailors” in Needle Passage, which can be reached from either The Mint or Cinque Ports Street, had only opened for a few weeks when it had to shut down. But Martin Kyran and his partner Jason used the time to source new and exciting, one off items.
The shop is full of a wonderful, eclectic variety for the beach, home or sweaters to wear – and Martin has now added the option of buying beautiful fresh flowers. It is open all week from 11am. The passage has been cleaned up and “Sailors”, with the other shop next door, complement each other well.
Cosy Dot Company, run by Ali Waite, has been there for about five years and Ali describes her stock as “a mix of vintage loveliness-from industrial to pretty via rustic”. Email: ali@cosy.company
And a lovely new addition, visible from the Passage through a window, can be accessed via The Mint (where once there was an antique shop) and walking into ‘The Greenhouse’ is like entering a lush garden of green plants and, continuing into the back area, one enters an Aladdin Cave of wonderful artefacts within a mysterious atmosphere.
And Martin from Sailors is very positive: “I think people like exploring alleys and hidden gems and Needles Passage is one of them…. and I hope locals and visitors will support the entrepreneurship of individuals.” (See gallery below for what’s on offer).
Image Credits: Heidi Foster .