Littlehampton florist to share a year in flowers at charity demonstration evening

Michelle Bly has owned The Flower Shop in Wick for 17 years but has worked there for nearly twice that long, having started as a YT student at the age of 16.

Like so many others, her business has been affected by Covid, meaning she has been rethinking the regular coffee mornings she used to run for charity.

This year, The Flower Shop presents A Year in Flowers at Southfields Jubilee Centre on Wednesday, June 5, at 7pm. It will be a flower and fun filled evening with a demonstration of flowers through the florist's year, with 12 beautiful arrangements to win in the charity raffle.

Prizes will include arrangements that Michelle makes up during the evening and others made in advance, which she will talk through during the demonstration.

Booking is essential. Tickets are £10 to include refreshments and a goody bag. Visit The Flower Shop, in Wick Street, to book or telephone 01903 715668.

Michelle is a versatile florist who has learned many of the old techniques that are no longer taught today.

She said: "I came here when I was 16, 33 years ago, as a YT student. It was just before I was about to do my GCSEs when I saw the notice. I had one day a week at Brinsbury College and I was here the rest of the week.

"All my life, I have been creative. I have enjoyed making things for people. I had dreams of being a fashion designer but my parents said we needed to think of something on the high street and they suggested floristry.

"I did work experience at a flower shop in Rustington and I had been to look at Brinsbury College, so when I saw the advert, I thought it was meant to be. I got the job just before I started my GCSEs and I knew I had the place at Brinsbury, and I think I did better knowing the pressure had been taken off.

"I started work the week after my birthday in June and started college in the September. I had two years on the YT scheme and in the third year, the shop paid for my NVQ 1 and 2 and City & Guilds level 3, and I came out with a distinction."

There were two shops at the time but when the previous shop owner started planning her retirement, she closed the one opposite the station and encouraged Michelle to take on the business in Wick, saying she could develop it in her own way.

Michelle said: "She took me to one side. Up until then I had thought no way did I want to own my own shop. She sold it to me and she was right, I had free rein – she didn't have the creativity that I have got, she had more of a business mind."

One of the big changes for Michelle was moving into the digital age, doing the accounting online and building a website for The Flower Shop.

From the start, the community has been at the heart of the business. The shop was redecorated and the relaunch party raised money for a breast cancer charity, setting the ball rolling for regular charity events.Michelle said: "We enjoyed that and thought we could do coffee mornings. Everyone's a winner. We do something lovely that people enjoy and hopefully they remember us and when they want flowers, they will hopefully come to us."

The coffee mornings were popular over the years but Covid changed things. Michelle had to adjust to a new way of working but luckily had the backing of a good team with more than 100 years of experience.

She said: "The coffee mornings were quite a lot of work so instead, we came up with the idea of doing workshops in the shop. People were missing them and we thought why not do it in the shop, with just eight people maximum. It is a bit more intimate and there is more choice, they can pick out the colours they want and make it more special."

The summer workshops this year are running in June, July and August, with a choice of three themes, Bowl of Beauty, Time for Tea and A Splash of Summer. For more information, visit the shop or find The Flower Shop on Facebook.