We have been growing for years and once again many favourite stallholders as well as newcomers, the space is limited so it’s a difficult choice as there are so many wonderful makers and designers out there who we would love to have been able to include.
Welcome again and welcome to all you newcomers!
here is a link for directions and more details about the people you will find selling this time are being posted on our Instagram
in aid of children in Ukraine
All the money will go directly to a small charity Molotok NGO through Experience Ukraine (Nataliya who is a regular seller at Hand works directly with them). Molotok have partnered with UK registered charity Legacy of War Foundation since this conflict began, creating them a separate channel to enable them to raise money specifically for their project, so all money raised (100%)will go directly to support displaced children and young people.
Here is a letter from Tetiana Bielousova, who is the volunteer leader for NGO Molotok
” Almost every day we receive requests from friends or friends of friends who are looking for a place to hide from military aggression. Zakarpattya (Transcarpathian Region of Ukraine) is still considered a safe place in Ukraine
At this point all we can do is stay calm and help those in need.
In the Donbass borders things are deeply concerning:
The military situation has deteriorated all along the eastern borders. Over the past week, artillery fire along the entire front line has damaged many houses and apartments of civilians.
Since February 20, the village of Vrubovka, whose children we hosted several times in Nizhny Selishche, was heavily shelled. The gas pipeline and power lines in the village were damaged, as well as homes and apartments. The school came under artillery fire while the children were in it; miraculously there were no casualties.
The children and their parents have been in the “basement” ever since. Three families and 14 teenagers want to come to us, with their parents’ consent, until the situation calms down. We want to house them at the guest house Sargo Rigo, they know the place, as they were here during summer camps that were organised in previous years for young people that were affected by conflict in Eastern Ukraine and feel comfortable there. We expect to receive more requests like this and are considering renting empty houses in the village to house refugee families.
Every day we get more and more requests and not all families are able to rent and pay for their needs……..
Please follow this link for more information
https://www.experienceukraine.co.uk/single-post/update-from-ngo-molotok-in-transcarpathia-ukraine
Raffle tickets cost £10 each and can be purchased here up until 12 o’clock on the last day of the Hand Sale 13th May, or at The Hand Sale entrance. The raffle will then be held at 2pm giving any winning visitors some time to spend their vouchers, otherwise they can be used online as posted on each prize. Other prizes will be posted in the week after The Hand Sale.
Shimmy on down, come and find some really wonderful Christmas shopping within a very relaxed and friendly atmosphere.
Here’s a visual tour….
Wishing that this could have been a real event, we have had to adapt into a virtual event, this blog is full of photos to inspire you and help guide you to all of the makers and designers. Most of these links will take you to websites knowing that there are some who steer clear of Instagram. Please click on the images for a direct link, (a few though, don’t have websites).
On your meanderings through the various websites we are sure you will find something be it beautiful, tactile, jazzy, soulful, elegant, practical, whimsical, thoughtful, interesting, chic, cosy, handmade, made in small batches and with the environment in mind and that you will help to support this years group of wonderful artisans. There is also @thehandsale instagram too for others.
Sending you all many, many good wishes for 2021 and we hope that it will be a year that we can all be together absolutely for real!
Instead we are presenting you with a gallery to inspire you to support our small independent makers and designers and those who collaborate with artisans from around the world. Please follow us on Instagram to find links though to all of these people and to find out how they are continuing to operate during this time, we will post a series of images over the coming week. Some will be laying low and just back with us for the next sale which we have our fingers very crossed will all be fine, so make a big red mark in your diaries for 2nd – 4th December at St Mary Abbott’s Centre, London W8. Please email if you would like to be added to our mailing list: info@handshop.co.uk
A few of the things you will find
BEAM ME UP TO THE HAND SALE
Time to make plans for your Christmas shopping and for The Hand Sale its also a great gathering of friends with a lovely atmosphere.
Here are some images to inspire you plus details of opening times and to remember that doors open 6-9pm on Wednesday 27th November.
On Thursday, Friday and Saturday you can also stop by and get some delicious homecooked things to eat from the kitchen there, with Food by Florence.
Also just a reminder that parking in the square outside is soley for the workers and residents of St Mary Abbott’s Centre, please do respect this as there are lots of parking places available near-by and local car parks are listed below.
You can also follow us on Instagram
ST MARY ABBOTT’S CENTRE, VICARAGE GATE, KENSINGTON, LONDON W8 4HN
WEDNESDAY 28TH 6 – 9PM, THURSDAY 10 – 8PM, FRIDAY 10 – 5 PM.
Here are some images to inspire you and why the things you will find at The Hand Sale are so special and a good reason to come Christmas shopping or perhaps just to catch up with friends. Its a very social event and friends meet up here year after year, it is very hard though to leave without a little purchasing!
All of the stall holders are either small independent designers, makers or travellers who collect. You won’t find the stall holders here on The High Street, only small boutiques, some online but others only pop up very sporadically at small events like these as they either have other full-time jobs or are studying and they are like gold dust! We hope you can come and both Gail and I really look forward to seeing you.
PARKING: Please do remember that parking outside St Mary Abbott’s Centre is private and for the sole use of residents and workers. Parking can easily be found underneath Kensington Town Hall and The London Royal Garden Hotel.
Already its time to plan for Chrsitmas and we have had lots of emails to find out the dates for this year’s Hand Sale.
WEDNESDAY 28TH NOVEMBER 6 – 9PM
THURSDAY 29TH NOVEMBER 10 – 8PM
FRIDAY 30TH NOVEMBER 10 – 5PM
ST MARY ABBOT’S CENTRE, VICARAGE GATE, KENSINGTON, LONDON W8 4HN
MORE DETAILS AND IMAGES WILL BE POSTED LATER IN THE MONTH BUT PLEASE MAKE A NOTE IN YOUR DIARY AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU THERE!
EMAIL GAIL: INFO@HANDSHOP.CO.UK
PARKING: We ask everyone who drives to the sale to please respect that the parking outside the venue is solely for the use of workers at St Mary Abbott’s Centre, there are parking bays on streets nearby, otherwise underneath Chelsea Town, Hall Hornton street, W8 7NX and underneath London Royal Garden Hotel, 2-24 Kensington High Street, London, W8 4PT. If you need to drive nearby to pick up large bags etc. please make sure that you don’t block parking spaces or take free bays, someone might just have gone out for a short while and need to return to their space. This would be really appreciated!
