Shirley’s set up shop in Lucknow
Every weekend for almost thirty years, Shirley Zell could be found at a market somewhere in the Central West selling her huge range of knitwear and craft goods.
A regular at the long-running Orange Rotary community markets, back when they were held in the Kmart car park, Shirley has travelled to every market around the region from Canowindra to Capertee.
“I've been to Canowindra, Cudal, Molong, Stuart Town, Bathurst, Portland, Blayney, Meadow Flat,” says Shirley.
“The furthest I've done is probably… Wellington, or Guerie, and I’ve done Capertee. I’ve done three markets in one weekend! I'm mad aren't I?” Shirley adds with a laugh.
“And it was every single Sunday,” emphasises Shirley’s son Evan. “I remember it because I got dragged there. Every. Single. Weekend. Anywhere within an hour-and-a-half, if there's been a market she would have been there.”
But with Covid restrictions putting a pause on markets and Shirley dealing with her own ill health, she decided to “turn the market tables,” so to speak. Shirley has set up a permanent marketplace at her Lucknow home so the customers now travel to her each weekend — or weekday — as Shirley is open for business seven days a week.
“I am closed Tuesday and Thursday mornings,” clarifies Shirley, standing among the packed shelves of her “Belmont Cottage” store, located in the renovated garage of her Beasley Road home.
You could spend an hour looking over Shirley’s shelves and racks of clothes and still find things to discover. There’s jewellery, crochet cotton, wool and baby yarn, and face washers along with Shirley’s own hand-made crocheted hand towels and her range of knitted goods, from baby wear to blankets and knitted ponchos.
“Yeah, well actually I've done a lot of it,” says Shirley, surveying the goods on display.
“All the knitwear is mine and all the embroidered products are mine… The knitting needles are going all the time!”
“But then there’s handmade shawls and baby rugs from Canada — my daughter-in-law's, mum sends those from Canada. This is a bath towel, face washer and baby bib set — so it's a full set and I've got them in seven colours, you won't get them elsewhere!” Shirely continues, ever the saleswoman.
“My things are all first grade, top grade, there's nothing second-hand…I have preemie baby clothes and ordinary baby clothes as well… I've got tea cosies, the old-fashioned milk jug covers — heaps of those! Soft toys, beanies, bed socks, booties… crochet cotton from $2.60, baby knitting yarn from $2.80, beautifully handmade candles, jewellery and buttons — around 4,500 buttons!”
You will find Shirley’s Belmont Cottage at 23 Beasley Road, Lucknow. Ring the doorbell and Shirley won't be far away!