Bookmarks by Lesley Barnes in Anorak!

The new issue of Anorak features the bookmarks of Lesley Barnes that we sell here in Soma. You can view Lesley's bookmarks and prints online here.

Lesley designed our super blog header and will be designing something special for us very soon. Keep an eye out!

New Print by Sally Elford

'Northern Lights' is the brand new silkscreen print by Sally Elford. Printed in gorgeous shades of blue and yellow this print is in an edition of 50 and sized at 68 x 46cm. Detail of polar bear above and full print below. Available both in the gallery and online here.

New items from Donna Wilson, Tatty Devine & James Brown

Donna Wilson's new collection for 2011 includes some rather lovely plates and cushions. Pictured above are the Mog and Wolfie screenprinted cotton cushions and the Owl plate and Birdy Walk dinner plate. More items in this series include the Rainy Day cushion which is also screenprinted cotton, a Wolfie beaker and more plates. All items are available in both our online shop and Bristol gallery.

You can view the Donna Wilson collection online here.




We also now have Tatty Devine's Spring Summer 2011 Collection available both online and in the gallery. This seasons collection is entitled Astral Haze and was inspired by Ancient Egypt. It includes Pharaohs, pyramids, hummingbirds, quartz crystal and more.

You can view the new Tatty Devine collection online here.




We also have some more prints from James Brown on display. Some new colourways of existing designs plus some brand new prints including some of the images shown above. We have a few available in the gallery framed.

View more prints by James Brown online here.


There are also plenty of other new items on the website which we update regularly. You can see all new arrivals here.

Boyces Avenue over the years

Inspired by Analogue's old photo of their new shop, I thought I would do the same with the old photos of Boyces Avenue I've found on Flickr. None are good enough quality to see what our shop used to be, but not that much has changed over the years.

First up is our street in (at an uneducated guess) around the late 1800's early 1900's. We're on the right hand side towards the arch in the middle of the terrace of three two storey shops. The building with the bicycle outside it on the left was demolished in the 50's and one of the single storey shops on the right hand side is now two stories.


Photo by Brizzle Born and Bred

Then a view through the arch towards Boyces avenue in the 50's. You can't see our shop, but you can see a bacon van which would probably be parked outside us.


Photo by Brizzle Born and Bred

Unfortunately this image from 1978 can only be viewed by following the link but it's worth looking at it large http://www.flickr.com/photos/kwmc/4699391773/sizes/l/in/photostream/

Finally there's a 1991 photo here of what is now the entrance to Clifton Arcade and the Primrose Cafe over the road from us where we were for 6 years before moving to number 4. It was built as an arcade but was used as a storage depository until the current owners took it over in an almost derilict state and rebuilt parts and refurbished it.


Photo by Photopic Eye

A view of the Arcade entrance and the Primrose Cafe today here.

Brizzle Born and Bred has a lot more information about the area on his Flickr stream. Clifton set here.