If you've found our blog it's likely through social media... well recently mine has been sharing memories from years gone by with me.

Some strange things... like that photo of me sat in a train carriage in wet look legging a bus drivers tie on... posing.. in the dark! yup! I don't know what either!

It recently shared with me our ageing dachshund!! Look at his little face! 

By now of course he's all grown up... 8 in fact! 

Other memories have been our business over the years.

That April in 2011 when we flung open the doors of our new coffee shop venture. Absolutely no idea or experience in what we were doing! We winged it on a budget! Our goals simply where to make enough money to finish the house... and buy a nice car! We never thought much further than that, sounds odd to me now, I'm always thinking months if not years in advance now, maybe life back then was simpler?!

She looked like this-

The dad's cut the ribbon at the grand opening-

The door step is still there, a little nod to the past-

A few summers down the line though... I guess when it became popular, we realised this probably wasn't 'it' and really we both yearned for the creative life and so maybe we should consider selling or opening another, but this time a shop?

Now people often think Pethau Melys failed, it never, in fact it was thriving... and so some might actually call us stupid for walking away!

We tried for close to 12 months to sell, but no one wanted to take on such a small venture. We looked at houses, but truth be told we couldn't find a house with such a view again! So the obvious answer to us had been starring us in the face all along... we closed and converted the cafe into part of the house. The best room of the house by far! it's a truly stunning (if i do say so myself!) kitchen. 

that last day....

Before the big close though... we searched the surrounding area for a new property to work from somewhere we didn't have to live in to work... we found what we thought was totally perfect, huge in hindsight, as well as ridiculous!

But it was the plan!

Our business plan didn't fail us, the bank offered us the funding to proceed. It was all go, contract in our hands... and there in black and white '+vat' ermmm...? We agreed a price and there was no mention of vat, none at the estate agent, no lawyer, all the way to contract! We had to pull out, we didn't have the money to pay the vat, the seller wouldn't budge... 4 years later? that building is still for sale... but we'd have never made it there anyway.

So 2 bank place was a panic buy...! we ran out of time, the season was starting, the cafe needed running, we panic bought a building! don't ever do that... it's not wise! It came with it's problems, electrical, stairs!

We had the key, started work, quickly it became apparent we had to open asap. The insurance wouldn't cover our empty building without a shop open! bugger! 17 days of madness, working the cafe in the day, painting and sanding by night! we opened... little furniture, next to nothing stock, an empty workshop! 

The first day with the keys-

Ready to open on the first day-

it was pretty empty...

It's been almost 4 years since we opened... I'm sure Facebook will give me a nudge on the day ;) 

It's come a very long way, to start the outside is painted purple now!

We have far more stock, a full, functional workshop though battling the stairs and a kiln is interesting!  We've converted the whole building into workspace finally this year...  

I joke how we're out growing the building... how in reality the workshop might need more space, and though it might... I think Bank Place will always be HQ. That panic buy paid off....

So cheers Facebook memories! You feel the need to remind me of some rough days... but you also show me what a journey it's all really been! 

M x

p.s... that train photo... no idea!