When I was researching the history of the shop, the library staff recommended that I search the newspaper archives. I stumbled across this listing in a 1917 edition of the Manchester Evening News...
Mrs Broomfield, who was running a sweetshop called The Gem at 18 School Road, had lost her brooch and was offering a reward. Not only that but it seems she probably had a special photo in the back of it, she had lost her husband William two years before so maybe it was a photo of him. By the way, '19th inst.' means the 19th of this month, the newspaper was from April 1917.
I feel like this newspaper clipping brings Mrs Broomfield to life a bit more. Presumably she liked dogs since she was wearing a brooch with a dog on it. She was also sentimental and the fact that she offered a reward for the lost brooch, clearly shows it meant a lot to her. My mind started to wander and I wondered what this brooch might have looked like.
Fast forward to 2026... I received a message from Joe Rafiq, a Sale student who is currently studying Graphic Design in Newcastle. Joe had been in my shop and knew the kind of products that I stock, he was looking for some experience working with a business and asked if he could do anything for me.
I told Joe the story of the lost brooch and that I'd love to design a new version. Joe was just as excited as I was and so, together we recreated Mrs Broomfield's brooch.
We will launch the brand new product on Saturday 28th March 2026 at Shine's first birthday party.