Finding a Happy Place
By Rod Webb
‘Business’ conjures up the process of making money – or indeed, failing to do so. But for some, money is of less importance than supporting their community. The latter seems to epitomise the business model behind the café/craft shop Yellow is the Colour of Happy run by Liz Miles at 35 Robertson Street.
For Liz, being part of the community as Principal of Silverdale Primary Academy in Hastings was a vocation. Her vision of running a school was rewarded in 2016 by winning the 2016 national Laughology award of Happiest School of the Year. She also co-founded Hastings Thrives which has galvanised collaboration between schools across the town.
An entrance that beckons you in
But her outlook on life was severely tested when she was struck down by a debilitating mystery disease which took two years to diagnose. Eventually signed off with non-epileptic attack disorder, Liz had to figure out a way of restarting her life. She had though, made good use of two gruelling years of medical investigations, thinking about what she might be able to do – not planning, but giving her thoughts the space to expand. “I had to find something flexible,” she says, “something I could do and still be part of a town I think is awesome.”
What she came up with is Yellow is the Colour of Happy, a café-come-craft workshop. “Hastings is an amazing community against the odds of its statistics,” Liz says. “I want to help and be part of that.”
“Yellow is about choosing to be happy. A decision you can make every day for your own well-being and the impact you have on others around you. It’s about being present.”
She says that another big thing about Hastings people is they are incredibly creative whilst not “incredibly wealthy”, so she wanted to create a space where anyone could come in and be on their own, or with others, for as long as they like.
“There are books and things to look at and things to do that are free,” she says, “so many people come in and go ‘oh this is for children’ and I’m like, ‘no’; the idea is that enjoyment and being together is for everyone.”
With Covid delaying the opening for a year, the business finally opened this February. But that seems to suit Liz. Initially she resisted putting up a sign saying, “Craft café” because she didn’t want to define it: “I had loads of people who didn’t come in because they didn’t know what it was,” she says. “And people would just come through the door and go ‘Hi what are you?’” She even put a sign up in the window that said: “Be brave. Come in, it’s interesting!” She added that those who made it through the door were, “so varied, so interesting to talk to.”
So what exactly do they do? Basically it’s about food and craft – but much more: so with the food, like any café you can come in a have a coffee and cake… but there are over 20 hot chocolates on the menu. You can also come in as a family and have a table barbeque at an affordable £10 per head – bringing your own drinks with no corkage. These can be set up at any time, just give her a ring. And Liz says: “The kids eat their veggies because they cook them!” Or you can arrange a children’s party and because there is so much to do the children can craft, be independent to explore, you can just watch the fun – or get involved if you like.
As for crafts, you can buy them or make them. Liz wants the space to be somewhere that a child could come in with £1.50 in pocket money and, “still buy mum a present for Mothering Sunday that is handmade and unique – or you can spend £300 on a picture that has taken me a zillion hours to make”.
If it’s still not clear, then this remark might help you understand. She says: “You walk into Yellow, that is the inside of my head. Literally.”
And a final piece of advice, if you go in with a child, whatever you do, resist the impulse to say to them: “Don’t touch anything.”
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