From Berlin to the Bus Stop
JOHN CHAPMAN
In the 1999 film Being John Malkovich, people could enter the mind and body of actor John Malkovich. After meeting Amy Burt at her Bus Stop Studios, my thoughts turned to that film. Everything dear to Amy – teaching, embroidery, art, creativity, community – was on display. The Studios could be called, ‘Being Amy Burt’.
Amy Burt with dogs
You notice a sense of order as you enter the Bus Stop. This is typically downplayed by Amy, as she says: “My brain is not as organised as this shop”. This accumulation of all the things that Amy loves is working well. Some students have become firm friends and have been dropping in to 53 London Road since its arrival in St Leonard’s in 2023.
Amy’s first plan was to focus on teaching embroidery in all its forms. There are few people better qualified to do this, as she is an expert in 28 different embroidery techniques. However, when more space became available, Amy decided that a shop selling stationery, art supplies and haberdashery would be a perfect complement to the courses. Being Amy, she insisted that the stationery is not mainstream, and it’s “quirky, fun and playful.” A further expansion occurred when Amy decided that she could also use the room where classes were held as an exhibition space.
But Amy’s life has been far from linear. She spent several years in Berlin, “working as a DJ and many other things. She adds: “We had lots of fun; there wasn’t a lot of hard work.” Those many other things included being a nanny, a kindergarten teacher, an English teacher, a spell at a conservation company where she regained her love of stitching – and occasionally partying the night away. Then, one day she woke up and thought that she needed a better life for herself and her dog and that embroidering – she’d always called it stitching up till then – was the way forward.
Looking rather wistful, Amy adds: “I guess everything clicked into place after Berlin, I started to focus after a rather hedonistic life.” Three years on, Amy graduated from the Royal School of Needlework (RSN) and now combines work as an RSN tutor with running Bus Stop Studios.
But, rather like Amy, we are moving too fast. After graduating from the RSN, she lived in London, where she spent a few years at the Haute Couture fashion house Ralph & Russo. Amy enjoyed the travel with that job, but London was becoming too claustrophobic and was not providing her with the type of life she’d had in Berlin.
There was only one solution, she took her dog, Gertie, and headed for the coast. Getting off the train at St. Leonard’s Warrior Square, she discovered the King’s Road array of cafes, restaurants and charity shops, and Amy knew that this was where Bus Stop Studios would be created.
Fast forward and there are now over a dozen courses available at the studios, including embroidery, crochet, drawing & painting, clothes dyeing and knitting. There is also a packed summer school schedule, which runs throughout July and August, offering all the usual courses, as well as French lessons (beginners and intermediate) and a kids sewing workshop.
Since her period in Berlin, Amy has always had a love for community life, one where people would do anything for friends and neighbours. She has found that same community spirit in St Leonard’s and she gives as much as she can to keep that spirit going. Amy gives local artists a chance to display their work, such as the current exhibition Home which celebrates the creative community of St Leonard’s. It showcases over 20 artists who celebrate the idea of home via a blend of photography, textiles, collage and other mixed media.
But there are more ways that communities can be helped. Amy regularly gives talks to organisations in the area and gives as much work as she can to other creatives. She realises that leisure courses are a luxury and tries to keep costs down as far as possible. Bus Stop Supplies is also a member of the Safe Haven initiative. It aims to create greater safety and well-being in the community, by allowing vulnerable people to seek support from small businesses and organisations. Furthermore, many of her students have said that coming to a Bus Stop Supplies course has improved their mental health.
At one stage, Amy casually mentioned that she was involved in the Coronation of King Charles. She was one of the RSN’s teachers invited to work on the Queen’s Robe of Estate and on the Anointing Screen – celebrating the 56 countries of the Commonwealth – that shielded the King during that part of the ceremony. As we end our chat, Any looks philosophical and muses that “none of it was planned, it just happened”.
As I’m leaving, she mentions that she’s going to her allotment later in the evening, adding, “vegetables and stitching, that’s not a bad life”.
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