Pip, Pip Hooray: new lease of life for Old Town shop
CHRIS CONNELLEY
Strong community is one of the most obvious virtues of our town, and one that born-and-bred local Pip Hersee is proudly showcasing in his new eponymous venture at 4 George Street, in the beating heart of the Old Town.
Pip at Pip’s place
Soft launched a fortnight ago, in premises owned by six generations of his family, and most recently occupied by Bells Bicycles who moved out earlier this year, the newly refurbished building has been reconceived as a tranquil, white walled space that can shapeshift and adopt different identities for different functions.
On the day I visited, a children’s Easter holiday art class had just finished, an exhibition of art works were available to peruse (some of which featured in exhibitions 35 years ago when his dad briefly ran the place as a gallery), whilst the retail space to the front of the Grade II listed building was dispensing a range of healthy juices and infusions designed to invigorate, support immune systems and nourish the soul. The feisty ginger shot offered to me as a sample certainly made its presence felt, jolting me out of my Friday afternoon, post fast food lunch lethargy and putting a jaunty spring in my step.
There’s also a small consultation room at the back that’s being used by therapists, and a cellar that, in the next phase of work, Pip plans to bring back into use as an events space.
With the summer tourist season now up and running, he’s also planning to tap into the Old Town’s well developed outdoor festivals and events programme, starting with Jack in the Green over the upcoming May Day bank holiday weekend.
As a former Royal Ballet trained dancer, he’s hoping to run performance and movement classes, and wants to connect with the growing network of organisations working on men’s development in the town that, in common with many coastal communities, manifests some serious health issues and, in September, sees us form part of the biannual Baton of Hope national suicide awareness tour.
His passion for his home town is real, and his enthusiasm is utterly infectious. Pip’s is a family business with a heart, and he’s keen to connect with like-minded souls.
Sounds good to me. Pip, Pip, hooray.
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