Established in May 1996, Par-ici was the brainchild of Ben Clark. Knowing many of the artists and craftspeople working from the studios on Eel Pie Island, he saw the need for a shopfront to display their wares. Church Street, one of Twickenham’s oldest and most picturesque thoroughfares, became the location for his concept.
In November that same year a huge fire devastated most of Eel Pie Boatyard, destroying the majority of the studios there. A high profile Appeal was launched to raise funds to help those who had lost their livelihoods. For some months the back room of Par-ici became the nerve-centre for the Appeal.
Eventually things got back to normal and the shop began to establish itself as the place to buy locally made products. Operating on a lower-than-standard mark-up, Par-ici aimed to promote the work of local people, making it affordable to the customer and giving the maker a fair price for their labours.
Since those early days there have probably been a couple of hundred artists of varied vocation who have displayed and sold in Par-ici. Some of the original suppliers are still with us, some have moved away from the area but continue to sell in the shop and we see new talent on an almost weekly basis.
Ben moved on in 1999 and Michele Whitby, a former leather-worker whose work once sold in the shop, now runs Par-ici. ‘Having been there myself, I understand the difficulties involved in trying to make a living from an art or craft – finding outlets, getting a fair price and getting paid promptly are among many ongoing issues. I personally am very anti the prevalent ‘McCulture’ whereby everything is mass-produced, standardised and unimaginative, but am equally put off by a snooty gallery approach. Par-ici gives customers something different – a range of individual, well-crafted products with something for every budget.’
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Sadly no longer there, the Eel Pie Hotel was once the venue for trend-setting music & general youthful debauchery!

 
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