Gifts for all the family - Viva Lewes

FORTY POUNDS... ON A SISTER
Nick Williams caters for his Lewes-loving sibling
My sister loves Christmas and she loves Lewes.
Sadly, she lives in Dorchester. There’s nothing
wrong with the County Town of Dorset - it’s
just not Lewes. And this Christmas her Lewes
cravings will worsen because she can’t visit. I
need to help - I’m going to send her a selection
of gifts from around the town.
Normally at this stage, I’d plump for a Bill’s
hamper and a case of Harveys Christmas ale.
However, those gifts appeal more to me, so I
think again. I wander along the High Street,
admiring gifts in Kilim and The Workshop.
When the pipes in Catlin’s catch my eye, I realise
I need to focus. I head to Kings Framers
where Josh has a great idea. He points towards
‘the foldaway shopper’ - basically a small cotton
bag, which opens up to become a big cotton
bag with the small one inside. It’s flowery,
it’s spotty, it makes me think I’m saving the
planet. It’s a start, I take it. Flushed with success,
I stride to the Town Hall, and swap two
crisp twenties for forty Lewes Pounds. As well
as paying for my bag with five of them, four
more are going inside - one each for Sarah,
Olly, Maisie and Harvey to use on their next
visit to town.
I need things to fill the bag, and Flint’s book
display grabs my attention, I choose two
- Sussex Women - produced in the town by
Snake River Press - handy for someone aspiring
to Sussex life? - and a little book of lullabies
and poems to help get young Harvey to
sleep. Further down Station Street the newly
opened Azure catches my eye. I enter, and reemerge
with Christmas candles, a sequined
purse with a star design and a pack of quirky
post-it notes. I’m in the zone now and I’m virtually
running when I get to Laporte’s. I’m
also shopping strangely, deciding on a packet
of cat biscuits (people forget the cat at Christmas…)
and some Boxing Day Chutney. I’m
becoming mildly obsessed with my shopping
task - but where next? Almost without thinking,
I’m inside Lounge choosing Christmas
decorations, a nice re-cycled notebook and
a great value scarf. The bag is bulging. The
task is done. Hopefully it reminds her a bit of
Lewes, and I can look forward to showing her
family where to spend Lewes’ own currency
in the New Year.