Tidings Christmas Shop

The mercury read nearly 30 degrees as Chrissie appeared in full velvet Mrs Christmas regalia to welcome me enthusiastically inside.

Chrissie is part of Padstow’s Tidings Christmas shop team and her fabulously festive attire is entirely her creation.  ‘I made a red set and a green one so now there’s only one decision to make in the morning!’

Chrissie’s passion for the store is evident.  ‘I was born for this job!’, this Christmas-Eve baby explains between chats with other holidaymakers as they step over the threshold, somewhat bemused by the contrast between the brilliant June sunshine and this exclave of the North Pole.

Tidings is the brainchild of local resident Debbie. Having started with a Christmas table in the gift shop next door (which Debbie still owns today), a trip to a US Christmas village gave her the idea of a dedicated Christmas shop in the town.

Named in recognition of both the season it celebrates and its location by the sea, Tidings took up position on the corner of Middle & Lanadwell streets in 2006.

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Let’s sprinkle Christmas cheer far and wide!

Debbie is a lady after our own heart, with a keen eye for décor with a story.

‘We focus on heirloom decorations that can be passed along over time,’ she explains, ‘Decorations that have an element of surprise and delight to bring back that magical something that we’re all looking for.’

Her shop is an Aladdin’s cave of Christmas treasure, with tales behind every product line.  There’s Scandi-style metal ornaments from Fairtrade in Denmark and eye-catching glass designs from Egypt.  Delicate hand-painted glass baubles from Poland are popular with repeat customers looking to add a new decoration to their collection each year.

The bespoke Padstow baubles are intricately hand-painted on the inside of the glass by a family in China reaching specialist tool through the small hole at the top.

And Debbie has even custom-created her own Cornish tinsel – black and white with a touch of festive gold!