UPDATE: 17th April 2016
My Coffee Stop is now located in Shepton Mallet, Somerset, were we are all enjoying a less stressful lifestyle and still encouraging people to support their local businesses, including ours of course and contributing to the community with what could possibly be the uk's smallest cinema!
My Coffee Stop in Enfield has well and truly gone, our quirky presence at the end of Platform 1 just a fleeting memory, marked by newspaper articles, awards and life changing moments. In the last year of our time there, one of our community and a relation in our extended family, ended his life there, by jumping in front of a train. Being in the position we were on the railway station and because of my struggle with depression, we were always very aware of how people might have been feeling, as they stood on the train platform and always tried to send out positive healing actions. We weren't open on Sundays, that's the day Frank died. His Mum, Eve Stickler, is a fantastic artist and has publicly thanked teachers at Highlands School in Enfield, for continuing to raise money for Childline, to help other youngsters battling with depression. It is only now, after we closed our doors at the end of February, that I have been able to open my heart to the tragedy that happened there. It is only recently, that I was able to contact Eve and send her my condolences and chat about things with her. The enormity of what happened is only just seeping through. I think because we had to just get on with things, we did.....but now, I am glad that we are no longer there. Leaving the train station behind, doesn't turn back time, or alter the grief or pain felt by those closest to Frank but I am glad that I am no longer running a business where my relative's blood was spilt, where he was feeling in such pain, death looked more attractive. If you suffer from depression, I want to tell you that death is not the answer, no longer how long you are depressed, there will be good days and good episodes and that wanting to die is just your brain tricking you, don't believe it. Please talk, please go to the doctor, please make sure that you are a survivor and can pass the message on.
Original blog post, written when we were still open.
We started our coffee shop adventure in Enfield on the 3rd February 2009, it was the recession and we knew if we could do well in difficult times, then of course business would be a good deal easier as the economy picked up!
I haven't really been a witness to an economic recovery but we are still on Platform 1 seeing you through this bitterly cold weather, at Enfield Chase Station, this is despite the fact that we were due to close on December 24th! The day before we were closing, whilst I was putting posts on Facebook selling our sofa, scales, baskets and so on, I received an email from the management company of the unit, asking me to contact them.
So, I did. On the phone, our contact told us that after a call from The Enfield Advertiser, he had managed to agree with the landlord that we wouldn't have to pay an extra fee of £500 to stay open in January and that we could stay and operate under the terms of our old lease, which ran out last year in February 2015, until another tenant is able to move in. I was completely shocked and surprised, earlier that morning our sofa had been sold for a tenner and now there was an empty space where it should have been, I looked at the coffee machine, fridge and freezer and felt greatful that we hadn't managed to sell those yet! I called Gunter to give him the news and he took it in his stride and said that he had expected something like that to happen! We had though both been looking forward to having some proper time together as a family in Shepton Mallet, where we live and the location of our other shop.
After a short chat Gunter decided he would like to keep open in Enfield, so after receiving an email confirmation from the managing company, I called to say that we would accept their offer.
On what was supposed to be our closing party, on Christmas Eve, to celebrate the last seven years and to be thankful and grateful for the fun times and friendships we ended up having to tell everyone that we would be open! There was a fantastic atmosphere and our customers' leaving presents to us of wine, champagne, chocolates and so on, ended up being we're happy that you're staying presents!
Here we are, in January on Platform 1, Enfield Chase Station and nearly HALF of our customers are missing and some have stepped inside in utter astonishment, as they hadn't heard the news that we were staying.
I suppose this blog is asking for your help to spread the word, WE ARE STILL OPEN at ENFIELD CHASE TRAIN STATION!
Please help us to let people know, by tweeting this blog, putting it on Facebook, plus one it on Google, or if you're a journalist, please write about our story to let Enfield know.
Oh alright, Enfield Advertiser, could you please print a story about this? You saved our shop from shutting with a single phone call, LET'S SHOUT ABOUT IT!
