How to give your little prince or princess a right royal treat
Royal baby fever has been gripping the nation this week following the birth of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall’s third child.
But you don’t have to be royal to give your little prince or princess a regal treat, and in Sunderland city centre you can find everything from designer babywear to gorgeous gifts.
Stores in the Bridges and the shops and stores in the surrounding area offer an abundance of baby clothes and gift ideas, regardless of whether you’re shopping on a budget or are looking to splash out on something special.
“When it comes to baby shopping, we are spoilt for choice here in the city centre,” said Sharon Appleby, Head of Business Operations at Sunderland Business Improvement District (BID).
“The royal birth has caused a bit of a stir, and naturally people want to copy William and Kate where possible and give their own babies a bit of a royal makeover, or even just treat themselves to something special.
“We are seeing a rise in gifts and services aimed at mums-to-be and newborns here in the city centre.”
So your baby may not be of royal blood, but that doesn’t mean you can’t pretend.
For parents who like to dress their little ones in the best gear possible, Olive Street’s Designer Childrenswear has everything you could ever need, and probably more.
The family-run shop was established in 1989 by husband and wife team, Brenda and Kevin Coade.
Originally called Avenue Clothing, it has grown to become one of the UK’s leading independent children’s fashion retailers.
With brands like Boss, Moschino, Armani Junior and Burberry, babies and young toddlers can look fit for a king, and shoppers are also supporting a local business.
The shop, which also trades online, also stocks a number of designer gifts, including bottle sets, dummies, baby towels and more.
At High Street West, another family firm is Little Gems, which has a handful of baby clothes shops across the region.
It has a more traditional approach to baby wear, with lots of pretty dresses and hats, casual rompers and sailor suits, but also stocks a number of pushchairs from several major brands.
Meanwhile, Jacky White’s Market is home to Jack & Jill Babywear, another local firm, which stocks a range of baby and toddler clothes, updating its collections regularly to keep up with trends.
Baby showers are now big business for mums-to-be, and Frederick Street’s Serendipity Tea and Trinkets offers the perfect venue with its baby shower afternoon tea.
The tea room, famed for its vintage and kitsch décor, can decorate the tables with pink, blue or a combination of both if the sex is unknown.
The football club may not be having its best time at the moment, but there is little doubt any baby born in the city is going to grow up red and white.
An assortment of baby accessories such as bibs, booty and hat set and clothing are available from the SAFC store located at Debenhams in the Bridges.
Along with the football pieces, Debenhams has its own baby store, which sells a selection of designer and non-designer clothes and accessories, such as the J by Jasper Conran designer babies knitted blanket, £18. Sunderland is also home to Newborn Story, a photographic studio in Frederick Street which specialises in pregnancy, newborn and baby photography, providing stunning memories of your little one’s early days.
“Baby clothes and gifts can divide a lot of people, with many preferring to go down the more traditional route while others want to splash out and go designer,” added Sharon.
“Sunderland is perfect because I believe we have the ideal balance of both here, but regardless of how much you have to spend, you can get everything to make little princes and princesses palace perfect without ever leaving the city centre.”