At Home with the Broadwoods
A business that began at the kitchen table is now on the move… Following a random property viewing, professional miniaturist Bea Broadwood, had divine inspiration. The result; she’s facing her biggest challenge yet!
Bea Broadwood of Petite Properties exclusively shares her expert advice, opinions and tips to questions asked by the modelling community.
Be careful what you wish for….
I think many people blindly believe that luck will just fall into your lap. I’ve never really believed in luck. I’ve always found that the reality is that you make your own; the harder you work, the luckier you become. But when we spotted that our local church was up for sale, I can’t lie… I felt lucky and my head started to spin.
As a team we emerged from our first viewing of the church silent, yet smiling. We knew we had to go for it and so ensued months of legal wrangling, red tape and planning permission; but unlocking the large entrance door for the very first time, made the journey to get the keys well worth the effort and wait.
“As we started to explore the interior of the church, the enormity of our purchase began to sink in and I wasn’t sure whether I needed to breathe deeply into a paper bag or open some bubbly to mark the occasion... We went with the latter!” Bea
As our purchase of the church progressed, we were delighted to learn that the Methodist community wanted to leave the entire contents of the church intact. From teacups to bibles, altar furniture to the limestone font... everything was left for us. We were delighted. Many of the pieces of inherited furniture are original to the building and before we’d even stepped over the church’s threshold, they’d already inspired some future PP kits!
All joking aside, ownership of a beautiful church at the very heart of our village is not something that we take lightly. The interior of the chapel is an inspiring and magical space with lofty ceilings and 4500 square feet of pure potential, all just a 10 minute walk from our home. As a family business, it is our plan to look after the church, change as little as possible and ultimately open it back up as an asset for not only the local community but as a meeting place for miniaturists, artists and crafters too.
PP’s new home...
The interior of the church could best be described as a building of two halves.
The main church area is vast and retains all of its original features including an oak pulpit, altar and even a (fully working) organ! Doors on either side of the alter lead into the back half of the building; which includes a chapel room, walk in store, kitchen, toilets and a large hall that was once used as a school room. From the very beginning, we had this section of the church earmarked to become PP’s new home.
The chapel room, once used for church business, will become my new creative domain, a space I will share with PP’s Minion Mo. However, she has made me promise to keep my creativity under control and I am not to view all flat surfaces in the room as a ‘challenge’ to cover with my work (as if I would!).
The school room was once home to the local Brownies and it is the largest space in the rear section of the church. It will become home for all our stock, as well as providing plenty of space for kit production and the processing of orders too.
A hub at the heart of the village...
I have always loved to create. Whether it was making cardboard houses for my Barbie dolls or drawing in my sketch book. Art is an escape. A retreat. A hideaway when life is just too much. During lockdown the world of art, crafts and creativity certainly helped many people to fill empty days and keep troubled minds occupied and engaged. Back in the day, I always wanted to be an art teacher, but life had other plans for me and this ambition never became a reality. However, I know through my day job that art brings so much joy, therapy and fun. One of our plans for the church is to set up a community art hub. A place where people of all ages can access a variety of art and craft activities, learn new skills and explore new mediums. Art has always been a huge and important part of my life and through the art hub; I hope to be able to share that passion with our local community and beyond.
Introducing ‘The School of Miniatures’
Alongside the art hub, next summer we will also be launching an exciting new venture; The School of Miniatures. Our plan is to offer a wide range of miniature related workshops and events. From relaxed drop-in sessions, to advanced workshops, we plan to run a wide variety of classes. We are also keen to host guest tutors too, so that many different elements of the miniature world can be explored and covered. Workshop exclusive kits will be launched and Mo will be on hand to help too. Ultimately, it is our hope that The Old Methodist Church will become a focal point for miniaturists, crafters and railway modellers alike!
After all the time we’ve had to spend apart recently, we hope that we will finally be able to come together. For us, the church is synonymous with hope for the future and our plans for it are ongoing and ever changing. Ultimately, it feels right that such a special building is once again used and enjoyed and we feel very privileged to be able to open up this amazing space. The building may not remain a place for worship, but it feels right that it will remain a place where people can come together to laugh, learn, create and enjoy the wonderful world of miniatures. It’s certainly going to be an adventure and we hope you will join us for the ride!
INFO
Website: www.petite-properties.com Online shop: www.petitepropertiesltd.com To follow our progress on the church and take a peep behind the scenes, why not follow us on Instagram? www.instagram.com/petiteproperties