BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
An upscale gift-and-grocery shop in the north east of England has unveiled its Christmas window: it features a Dutch-bike decorated with multi-coloured wings. Bodahome of Whitley Bay does not sell bicycles.
The decorated Dutch-bike, piled with Christmas presents, appears to be floating above some brightly-coloured clouds.
Bodahome co-owner Jade Skeels asked her friend Emma Handley to design the window display.
Handley, a freelance window dresser, chose a bicycle because she said it’s a potent symbol of freedom and joy:
"With the end of this year approaching (my 40th, actually), I began the usual process of reflection and mental list-building. Youthful misadventures with bikes kept coming into my head. Though my experience with cycling as an adult is limited I envy people who cycle everywhere."
She added: "A bike is not a complex machine but it does wonderful things – all you have to do is get on and pedal to be transported, physically, mentally and emotionally to a different place."
She’s now ready to start riding.
"I intend to integrate the freedom, spontaneity, physicality and joy of bike riding into my life," promised Handley. "A magical flying bike for the Bodahome Christmas window seemed an inspiring place to start."
Disclosure: Jade Skeels is my second cousin. However, it wasn’t this family connection which alerted me to the window display – I saw a photo of the window in the twitter feed for Karlonsea.
