"Sex in the City"!
Gwenap an institution, an icon in Hull, perched at the top of Princes Avenue, adjacent to the junction of Spring Bank.A place that has 'always' been there as far back as I can remember, just a little shop in the background of my youth until I reached adulthood.
Our social circles at the time would talk teasingly about Gwenap and what they sold! I discovered that Gwenap was a high class knicker shop selling kinky trinkets and naughty underwear. Over the years the shop displayed large provocative banners across the entrance. Some very blatant and all to see very clearly whilst waiting in cars for the lights to change onto Princes Avenue. They are still doing so today, just like the picture above alternative words used in the past such as:- "Knickers to the lot of you", "Bent Politicians welcome here"!
In the eighties apart from Midland Street sex shop, Gwenap appearred to be the only other shop selling anything 'sexual'. Several times over the years I noticed the windows were broken and boarded. Perhaps angry feminists on the rampage felt Gwenap was inappropriate for the times. In all the years living in this area, I can only claim to have shopped there once. I bought chocolate nipples, hilarious at the time! Something like these!
Gwenap can claim they are the longest established retailer of underwear, pleasurewear and adult items in the country. They have their own website, presumably in a way of replacement for the oh so famous Gwenap Flyer, Hull's own adult contact mag many moons ago.
Today sex shops seem to come and go, the largest to my knowledge is on Mount Pleasant, sort of supermarket set up, car parking and 2 floors of goodies.
The laws of the land and the economic climate keep changing effecting every shop in different ways, Gwenap appear to be no exception, I was rather distressed to see the current banners in the window. What does this mean?? Is Gwenap closing for good? I would be surely sad if they do, not because I shop there but because Gwenap is part of Hull's heritage, has survived many social setbacks over the years, and is still here to tell the tale.
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7 comments:
Dear Sue and all readers
I was interested to read Sue's kind comments re. Gwenap
Gwenap has been an icon in Hull as you so rightly mention.I remember it as a little boy; just a glimpse of scantily clad window models as we flashed past in the carand later, in my teenage years, pointing out the window displays to friends.
I had never been into the shop nor had I ever bought a piece of ladies underwear until one day in 1988 when I plucked up courage, walked in and bought the lot!!
From selling a range of sexy lingerie I felt we had to move forward into other more specialised fields and so we progressed into Rubber, PVC and adult toys.
Times have changed in our business, especially with the expansion of the internet, but we have always tried to offer a listening ear to our many clients and to treat all of our customers like royalty. If they can pluck up courage to come in then we make sure that by the time they leave they have shed any inhibitions and are happy to return with head held high!
It has, as has been reported,been difficult in tthe present climate to keep Gwenap going, I have always subsidised the business in order that it should survive, and we have tried to sell what the public wants. To spare a few blushes and to encourage some of the more prudish shoppers we are reorganizing the shop and confining many of the sex toy items to a rear room and concentrating on sexy underwear, basques, stockings, PVC shoes, fancy dress and larger sizes for cuddly ladies at the front, so if you're not ready to view the latest 12" battery driven 2010 model you don't have to!
I must point out that we see our business just as selling what the public want, we never think of ourself as a Sex Shop... that conjures up visions of the 'plastic mac' brigade! We consider ourselves to be just a 'Naughty Little Shop', the oldest of it's kind in Britain and possibly the world... 1905 ! We are all nice people who work in the business and believe it or not surprisingly normal... some of the things I see appearing on channels 4 and 5 make me blush! So for anyone reading this, please support us, come in and see us and try us out. We get lots of people arriving and telling us their problems and don't worry .. we have heard it all over the years.We are of course going to continue with the banners on the outside of the shop hoping to say something to make you smile.. and we will be offering some more expensive bondage items like stocks and crosses.... just in case you thought we had lost our way. The Flyer will return also and the current one is ready to go to press.
In order to keep costs down and to ensure that we do not have to pass on expensive overheads by adding them to the price of our goods we are only opening 2 or three days a week. This enable us to sell better quality goods at a cheaper price than our competitors.. so some businesses might have a bigger choice but at what cost. We can order most things for our customers and know what they like and how to deal with them... after all we were here first by a long chalk!!
Best wishes
Jim
(Owner of Gwenap)
Hi
Is it true that there is a new owner of GWENAP in Hull.
I hope so. Would be a shame to see it close.
thanks
James
The problem is parking most of the time and the stock is out of date. We shop elswhere now but good luck GWENAPS.
Lucy
HI
Very true. were would you like to see GWENAPS if it was to open a 2nd shop?
thanks
james
its best left where it is really people wont walk in wherever it is :(
Lucy
GWENAP new ownership
It’s an erotic boutique
The new owners of GWENAP, said to be the oldest sex shop in Britain, are planning to have the shop fully re-opened by October 2010. GWENAP shop, based on the junction of Princes Avenue and Springbank Kingston up Hull is in many ways part of our heritage and has been serving its customers since 1902. The shops exterior has changed little over its 100 year history although in 1947 you would have seen its then owner busy in the shop window with her sewing machine.
Times have changed and the business is now in the hands of Cheryl Watson and her business partners. Cheryl wants to keep its heritage and is planning a thoughtful renovation of the interior of the shop and a new website. The business has had a slight change of direction both in terms of its image and the “naughty but nice” adult toys it has for sale.
Cheryl said “it’s exciting times for GWENAP and its customers old and new”. Here is to the next 100 years of GWENAP.
Visit the new Gwenap website at http://www.gwenaps.co.uk
Good Luck Gwenap..... and all who sail in her ;-)
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