Oddballs Juggling

Oddballs, 200a-200b Camden Lock Place, London NW1 8AB

Tel: +44(0) 207 284 4488; www.oddballs.co.uk

Owner: Phillip Maxwell-Stewart (Max Oddball)

Among all the other colourful, funky shops in Camden, you could be forgiven for overlooking Oddballs, which is quietly positioned along a nondescript corner. In fact, I walked past it twice... and I was actively searching for it!

I found out the trick is to walk up to the Camden Lock railway bridge and then look back – at which point Oddballs becomes apparent.

Packed inside this tiny shop is as much paraphernalia as can be crammed: from juggling clubs, knives and balls to diabolos, skateboards, and plenty more – in every shape and size imaginable.

The shop is also crammed full of people – so the three shopkeepers have to juggle taking delivery of goods, running the till and demonstrating products to customers. The shop gets impossibly busy, but Dan, Nathan and Mat keep their calm: “We're jugglers; we're used to multitasking!” says Nathan, while tending to an older American couple.

I wonder if it's not better to come back some other time as they're so busy, but Dan tells me “not really, it's all right – you learn to cope very quickly!”

Mat adds that this was relatively quiet: “you should see us at weekends!”

I can only picture pandemonium...

Still, I try to get into the juggling spirit, and decide to interview whoever happens to be free at that point in time – particularly as Mat has just dashed off to pick up the phone and deal with an order for 450 coloured balls!

Dan takes his place, and tells me more about the history of Oddballs - Europe's oldest juggling shop.

Established in 1984, the Oddballs story starts earlier - with a Covent Garden street performer called Phillip Maxwell-Stewart (stage name: Max Oddball).

Juggling had fallen into relative obscurity, and like other jugglers Max found it hard to find the right materials; he ended up improvising due to necessity – for example, adding sand to plastic bottles for makeshift clubs.

He then discovered there were plenty of juggling balls, clubs, rings, hats, knives and more available from the USA - so he asked friends and acquaintances who were travelling there to bring him some kit back.

Finding that his fellow jugglers were in need of juggling equipment just as much as he was, Max started importing goods wholesale from the United States and selling them from a suitcase in Covent Garden, and later from his house.

Demand grew so fast that Max soon decided to open a shop!

Oddball was a force in the juggling revival of the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s – in addition to offering customers the quality goods they were longing for, Max also made appearances in daytime television - and even more importantly, organised the first British Juggling Convention in 1988 – now a massive annual event where the world's top jugglers can meet up and learn from each other.

Having orchestrated the juggling craze, Max decided to retire from the shop and now lives in Brighton. That didn't last for long though – he opened an Oddballs in Brighton and the company now also sells merchandise online through a warehouse in Crawley.

Oddballs' product range has also expanded: 

“We sell skateboards, unicycles, kites and more - but they've all got one thing in common: they're skill toys” explains Mat.

“There's nothing in our shop that you can just pick up and play with instantly: you have to practise.”

It takes me a while to realise what he means: even behind the counter, Mat is busy honing his contact juggling skills by balancing a ball on his head!

When the shop gets temporarily quieter, off comes the ball: Mat takes hold of another delivery and restocks the shelves. “People think we just play about all day, what they don't notice is the legs frantically paddling beneath the surface!”

With that he's off to deal with a customer, and Dan tells me more about Oddballs' products.

“Most of the toys we sell are centuries old – we made helped make poi popular in the 1990s but they're an old Maori tradition from New Zealand. 

What we've done is modernise our products – we also sell Kevlar fire poi and carbon fibre Diabolo sticks for better handling. Oh, and LED-lit juggling balls – they've made a huge difference to night-time performances!”

With perfect timing, one of the customers wants to see how good those carbon fibre Diabolo sticks are, and Mat helps him.

I turn around to resume the interview, and see Nathan standing where Dan was a few moments ago!

I ask him how Oddballs has coped with the current economic climate. 

It turns out that the shop's innovations in juggling materials have helped it cope with the recession: “By definition, the spend-to-mileage ratio is very good: you buy a new toy, and spend a lot of time playing with it. You could spend the same in a cinema or a pub and after an hour you've nothing to show for it!”

In addition, Oddballs' online presence has helped the company thrive as it can export all over the world.

“Our online prices are cheaper than in store, because in essence all you have is a warehouse plus postage and packaging costs. In the stores you have to pay much higher rent and staff costs, hence the higher prices – but for small orders it works out cheaper to buy in-store than pay the P&P, and of course the store allows you to actually try out the equipment!”

Personally, I think that's what's helped Oddballs popularity: they have the widest range of juggling equipment in any UK shop, and the shopkeepers are all accomplished jugglers themselves.

A newly-returned Dan shows off his hat-juggling skills to a customer and explains his top tip to anyone learning to juggle:

“Most people can learn to juggle in a week or two: the key is to think of what you're doing as play and not practise: since you're just fooling about you're less tense, not as worried about results, and you end up learning a lot faster.”

I leave the shop impressed. It's not every day that you see performance art in a shop, from staff and clients alike!

I think they've made a new customer; suddenly enthused, I decide to go home and... play. 

Davenports Magic

Davenports Magic, 5-7 Charing Cross Underground Arcade, Strand, London WC2N 4HZ Tel: +44(0) 207 836 0408; www.davenportsmagic.co.uk
Owners: the Davenport family

Underneath busy, bustling Charing Cross Station lies an almost deserted shopping arcade. Tucked away in that shopping arcade lies a very special magic shop.


My search for the elusive Davenports Magic reminded me at times of Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter series - in the heart of London but invisible to outsiders; I guess this is probably appropriate for a purveyor of magic tricks!

The interior of the shop is quite dark and theatrical: among the spotlit glass-covered shelves are some mysterious items with intriguing names, such as “Count of Monte Cristo Escape” or “Demon Drawer Box”, as well as vintage editions of magic books (I spot one from 1924), and a 2-volume history of the Davenport family from 1881 onwards!

The shop counter doubles up as a performance area, used to demonstrate the different tricks and props sold; everyone behind the counter is a magician, including owner Betty Davenport, a sprightly old lady who's run the shop since 1962.

I found out that there are very few magic shops in the world that have been open since the 19th century, and none older that are still owned by the original family.

“You have Martinka's, of course [founded in the USA in the 1870s]– it was owned by Houdini at one time – and a shop in Barcelona that's older [El Rey de la Magia, founded 1881] , but I can't think of any others that have been open as long as us” says Betty.

The Davenport story starts with Lewis Davenport, a music-hall magician. So popular was Lewis that he was booked 52 weeks a year, each week in a different theatre!

As his performances were held in the evenings, Lewis decided to open a magic shop during the day. In 1898 he founded Davenports, opposite the People's Palace music-hall in Mile End Road. Over the years, the shop would move to the West End.

Lewis' son George Davenport (Betty's father) took over the family business in 1932, with a young Betty helping in the shop from an early age. “I left school in 1948 when I was 14, and used to have a little magic act as a teenager”, she recalls.

Unfortunately George died fairly young, and Betty had to take over the shop when she was only 28. It must have been a difficult task to carry on the family business in those circumstances, but the Davenports are made of fine mettle. “It wasn't easy, but I somehow managed” says Betty, showing the fortitude of her generation.

Davenports has changed over the years, reflecting the wider social changes taking part in the world: until around 1950, there were several places for traditional stage magicians to work – concerts, parties, music halls, and others. Due to strong demand, there many full-time, professional magicians – and they mostly wanted dramatic, stage props – their acts included sawing ladies in half and producing elephants on stage!

From the 1950s onwards the music-hall business declined, and with it magicians too; the top-hat and tailed full-time professionals gave way to amateurs and semi-pros – people with 9-5 jobs who did evening and weekend bookings. I guess this wasn't that different to Lewis Davenport, except in one way: due to the smaller venues they worked (usually children's or adult parties) the equipment they demanded was smaller as well.

Instead of full-sized stage props, clients went for medium-sized tricks – for example, pulling a rabbit out of a hat – but the props were still largely hand-made in each magic shop.

From the 1980s onwards, the world of magic was dominated by the rise of the amateur: individuals with good jobs that paid well, and had plenty of disposable income to spend on small but relatively pricey tricks (£20-30).

Betty believes the future of magic is bound to split into two groups of customers: 'hardcore' magicians who spend hours practising, and 'casual' magicians who want simple tricks to amuse their friends.

There's even such a thing as a 'too casual' market: possibly inspired by Harry Potter, some customers have been known to purchase magic wands - only to later complain that the wand didn't actually turn their black cat into a tortoiseshell!

With the exception of that particular market, Davenports aims to please both types of customers: these days, the range of items includes self-working tricks and instructional DVDs. However, most of their items are still unique and hand-made, as Betty explains:

“We have a man who makes brass coin boxes and a range of tricks – as and when I need them I place an order. We also have a lady who makes straitjacket escapes with a professional machine. By and large we don't get engulfed with Far East imports. The tricks that come from Japan and China, everyone's got them!”

As most customers these days are amateurs with disposable income, I wondered how the recession has affected the store. I thought Internet competition would affect their revenues, but the reality is very different: despite being a traditional store with a long and loyal customer base – including Paul Daniels and the late Tommy Cooper – mail and Internet orders actually outnumber physical sales!

“The reason we can keep going is due to mail orders – my son Bill is a whiz-kid at running our website. That side of the business is not subject to the vagaries of the British economic situation, and we get orders from every part of the world!”

Betty sees another advantage Davenports enjoys over newer rivals:

“The thing that is different about us is that the shop is in the same family, with the same method of trading. We've changed with the times and do business over the Internet, but we keep our traditions – and our customers.”

Both Betty's children are involved in magic: Bill works in the shop and these days runs most of the business, including beginners' and intermediate magic classes held at the shop; Roy is a professional magician who performs for the stage as well as corporate events – including several blue chip companies.

Encouragingly, both Bill and Roy's young children are also interested in magic; it seems Davenports is likely to continue in family hands, and I wish the 5th generation of this remarkable family every success!

Twinings Tea Shop

Twinings Tea Shop, 216 Strand, London WC2R 1AP

Tel: +44(0) 207 353 3511; www.twinings.co.uk/shop 
Owners: Associated British Foods PLC

Hidden among a myriad other stores along the winding Strand, and dwarfed by the buildings around it, lies a little shop with a long history.

A grand pediment decorated with two Chinamen and a golden lion makes the Twinings Tea Shop easy to spot – as does the fact it's right opposite the Royal Courts of Justice.

I bravely pass under the lion (an old gift from the Royal Family) and find a shop like no other around it: a narrow passage covered by painted portraits of the Twining family through the ages (originally spelled Twynninge until the 18th century, when it was decided that sounded too French), and of course row upon row of Twinings teas, coffees and even Swiss hot chocolate!

In addition to the standard range found across the world, you can also find exclusive exotic teas, coffees and infusions: from Chinese jasmine tea pearls to South American yerba mate – mostly bought at auctions from single estates across the world.

As I take all of this in, I'm swiftly greeted by Adele Fleming, Strand Shop Manager for the Twinings Tea Shop.

With such a formidable name and title you'd be forgiven for imagining a curmodgeonly old lady wearing twinset and pearls – possibly scowling at you through lorgnettes or pince-nez whilst narrating monotonous anecdotes of her decades at the shop.

In fact, nothing could be further from the truth: at first glance, I though Adele couldn't possibly be older than about 18, although she assures me this is not the case!
Despite her youthful appearance and friendly manner, make no mistake: young Adele is a rising star in the tea business.

With her masterful knowledge of Twinings and its history, it took me halfway through the interview to realise she's only been shop manager for a month: Fleming worked for a rival tea and coffee specialist until she was headhunted for her current position; such is the cut-throat life in the fast-paced world of tea retailing!

Unlike my trip to The Who Shop, I'm less surprised to be offered a cup of tea, although I'm impressed this is a kettle-free zone: instead there's a dedicated tap dispensing boiling hot water!

I'm given a Chinese Yunnan tea to taste, part of a new Twinings range. It's incredibly smooth – almost no trace of the harsh tannins you'd usually find in black tea – and it's got a nice, nutty kick at the end.

Or so I'm told by Adele, whose infectious enthusiasm makes my head, too, nod in agreement!

It's a perfect way to have an interview – I sit down and relax over a nice cup of tea, while Fleming tells me all about the Twinings story.

Thomas Twining founded the store as Tom's Coffee House in 1706, and quickly gained a reputation as a quality purveyor. In fact, Twinings has held a Royal Warrant ever since – no small feat, as these must be renewed every 6 months.

At the time, coffee houses were off-limits to women; Thomas decided to open his shop to all and make tea a key selling point – in the 18th century, it was very much an aristocratic drink.

“Tea itself was cheap, but the tax was sky high – you often find old portraits where a family is arranged around a tea chest to denote wealth.”

Twinings had a reputation for quality even back then: according to the legend, Twinings chests were never thrown overboard during the Boston Tea Party - they were considered too good to be wasted!

Twinings were also instrumental in popularising Earl Grey tea; in fact, their Earl Grey and Lady Grey teas are the only ones endorsed by Lord Grey. The company's association with the aristocracy continues to the present day: Twinings still prepares a special, secret blend of tea for the Royal Family.

Of course these days you can buy Twinings tea all over the world, and the company has always had a reputation for quality. However, the company's aim is to be not only the best, but also the best-selling British tea.

Twinings is now owned by a large corporation (Associated British Foods), although the shop still has links with the Twinings family and continues to function as a popular local tea supplier: clients these days include judges from across the road - who often drop by in wigs and stockings – and tourists – whose garb is usually simpler.

“We only have one shop, and it's been here for over 300 years; it's not going anywhere!”

Yet with such enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff, I can tell Adele and the gang are going places.

The Who Shop

The Who Shop, 39-41 Barking Road, London E6 1PY

Tel: +44(0) 208 471 2356; www.thewhoshop.com

Owners: Kevan and Alexandra Looseley

My first ever interview, and I couldn’t hope for a better one. Kevan was very friendly - as soon as I dropped in I was offered a cup of tea!

The shop was started by his wife Alexandra when she spotted a great business opportunity: in 1983, her brother had gone to a large Dr Who convention organised by the BBC. When he returned, he told his sister that 40,000 people turned up, yet there was very limited merchandise.

Inspiration struck Alex, and she opened The Who Shop in Wapping on Dec 1st, 1984!

The original shop was in a warehouse in Wapping – Alex wanted a site in Butlers Wharf since an episode of Dr Who had been filmed there, and ended up securing a place in Metropolitan Wharf just across the water.

On her very first day, Alex met an enthusiastic Dr Who fan – one she'd end up marrying!

Kevan Looseley was in the Air Force at the time and had returned from the Falklands war; these days he splits his time between running the shop, acting (including an appearance in Dr Who, natch), and the RAF.

The shop did very well. However, during the late 80s, Alex was hit by large rent increases as Wapping became gentrified - one by one, the old warehouses were being converted into expensive yuppie flats.

As a result, Alex and Kevan decided to move out and run the business by holding stalls at Dr Who and science-fiction conventions, both in the UK and around the world - one tour saw Kevan travel to New Zealand, Australia and the United States within a month!

“The USA are a big market - if a convention would get maybe 500 fans over here, in the US it’s over 5,000 people.”

In the 1990s Alex and Kevan decided to re-open their shop and found the perfect location, just opposite East Ham Station.

“We had excellent visibility, and people travelled from all over to see us - sometimes they dropped in straight from the airport, suitcases in tow, before checking into their hotel!”

The shop moved last year to a larger space in Barking Road - around the corner from their old shop – and customers still arrive from all over the world.

In the short time I was in the store, I saw a police officer buy a book for her child, a couple who had come from Russia and bought memorabilia from 1979, a telephone customer from Delaware trying to secure an autograph, and a couple from Long Beach, California!

Apparently, this is typical. “Most shops around here are estate agents and pound shops, and only attract local customers. We’re a bit different…”

We also saw an old friend and customer, and a young lady from the local area.

“There was this idea that the Doctor could only be played by 60-year-olds, but the new ones are young men - we’ve had more girls come in since the show came back!”

Kevan reckons the split these days is about one-third women to two-thirds men, whereas customers were originally 80% male. Also, one-third of customers are children, whereas before they just weren’t interested.

“In 1984, our client base was 16-30 year olds - basically fans with disposable income who hadn’t yet settled down, and were happy to spend over £100 on items such as autographed photos. These days we sell everything from £2 pins to classic collectors' items - our clients range from 5-year-olds to 85-year-olds!”

The client split is also quite significant, with around two-thirds of customers coming from across the UK and one-third from abroad, mainly from English-speaking countries.

The shop has certainly changed with the times - and has even been been ahead of them; the Who Shop website has been around for 15 years, since 1995!

”It was originally set up by our American friends, but we now run it from servers over in the UK”.

Despite this, Kevan is actually not the biggest fan of technology: “I don’t really use computers. I’m not a Luddite: they feared technology - I just despise them... I drive the rest of the team crazy!”

Although happier to meet friends in the real world than chatting to them in the virtual world, Kevan is contented to take orders via the Internet and refers clients to the site whenever he can.

“Although I love Dr Who, this is not just a hobby - it’s our livelihood. When we have so many customers coming in through the Internet, I can’t afford to ignore them.”

The Who Shop is very well known by sci-fi fans in general, and has hosted actors from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Star Trek and Babylon 5 as well as Dr Who. Their old shop counter, covered in autographs, shows the mark of all the actors who've dropped by to sign their books:

Kevan hastens to add: “Of course they didn’t come freely, we pay them to turn up and sign autographs!”
Yet the strangest call the shop ever had was from the best-known of all the Doctors:

“One day I got an amazing phone call: ‘Hello, this is Tom Baker - can you help me sell my autobiography?’ ”


For once they didn’t need to pay an actor to turn up, and the shop saw hundreds of people attend that particular session!

The Who Shop has grown over the years, and currently has 3 employees - Alex, Kevan and a part-time employee. At some times during the year, they are also assisted by friends and volunteers who are passionate about the show: “They know as much as I do about these products. I can turn a fan into a retailer - they already know all the products, so if someone says ‘I want something that’s green and has 3 eyes’, they know what it is. Whereas if someone’s worked at Tesco for 20 years, I can’t make them a Dr Who expert.”

Their Tardises alone range from cruet sets to scale replicas to telephones to biscuit barrels...

Kevan believes that level of expertise was crucial in helping the company survive.

“We’ve been hit by the recession, just like every other business. The reason we’re still trading is that we’re specialists. Supermarkets and newsagents might stock the odd Dr Who merchandise, but we’re the only shop that stocks rare items from the beginning of the show.”

After looking around the shop, I realise Kevan’s being modest: the items on offer include the full range of Dr Who toys, the full range of Dr Who books (including some written about Dr Who books!), posters and magazines dating back to the 1970s, autographed photos and even a small museum with original props from the show - accessed through, of course, a Tardis...

Entrance to the museum is charged for, but the shop doesn't make a penny; all proceeds go to Help for Heroes, a charity close to Kevan’s heart.

“Irrespective of political belief, our boys and girls defend our country abroad and have no choice in assignment. It breaks my heart when I hear of a 19-year-old being killed or maimed in Iraq or Afghanistan.”

One thing that comes across is that The Who Shop is run by two very nice people who care about other people - sometimes to a degree rarely found in other retailers:

"If I think a product isn't right for a customer, I let them know - say a mother wants to buy a detailed replica for her child,  I'll tell her that she's better off buying a cheaper plastic toy that won't get easily broken."

Much like the Doctor, that type of customer service seems to belong to another time altogether...

I wish Kevan and Alex every success - may they carry on trading for many years to come!