They’ve been a constant presence in Liverpool for decades
They’ve been a constant presence in Liverpool for decades
Decades ago a florist opened on a north Liverpool high street at a time when it was lined with small independent traders serving their local neighbourhoods. The shop was named Gayflowers using the traditional meaning of the word for happy, bright, and cheerful.
Throughout the last two and half decades, the business has been run by Karen Wood, 53, who ran it with her sister Andrea Beecham, 57, until five years ago when Andrea had to step away due to ill health. The shop is now solely run by Karen, from Bootle, who has remained true to their original vision while continuing to adapt to changing times.
Karen told the ECHO: “Myself and Andrea opened the shop on January 6, 2001. Our auntie and uncle Charlie and Betty Large used to own the shop and worked in it themselves before asking Andrea if we’d be interested in taking it over.
“So we both went to college and trained. We had staff at first but then you learn the trade and when we went to college we learnt more and were able to be more hands on.”
Despite questions about the name over the years, Karen says the meaning and purpose have never changed.
She said: “It’s just how we’ve always been known. Back in the day a lot of younger people would laugh at the name but obviously its original name meant something totally different years ago.
“We kept the name because it’s an established business and we’ve always been known as that. We do sometimes get questions about the name even now but we explain we’re called that because gay means happy and joyful.”
During this period, many shops have opened and closed along County Road, yet Gayflowers have remained a constant presence. Today, it is a five-star rated local florist, known for its quality and personable service.
Karen said: “We’ve seen several florists down County Road open and close over the years. I think what’s changed the most is people’s way of life, sometimes people just want to come in and talk to and have a chat with a friendly face.
“We often find people want more of a personalised service than ordering online. People would rather come in and actually see what they’re getting.”
Gayflowers has supplied flowers to generations of local families, marking life’s most important moments from weddings, anniversaries and new babies to heartfelt goodbyes and funerals.
Karen said: “The job has helped me learn to be more sympathetic, obviously working in the business we do a lot of funerals and we’ve both lost family members close to us so we can empathise with our customers.
“Many customers who first visited years ago now return with their own children. We have a lot of regulars. Sometimes people will just come in general to ask how we are. Some of our customers will even just come in for a cup of tea and a chat.
“We’ve both had our own kids working there on Saturdays and on holidays so all of our families have mucked in.”
