Throughout the past five years, Margaret and Steve have become dear neighbours, good friends and near family to me. We've seen some tough times through the years and through it all I watched Annie Laurie's Lap grow from a handful of candles and crafts to the menagerie of teddy bears, fine gifts and Steve's incredible stained glass art and leatherwork.
Margaret works at making her store as cozy and comfortable as possible and, day or night, you see her doing what she loves. I often come over for a chat and pretty well know her story by heart.
Margaret came from a long line of courageous people. Moving to London at 16, her memories of London are of friendly and caring citizens.
The motivation for opening a shop on Hamilton Road was not only to provide a product, but to provide a service to the community. Her caring and outgoing personality make you feel welcome and various people, including myself, drop in regularly for a chat. Margaret is a good listener and many young people benefit from her patient and caring presence. There's something comforting about being surrounded by teddy bears and especially being introduced to them by name. Catering to such a diversified clientele, she discovered a need which led her to quickly revise her product line from necessities to gifts. Surveying the area from Highbury to Wellington streets confirmed this. A nice gift shop specializing in bears, exotic animals, and a line of gifts and crafts that would compliment any gift giving occasion was needed here.
There were extensive renovations to make and a name had to be found. Through meditation, she suddenly sensed the distinct aroma of moth balls and “White Shoulders” perfume throughout the store. Immediatly one person came to mind. Her dear departed Aunt Laurie was to be her inspiration, a light in times of darkness and source of faith when things seemed too difficult. Being of Scottish decent, Margaret dropped the “T” in “aunt” and came up with Annie Laurie's Lap.
“Annie Laurie” had time for people. All people. The stories she told reflected the concern she had for future generations. Her career also demonstrated this as a self-employed gift maker.
Margaret is understandably proud to name her store after a woman she describes as having an unquenchable zest and love for life. The stories Margaret heard sitting on her auntie’s lap molded her into the strong and intelligent woman she is today.
The decision, to go with bears and exotic animals as an overall theme for the store, required further research into the manufacturers and suppliers available. Margaret was concerned with such issues as sweat shop involvement, metal detection scanning, eye pull tests, and whether certain company profits benefitted charitable organizations. In her search for the right cuddly, yet realistic, plush animals she decided on Russ and K&M which contribute to cancer research, single parents, homelessness and endangered, near extinct creatures worldwide. Margaret is quite enthusiastic about being part of these efforts and is always striving to carry products of quality, taste, and above all, manufacturers that care about helping others.
Within the walls of Annie Laurie's Lap you will also find locally crafted jewelery, art and unique gift items. Often these treasures are available only in small quantities but she loves the idea of helping crafters in our own area.
The location of the store is a convenient place to drop in and warm up on your stroll down Hamilton Road. In my opinion, for that thoughtful gift for the person who has everything, a trip to Annie Laurie's Lap is essential!
©2000, ©2001, ©2002, ©2003, ©2004 Ana Tirolese, All Rights Reserved