A Family run, independent business which traded in Chester from the late 1960s until 1999 has made a triumphant return to the City, with the children of the original owners at the helm.

Thingummys, originally founded in Liverpool in 1966 by Alan and Susan Brown was based on Watergate St (now Katie’s Tearooms) for many years where it expanded and became Indesign before relocating to Rufus Court from 1992 – 1999. 

Selling “furniture, fabrics and ‘thingummyjigs’, Thingummys rapidly became the “go to” store in Chester for designer and artisanal pieces including metalware and trendy homeware staples of the 1960s and 1970s such as Arabia Ruska dinnerware and furniture by designers including Bertoia, Kartell and Alvar Aalto. The store also sold enamelware from Finland, printed metalware from Dodo Designs, and later showcased the bespoke work of Tim Stead, sculptor, poet and furniture maker, originally from Helsby, but based in Blainslie in the Scottish Borders.

Now, 26 years on from Indesign closing its doors, Alan and Susan’s Daughter, ceramic artist Kirsti Brown, her brother, well known Chester entrepreneur and musician Thor Brown and Kirsti’s husband Cassian Wheeler have revived the Thingummys name, bringing their own take on useful, beautiful, colourful and original ‘thingummyjigs’ – and the stories behind them to a brand new store on St Werburgh Street in Chester. 

Taking on the premises formerly occupied by Lily Vintage and trading in the shadow of Chester’s historic Cathedral, Thingummys sells a range of handmade homewares and gifts, along with cards, decorative items and jewellery. Steering away from big name brands, The store’s ethos is to only stock pieces by artisan makers, mainly from the UK, including several from Cheshire, the North West of England and North Wales. These include ceramics made by Kate Smallwood from Chester, by Jane Williams from Eryri, and by Kirsti herself (as Kirsti Hannah Brown). The store also stocks 3D printed vessels by Keeley Traae from North Staffordshire and bold graphic printed homewares by Keeley’s husband, Dom Marshall.

Although the store has only been trading since the end of November, several lines have already proved popular, from handmade fretwork wooden spoons, homewares and small animals by Beamers Designs from Herefordshire to funky paper mache birds by Tania Holland Gallery from the West Midlands. Other customer favourites include a stunning selection of handmade cards by Ellwood Parker from North Lancashire, showing up-close portraits of birds and animals found around Leighton Moss. 

Plans are also at an advanced stage to open up the upper floor of Thigummys as an exhibition space in 2026. 

Speaking about bringing the iconic Thingummys name back to Chester, Kirsti and Thor said “This is something that we’ve felt we wanted to do for a long time now. And now that it’s happened, it’s really exciting!”

Kirsti added “As a maker myself, I want to support makers and small businesses in helping to enable them in making a living from their skills and crafts. It’s nice that the three of us, myself, Thor and Cassian, can work together to bring the spirit of our parents’ shop and its history back to Chester.”

Kirsti’s husband and co-partner in Thingummys Cassian Wheeler said “I’m so pleased to be part of continuing the Thingummys story. Although we’ve only been open for a short time so far, it’s been wonderful to meet and talk to our customers – both those local to Chester and to visitors – and to share the stories with them of both Thingummys and of the things that we are selling. And it’s curious to think that, despite it being so ‘new’, next year will mark the 60th birthday of Thingummys!”.

Thingummys is currently open seven days a week,  Monday – Wednesday 11am – 4pm, Thursdays & Fridays 11am – 5pm, Saturdays 10am – 5pm and Sundays 11am – 4pm.