A Little Shop With A Long History

To coincide with the 2nd Lincoln Festival of History, which took place over the early May Bank Holiday weekend and the 80th Anniversary of VE Day, we took a trip back through time to discover the history of 83 Bailgate, before it became the heart that is now Follie.

We’ve trawled through Kelly’s Directories, researched historical Ordinance Survey maps, pestered librarians and consulted local history buffs to go back over 180 years of the business’s who traded from made this medieval site before we did.

I remember the 3 of the business that preceded mine, but every era has left their mark and Follie is proud to continue 83 Bailgate’s story as part of Lincoln’s rich & diverse history.

Follie's 20th Birthday Year

a celebration of small business spirit,

creativity and community

2024 was a year to remember at Follie! Our little pink shop turned 20, and we celebrated in style, marking the milestone with exciting new projects, fantastic collaborations, and plenty of ways to give back to the community that has supported us for two decades.

A Fresh Look for Follie

To mark our 20th year, we launched a brand-new website, making it easier than ever for our lovely customers to shop online and stay up to date with what’s happening at Follie. Alongside this, we introduced fresh new signage, giving our shopfront an extra touch of charm while keeping the essence of what makes Follie so special.

follie Birthday Range

We were incredibly lucky to work with some brilliant designers and suppliers throughout the year, bringing to life a beautiful birthday range that truly reflected Follie’s personality. From unique keepsakes to limited-edition pieces, with all profits donated to charity, every item was created with love, celebrating 20 years of independent retail magic in the heart of Lincoln.

Giveaways & Gratitude

As a thank you to our amazing customers, we hosted a series of exciting giveaways, both in-store and online. It was wonderful to see so many people get involved, sharing memories of Follie and celebrating with us. Our incredible suppliers played a huge part in making these giveaways special, generously contributing to the celebrations and proving once again how lucky we are to work with such talented and kind-hearted people.

supporting local Charity

One of the highlights of our birthday year was being able to give back. Thanks to the generosity of our customers we raised an incredible £1709.94 from the profits of our Birthday Range, which was donated to two charities close to our hearts; St Barnabas Hospice and Blood Cancer UK, Knowing that our celebrations could also make a real difference to these amazing causes made the whole year even more meaningful.

Looking Ahead

Our 20th birthday year was filled with excitement, creativity, and gratitude, and with the new skills we've learnt and confidence we've found to pursue long-held ideas and projects, we're using it as a springboard to take Follie’s further. As we step into another year, we’ll continue our quest to bring you beautiful gifts, special finds, and all the Follie loveliness you know and love.

Thank you for being part of our journey—here’s to the next chapter!