Cottage Designs Boutique is a cut above the high street

“I had worked as a nurse for 28 years, but I had always been interested in clothes and fashion. My husband Glenn was a plasterer and he was working on a shop for a friend. He came home and said ‘I thought you might like it for that little boutique you always wanted.

“I loved nursing but as a ward sister I was working nights and long hours and decided the time was right to change career.”

Jane went with Glenn to look at the premises - an old cottage divided into four rooms - and thought it was perfect. She took the plunge and has not looked back.

Twenty years on, Cottage Designs Boutique, in Town Street, Farsley, is thriving. Running the shop has helped Jane through the hardest of times. In January 2021, Glenn died from prostate cancer. “We had been together for 37 years. Running the shop helped me, as well as my family and friends, many of whom I have met through the shop - I would not have got through it without them.”

The boutique stocks a wide range of designs

There are plenty of accessories

When she first took on the business Jane had no experience in retail management. “But before I left nursing I was a ward sister at Nuffield hospital in Leeds and the husband of one of the patients worked in the clothing business. After I left he advised me as to where to buy clothes. I went to Manchester and London as well as more local places. It was all new to me, completely different from nursing.”

The boutique sells classy, stylish clothing, with labels including I.NCO, ID Fashion, Cover Up, Malissa J and Bella Blue. “We stock many designs which are supplied only to us in this area, which is what my customers like. I go for quality in what I choose.

“People also love the shop itself - they like the quirkiness and character. There are little areas where customers can sit and chat. It’s a fabulous atmosphere.”

Some of the eye-catching designs

Farsley, she says, is the perfect spot. “It’s a vibrant village - it really has a buzz to it.”

Jane is helped at her shop by Nicola Barron, who has been at Cottage Designs Boutique for eight years. “Nicola is a lovely lady who has worked with me for a long time.”

Having had a career in nursing helped Jane in many ways. “It helped me in managing my business, with budgeting and of course I was used to meeting many different people, which is something I love.”

Jane hosts many charity events at the shop. “We used to support Alzheimer’s, which my mum had, so it is close to my heart and now we are raising money for Sue Ryder Wheatfields Hospice in Leeds who cared for Glenn. He did not want to go initially but then he realised that it was not just for people at the end of their life but for support for families. The staff are amazing people and are now our friends.

A fundraising evening with Jane, fourth from right

Seasonal accessories

“To fundraise we have held raffles, tombolas, girlie get togethers, and I held a race day at my home.” To date events have raised around £12,500 for the hospice.

The shop’s 20th anniversary will be marked with a “little party with sandwiches and prosecco,” Jane adds.

*Cottage Designs Boutique, 91 Town St, Farsley, Pudsey LS28 5HX

*Anyone wanting to donate to the shop’s charity fundraising for Wheatfields Hospice can contact Jane on janep@hotmail.co.uk