Dropping into this shop on Midsomer Norton High Street is a real collectors' dream, which is why owner Kelly Copeman and her team have welcomed visitors from America, France, North Wales, all over Somerset and of course from the big cities, including London.

Magpie Vintage & Curiosities is a delight, stocking everything from vintage clothing to contraptions to look inside your ears ; the perfect place to exclaim 'look at that'. So Midsomer Norton Nub News was happy to drop in and find out more.

From spicy to nice - make mine a Babysham

Owner Kelly Copemanm, who started Magpie four years ago this coming October, described her friendly and welcoming shop: " A vintage and a curiosity shop, but also with an area with alternative gifts, crystals and candles. So we stock the unusual vintage, the quirky and unusual, china and gems, clothes and accessories and all our vintage is with an alternative edge. "

To those not in the know, vintage means over 50 years old, so it can be retro clothing from the 1970s, but now that too has come round more than once, it can include items from the 90s. Kelly told us : " We are not like the charity shops in fact we are not like anything else in Midsomer Norton, everyone has created their own niche and ours is that we are not an antique shop, or an alternative shop, or a jewellery shop. We sell the quirky, unusual, unique (and affordable) things you will not find elsewhere, all here in Midsomer Norton. So you do not need to go into Bristol or Bath - we have them HERE "

All most unusual from doll parts to vintage ophthalmoscope (to look in people's ears)

Sourced from fairs, charity shops and fetes, Kelly can also sell on your behalf ( on commission) as long as your vintage items fit with the Magpie vibe (and only by appointment) again contact here HERE

It pays to be curious, and also surprised, so what unexpected things have Kelly and her team sourced ?

" Tea pots are hard to source, " admits Kelly. " and I cant always source watches at the right price. With teapots people get very attached to them and don't seem to want to part with them, they love their tea. Then last year as students headed off to university we had lots of them ask for butter dishes... .. who knew."

How important is Midsomer Norton High Street ?

" Midsomer Norton High Street should be loved, because it IS lovely, " insists Kelly who has lived and worked in Midsomer Norton all her adult life. " But it is not getting the attention it deserves. Sadly there was a lack of investment and interest in our town's High Street in the past, but I am very hopeful that will change with the new council.

"What I would like to see is some help with rents for existing and new businesses; so shops like us find it tough and it has been hard over the past few years, so anything that can be done to help. And some support please from landlords; they could rent out their places and get them looked after perhaps if they dropped their rents a bit."

Two small gems of ideas to ignite local business

Kelly tells us there are easy things that could help:

"On a practical level, I found it difficult to find out HOW to find out about renting space. That is really difficult - there are empty shops but it would be great if there was an easy place, one place to find out HOW to rent them if you were a small business. Just a hub on the Town Council web site, a navigation tool like Right Move but for the empty shops on the High Street.

"And one more easy-peasy thing, put up a notice board in the centre of town. That way people can hear about things happening in Midsomer and get news for businesses. We have some fantastic new businesses in town like the dog cafe but every one of us has had to work really hard to find out where to get help and how to get a place to rent. A notice board would be a simple way to get messages out to everyone. "

Find your unexpected at 109a High Street, Midsomer Norton, or contact them directly at [email protected]