The Romance Shop is altogether very sweet little card and gift shop which is nestled in a quiet little enclave on Witchurch Road in Cathays. They stock a good selection of greetings cards, a lot of which are tasteful and creative, leaving shops like Clinton standing in a race for excellence. Their limited gift range is a little predictable, but again is of a reasonable quality. Most items are porcelain, but they stock a few frames as well, although I have to say that neither ranges appeal to me personally. What I do love is the Welsh love spoons... call me a sentimental old fool if you will, but I'm a sucker for the charm of these things. I first learned about them at school when I was tasked with making one in my GED classes. So enchanted was I with the idea of these spoons that I developed my skill level to excel at the task. I was awarded an 'A', and consider it to be one of my more important achievements whilst at school!
For those of you who are not in the know, Welsh love spoons were hewn from wood by love-struck lads back in the olden days, and were presented to the subject of their affection when asking for their hand in marriage. Some of them were incredibly intricate, with beautiful spheres carved out of the solid structure, leaving four pillars to hold them in place. These acted like runners allowing the spheres to gently roll within their confines, a clever piece of marketry, that would have really wooed the ladies back then!
It looks like The Romance Shop may be on the move... I'll keep you posted if this is the case! read more