Carnival Cards

"When we first opened, we went crazy, we sold everything," says Omar (above). "My family have had this shop for 26 years. It has changed a lot, partly because of legal reasons. At one time, newsagents were only allowed to sell newspapers and sweets, that was all, not even drinks. The the law has changed now, but also supermarkets and superstores are selling everything, so we do. When the market was here, we didn't bother as we couldnt compete. When the market left, sales really went downhill. We used to sell a lot of haberdashery, with wool and ribbons and threads, but we have almost phased that out now. About 15 years ago the back of our shop was just wool, and my mum used to give sewing lessons. When that stopped making money, we made it just cards."

"My dad, whose from Pakistan, worked in textiles, and when that went downhill he bought the shop. But the first year, he didn't even know what Valentines was, he didn't have a clue," explains Omar. His assistant (above) on Valentine's Day, 2010, when the shop's Valentine's cards numbered several hundred.

Today Carnival Cards also sells household goods, food, toys and stationery, as it has done since the mid '80s. Six years ago Omar's family were going to leave, as things were so "dead", then four or five years ago, the bookshop, the deli, Venetias and Hop the toy shop opened nearby and business picked up. "This end of Chatsworth Road is much better than the other. Definitely."