A little History

The Baytree began in 1988 and was the inspiration of Rosalind McNeice and Jenny Osborough. Rosalind's daughter Rozanne was at Art College, studying ceramics, and this led Rosalind to wonder where all the young potential ceramic artists could exhibit or sell their work. So, in the autumn of 1988, she and Jenny established a small pottery shop in the premises which is now Busibodies.

They felt that the shop needed the additional draw of some food to attract people in-remember that at that time there was very little happening at our end of Holywood-so they also opened a little coffee house at the front where The Abbey Bookshop now is. Stacs was already there, and Little Leaf was a hairdresser's salon. There weren't double yellow lines on the road outside.

Early the following year the present Baytree building (minus the 2002 extension) was completed, and Rosalind and her team felt they needed a cook. They recruited Sue Farmer and the pottery and coffee house amalgamated under one roof.

The shop and coffee house grew gradually, and Sue took over the coffee house in September 1994. Rosalind retired in 2002 and Sue became a shopkeeper as well as a cook! Retail is in her blood-does anyone remember Prices Ltd of Mountpottinger?