Ashley Janney and Jonathan Cryans (middle left and middle right) are the owners of three successful businesses in one Louth shopping complex. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
A couple from Louth have turned the uncertainty of COVID-19 lockdown into an exciting career venture, and are now running three businesses at once in the town.
Jonathan Cryans (26) and Ashley Janney (30) are business partners that run a menswear store, a sewing shop and a salon in New Market Hall, Louth, and they recently got engaged after five years together.
They began in March 2018 with the opening of The Little Sewing Shop, selling cushions and other home furnishings, as well as offering tailored services for clothes.
The Little Sewing Shop has been at New Market Hall in Louth since March 2018. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
When the first coronavirus lockdown hit, Ashley, who is the head designer and director for the sewing shop, made a bold call to buy the unit next door and turn it into a workshop.
Ashley Janney is the director and head designer at The Little Sewing Shop. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Ashley would regularly get customers for weddings, having the local community come to him to tailor suits, and that’s when Janney & Cryans Menswear was born.
Janney & Cryans Menswear at New Market Hall in Louth. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
The shop opposite The Little Sewing Shop had previously been a menswear shop, but Ashley and Jonathan made it into their own and opened in June 2020.
That was then followed by The Loft, an upstairs salon run by Jonathan himself, which also opened last June.
Jonathan Cryans runs The Loft, an upstairs salon in close proximity with the other two businesses. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Ashley told The Lincolnite that the success of the businesses has been a result of making the right decisions at the right times.
“You’ve just got to enjoy your job, you spend more time at work than you do at home, so it’s all about finding something you love”, he said.
“We made a choice during the first lockdown to invest in the business and not just expand the sewing shop, but also open the menswear shop and the salon.
“It came to the point where you either fight or die, and despite everybody calling me crazy, I went for it and here we are today.”
Eye-catching decor at The Little Sewing Shop. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
During the local elections in 2021, The Heritage Party ran for council in Louth, and their policies of being against the Black Lives Matter movement, as well as same-sex marriages, caused controversy within the community.
The staff are a really tightly knit team. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
This is something that deeply upset Jonathan and Ashley, though they say they say they’ve never really encountered any forms of homophobia within their business.
Ashley said: “I guess it’s never really come up in conversation, it’s hard to take and sad knowing that people think like that.
“We have new customers every single day, it’s just reassuring that it’s only a small minority who have those views.”
Ashley works most days, but says it never really feels like work because of how much he loves doing it. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Jonathan said: “If you are LGBT you can still run a successful business. You can lead a normal life and be a ‘stable’ member of society.
“It seems so backward to even have to be fighting for this in 2021. But things have come so far and I refuse to not fight for equality.”
Jonathan Cryans at The Loft. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Since reopening, all three businesses have boomed, with the help of a growing online presence and word of mouth.
Janney & Cryans Menswear specialises in smart clothing and footwear. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Ashley explained: “The community has kind of spread the word, I think it works well having all the businesses close together.
“Our local regulars supported us a lot through lockdown to keep us afloat, and since then it’s gone from strength to strength.”
| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
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A replacement imp has been selected as a temporary placeholder for the Community Imp that was smashed in half by a vandal, and it should be put up in Lincoln city centre this week.
The city was sent into shock last week when one of the 30 imps from this year’s Lincoln Imp Trail, The Community Imp designed by Sian Bristow and a local schoolgirl in tribute to the NHS, was destroyed by a 20-year-old man.
Bradley Pennell, of Ogilvy Drive in Bottesford, Scunthorpe was charged with criminal damage after the imp was cut in half in the early hours of Wednesday, July 21.
The imp was cut in half and has now been moved from its spot by organisers of the trail, Lincoln BIG.
He has been released on bail and is due to appear at Lincoln Magistrates’ Court on August 5.
There have been calls from the public for him to pay for all the damages if found guilty.
There were genuine concerns that the imp, which is valued at around £20,000, might not be able to be repaired, but the good news is that a fix job will happen.
The imp has been destroyed.
In the meantime, organisers Lincoln Business Improvement Group were looking for a placeholder to put at the spot of the Community Imp on Guildhall Street.
After a Twitter poll to allow the public to decide which they’d prefer, a bright red imp was selected and will go in place of the Community Imp on Friday, July 30 or Monday, August 2, on a temporary basis.
The red sculpture will be in place until the Community Imp is ready. | Photo: Lincoln BIG
The prototype was designed by an artist called Denise McCoid from Hull, depicting a shiny red colour on the traditional design for all the sculptures on the trail.
It is unclear when the damaged imp will be repaired and back where it belongs, but it should be okay in time for the auction on Lincolnshire Day, October 1, where the imps are sold to raise money for St Barnabas Hospice.
Lincoln City have made their sixth signing of the summer transfer window, completing a deal to bring pacey winger Hakeeb Adelakun to the club.
The 25-year-old joins the Imps with 200 senior appearances to his name, and will cost Lincoln nothing after being made a free agent this summer, when his contract at Championship side Bristol City expired.
Hakeeb has previous experience in Lincolnshire, having become Scunthorpe United’s youngest player ever when he made his debut nine years ago at the age of 16 years and 201 days.
He helped Hull City win the League One title while on loan last season and is hoping to provide the quality in the final third for Lincoln City this season.
The creative wide man is the sixth signing of the transfer window for Michael Appleton’s side, joining Lewis Fiorini, Chris Maguire, Dan Nlundulu, Josh Griffiths and Lasse Sorensen.
Hakeeb Adelakun could provide that spark for the Imps. | Photo: Chris Vaughan / Lincoln City FC
Hakeeb said: “I’m absolutely buzzing to get this done and excited for the opportunity. I know Tom Hopper well so I’ve been speaking to him about the club, he’s really drawn me in and made me think I want to get on this journey.
“I like to get at defenders and make stuff happen, to create opportunities and score goals myself.
“Whenever I’ve played against Lincoln there’s always been a lot of noise and atmosphere, so I can’t wait for those fans to be on my side.”
Manager Michael Appleton added: “Hakeeb is a talented winger who has good experience at League One, and has also played at a higher level.
“He is a pacey and creative player, and a good addition to our attacking options.”
Staff looking after the terrapin enclosure at the popular Lincolnshire Wildlife Park near Boston were left scratching heads when an unexpected new resident appeared in the pond.
The four-inch diamondback terrapin was found a little shell-shocked after its former owner snuck him in and released him into the enclosure, which houses much larger species of terrapin.
He stood out a mile in the naturalistic pond, which is home to three Trachemys species, carefully hand selected to be well equipped and healthy in the pond.
The abandoned little terrapin would have been at risk of injury or possible drowning had he not been rescued by the staff at the park.
The National Turtle Sanctuary at the park now houses over 200 terrapins, giving forever home to animals that have been abandoned, rescued, or whose owners could no longer care for them, since 2020.
Andy Ferguson, from the charity, said the keepers removed the terrapin from the enclosure and found he had previously had a debilitating eye condition the the team vets were reviewing.
He said: “Our teams’ quick actions have saved this little guy’s future from possible injury or even possible drowning within the enclosure. We have moved him to an individual quarantine tank for observations whilst we await veterinarian instruction for treatment for his eyes.
“Pet terrapins aren’t accustomed to living in natural ponds, outside and with other species. By placing the animal into this pond the owner has endangers its life – rather than what we suspect was the intention – giving it a better one.
“We provide forever homes for thousands of animals at the sanctuary and we are here to help the animals, not to judge the owners, so if you are considering rehoming, reach out to us.”
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