Jolly Good Emporium

31/05/2026

Today reminded us why we love what we do.

A customer visited the Emporium this morning and found a leather bag and some glass vases she loved.

Before leaving, she mentioned she was performing around the corner at the Welders Dog Brewery this evening.

So we wandered down to show our support.

What followed was one of the most remarkable performances we’ve seen in a very long time. Powerful, moving, funny, and utterly captivating.

Thank you, Meg Washington, for a wonderful evening—and for taking the time to thank us for coming.

One of the joys of running the Emporium is that you never know who will walk through the door, or what stories the day will bring.

https://music.youtube.com/?si=CVkQ2KqsnjuqUq73

31/05/2026

🍂 A Perfect Last Day of Autumn in Beardy Street Mall 🍂

What an absolutely wonderful day we had at the Beardy Street Mall Markets today.

After a week of much-needed rain, the weather gods smiled upon Armidale and delivered perfect timing. The rain stopped almost on cue early this morning, allowing market stalls to set up, visitors to wander, musicians to play, and the mall to come alive. Then, just as the day was winding down, the rain returned around midday to continue soaking our grateful countryside.

As the final day of autumn, the mall could not have looked more beautiful. The maple trees were putting on a spectacular display of reds, oranges and golds, the fountain sparkled in the sunshine, and every corner seemed filled with conversation, laughter and community spirit.

From local makers and artists to community groups, food vendors, musicians and small businesses, there was something happening everywhere you looked. Families strolled beneath the autumn leaves, friends caught up over coffee, children explored the markets, and visitors discovered the many treasures that make Armidale such a special place.

We often hear people say, “The mall is not what it ised to be.”

Looking around today, we’d have to respectfully disagree.

A quiet mall doesn’t look like this.

Today we saw musicians performing, local businesses thriving, community groups connecting, market stalls trading, children playing, visitors exploring, and people enjoying one of the most beautiful autumn days New England could offer.

The Beardy Street Mall isn’t quiet, It simply comes alive when people give it a reason to.

One of my favourite photographs from today is of Kathy and myself standing outside The Jolly Good Emporium beneath the brilliant autumn leaves. It captures everything we love about being here — community, character, friendship, colour and conversation.

Standing amongst the autumn colours, it’s easy to see why Armidale was recently named one of the Top 100 Tourist Destinations in New South Wales. The Beardy Street Mall truly shines at this time of year.

A huge thank you to everyone who attended, organised, performed, volunteered, shopped, browsed, chatted and helped make the day so special.

Days like today remind us that a town is not defined by its buildings, but by the people who fill them with life.

🍁 Farewell Autumn. Welcome Winter.

— Wayne, Jakob, Jolly & Lee.
The Jolly Good Emporium
By Appointment with time.

29/05/2026

BREAKING NEWS: Armidale has been named one Australia's top Tourist Destinations.

Coincidentally, Channel 7 happened to capture two local celebrities, Cathy and her sister, standing outside the Jolly Good Emporium at the exact moment.

We cannot confirm whether the judges considered the Emporium's pianola, the glowing uranium glass cabinet, or Cathy's enthusiasm when making their decision... but we suspect all three played a part.

Congratulations to Armidale, the Beardy Street Mall, and all the wonderful businesses helping make our city a destination worth visiting.

15/05/2026

Some men collect furniture.
Wayne “Mr Good” adopts entire centuries.

Caretaker & owner of the mysterious Jolly Good Emporium, Mr Good is what happens when a Victorian gentleman, a museum curator, and an over-caffeinated time traveller are fused together during an unfortunate incident involving brass telescopes and emotionally significant mahogany.

By day, he glides through the Emporium in waistcoats and excellent hats, restoring dignity to forgotten objects while softly muttering:
“Ah yes… quarter-cut walnut… she’s seen things.”

By night, he ascends the creaking staircase above the Emporium where, according to local rumour, he communicates directly with antique clocks and occasionally receives spiritual guidance from a very judgemental Edwardian barometer.

Witnesses report strange phenomena in his presence:
Grandfather clocks begin ticking in unison.
Gaslight fittings flicker respectfully.
Bentwood chairs straighten themselves nervously.
And once — during a thunderstorm — an entire shelf of porcelain spaniels reportedly turned to face him simultaneously.

He possesses abilities science cannot currently explain:
identifying timber species by smell alone,
lifting sideboards with the strength of three Victorian dock workers,
and sensing uranium glass from distances exceeding several suburbs.

Some claim Mr Good can date a cabinet simply by touching the handles and whispering:
“Federation… with emotional damage.”

He has:
survived exposure to dangerous levels of nostalgia,
restored peace between feuding tea sets,
rescued orphaned decanters from unimaginative interiors,
and once halted an argument in complete silence merely by polishing his spectacles thoughtfully.

Architects admire him.
Auction houses fear him.
Small antique shops hide their best stock when his hat appears at the doorway.

It is widely believed the Emporium itself chose him long ago after he made prolonged eye contact with an unusually charismatic hallstand sometime around 2018.

Customers entering the store may experience:
sudden urges to buy Victorian umbrella stands,
emotional attachment to brass candlesticks,
or the inexplicable feeling they’ve stepped sideways into 1893.

Children wave to him.
Elderly gentlemen nod approvingly.
Even the dust motes seem organised in his vicinity.

If encountered wandering slowly through antique fairs murmuring:
“They simply don’t veneer cedar like this anymore…”
do not panic.

Approach calmly.
Offer coffee (Almond milk, flat white, regular, not too hot)
Place him near a leather armchair, a glowing lamp, and at least one slightly haunted display cabinet.

Mr Good.
Keeper of Time.
Curator of the Curious.
Last gentleman standing at the end of the modern world

15/05/2026

15/05/2026

Fresh into the Emporium from the wonderfully inventive Terina Smith — a collection of beautifully reimagined pieces where nothing ordinary stays ordinary for long.

Old pianos have become elegant bookends.
Fire extinguishers, fence posts and even antique kitchen mincers have been transformed into glowing lamps full of industrial charm.
Vintage insulators now live a second life as candle holders.
Delicate copper wire flowers bloom from tiny antique bottles.
And old sieves have been reborn as striking pendant lights that look right at home beneath the warm glow of the Emporium.

Every piece is handcrafted from salvaged and upcycled materials, each carrying a little of its former life into something entirely new. Rustic. Curious. Clever. Beautifully imperfect.

And yes — while the materials may be old, all electrics are brand new and professionally fitted.

There’s something rather magical about objects that refuse to be discarded.
A second act.
A new purpose.
A little spark of creativity where others might only see scrap.

Now available at Jolly Good Emporium, Beardy Street Mall, Armidale, 9-5pm, 7 days. Come and see what Terina has been dreaming up. ✨

04/05/2026

We have just witnessed something rather extraordinary…

A tower of timber and time — gears turning, bells calling, ropes dancing in the air — not quite a clock, not quite a machine… but something wonderfully in between.

And now, quite frankly…
we have a problem.

Because we need one.

Not a small one tucked politely on a shelf.
No no… something unapologetically magnificent.
Something that creaks, chimes, and draws a crowd.
Something that makes people stop mid-step in the mall and say,
“What on earth is that?”

Imagine it…
Right there in the Emporium…
Brass, timber, movement, sound… a living piece of theatre.

We could call it The Keeper of Hours.
Or perhaps The Clock That Refused to Behave.

Either way…
we’re now completely and utterly ruined for ordinary clocks.

Who’s with us? 🕰️🐸