Running her own Microshop is a dream come true for 23-year-old Bridie Burn, who has launched The Nerd Hut in Ipswich town centre.
She said: "It has been a dream of mine for four or five years to have a shop. I have been running the business online for a year, and that is continuing, but I always wanted to have a physical store in the town.
"People say the town centre is dying, but I think it can come back, as long as we get a good variety of independent and quirky stores."
New-retail-format-Microshops-opens-in-Ipswich
Bridie has launched her new store, offering all kinds of cult collectibles, in one of the units in the newly-launched Ipswich Microshops, the indoor market in the former Peacocks store in Carr Street.
Bridie aims to sell "everything nerd", and will be offering items including Star Wars, Dungeons and Dragons, Pokémon, and Harry Potter, as well as nostalgic toys like My Little Pony and Care Bears.
"I wanted a local portal for nerds and geeks of all fan bases to come together, and enjoy what they love with other fans," she said.
The business has grown out of her own love for comics, games and sci-fi, and her experience of often having to travel to London or Cambridge to visit shops like Forbidden Planet.
Looking forward, she is planning to hold games nights.
"A friend of mine plays Yu-Gi-Oh! Cards and he couldn't find anywhere to play them in Ipswich, but now there will be."
In the future, she said she may also possibly join forces with other "geek shops" in the town to hold events such as conventions.
Bridie, who has always lived in Ipswich, went to Stoke High School, and then Suffolk One (now One Sixth Form College). She previously worked at Costa Coffee for a short time, and as a customer service assistant at Fred. Olsen Cruise Holidays.
She also has a love of theatre and set up the theatre group Magpie Performers, which performs summer shows and pantos, and has kept going online during Covid.
"It’s very exciting to be starting a business at 23," she said. "Of course, there were some worries, as there would be for any new business owner, but I’m confident in my new venture and excited to see how it progresses.
"I have recently joked with family that now this one is open, the next goal is to have several across the country by the time I’m 30."
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