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Welcome to STMO (the
Seek the Magic Organisation) and STMO online - where every hour is the witching hour, but you
don't need to be a card carrying witch to join in the fun!
We have been making magic since before the turn of the last century and have been helping others to seek the magic for themselves
for nearly a quarter of a century. We have a history of being innovative. We strive to deliver excellence in everything
we do, and the quality of our products and the experiences that we deliver speak for themselves.
October
31st 2011 marks our 21st birthday as an attraction and we have already started to celebrate with a massive refurbishment programme
and the launch of some exciting new ventures including our very own radio station! Many of our events have been copied by others, and we take that
as a compliment - after all, if we're being copied we must be doing something right - but don't be fooled as
the original is always the best. We lead and others follow..
Founded
before the turn of the last century as the Creaky Cauldron and the Real Magic Spell Company, STMO is recognised the world
over as being the leading and most traditional manufacturer of magical wares. We make everything the old fashioned way ~ by
hand, and our attention to detail is legendary. We handcarve our wands and we know exactly what goes into every spell as we
pack every box and bag ourselves.
Everything we make reflects our love for where we live, our faith in the world
and our hope for the future as well as drawing upon the heritage of our past ~ in fact some of our herbal recipes are over
350 years old and some of the incense blends date back over 2000 years! Our labels are your assurance that, in an increasingly
disaffected and impersonal world, our boxes and bags are filled with only good things.
"We are all capable of great things. What holds us back is
fear, not ability. Living consciously means thinking about our actions, our words, our ideas and our feelings. We can all
be in touch with the greater unity, with the cosmic consciousness, with magic. The reality of magic allows us to connect with
the essential elements of life. It opens our hearts to the joy of love."
So where did it all begin?
Once Upon A Time . . .
Originally based in Greenwich in London, the company is now to be found in the mystical heart of Shakespeare's
England ~ Stratford upon Avon ~ and our magical workshops (including a fully stocked and working Apothecary) are literally
packed to the rafters with all kinds of herbs, roots, tree resins, candles and other magical ingredients. Unlike other
spell retailers and "e-tailers" you can of course come to visit us and wander through our store and apothecary.
We have over 350 different spells in our catalogue and literally have a spell for every occasion! The
one thing you can be guaranteed of is that we do not sell premade kits that have been made in a factory or warehouse abroad
and then shipped half way around the world.
Nowadays we no longer sell to other retailers, but we still
ship our entire range throughout the world and have customers that buy again and again from us. But the most exciting
development is that 2011 sees the launch of our new Franchise package - which might see one of our stores near you.....
If you're interested, in a franchise why not give us a call on 0844 824 8600
Magic Alley or Diagon Alley
So which came first, Magic Alley or Diagon Alley? An interesting
question, and here's the answer......
When we started to make spells and wands on a commercial basis we sold
them by mail order and at craft markets. As our fame and reputation spread it became obvious that we needed larger premises.
That way, we could still control the quality of the product that we make whilst being able to source and store more ingredients.
We weren't prepared to outsource the manufacturing process, preferring to keep it in house where we can control the quality!
So we set out to find somewhere suitable. It needed to be spacious, old fashioned (we have never liked modern
buildings) and traditional and it needed that essence of magic that is unique to what we do. We soon found it, just
off the Greenwich High Road.
As part of the Greenwich Enterprise Zone, in 1990, we were offered the part
of the ground floor and the whole basement of a building called Siren House - a huge brick Victorian Warehouse behind wrought
iron railings and down a cobbled street. Entry to our part of the building was a small purple door set into the side
of the building. If you weren't looking for it you wouldn't find it. But for those that were looking to
seek the magic, all they needed was to look for the sign of the Creaky Cauldron and to enter our world.
Once inside,
you went down a few steps into our magical workshops. Along a wide flagstoned corridor there were a series of arches on either
side with rooms behind them, each full of different magical things. The corridor was lit by old fashioned
gas lamps and the rooms were full of interesting and magical ingredients: there were broomsticks and wands; candles and incense;
herbs and resins in an apothecary; books and scrolls; a haberdashery full of ribbons and bells and many other things.
For all the world it looked just like a Victorian street full of magical shops - it was our very own Magic Alley.
And that was what it was called.
Seven years later, in 1997, another magical street appeared - in print, although
it wasn't until it appeared on film in 2001 that it really hit the headlines. A certain young
boy wizard was taken to a magical alley in London to buy everything he needed for his first year at Magic School ..........Wands,
books, potion ingredients, parchment and many other essential wizarding items - all of which had been readily available since
1990 in Greenwich, London.
The rest as they say, is history......... welcome to our
world!
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