RAMSBOTTOM IS ON TOP

Whether it’s the garlic, the businesses or the people, there’s something magic about Rammy

- Mairead Mahon

Ramsbottom was once surrounded by garlic – its name means ‘Garlic Valley’ – and it seems that the plant, which is reputed to ward off bad spirits and bring positive energy, might still be working its magic. The town is attracting an ever increasing number of businesses and residents.

It was certainly a love of the town that prompted Gu Shiyin to move here and to open his specialist tea shop, ‘Tea Atelier’.

‘My wife and I would often visit wishing we lived here so when we saw the empty shop – a pretty rare thing in Ramsbottom – we took the plunge,’ says Gu who is such an authority on all things tea that Chinese State TV asked him to make a documentary about it.

‘I blend several of the teas – we usually have about 35 or so, as well as a couple of seasonal guests: autumn teas will be gingerbread and sweet lemon with rum,’ says Gu who sometimes finds himself advising on the health properties of tea.

‘Tea can help with a variety of ailments like digestive or skin problems. Mind you, I haven’t started my daughter, Vivienne, on tea yet. She is only two and, believe me, she doesn’t need anything to boost her energy levels,’ says Gu who also sends his teas out to fans across the world.

Coffee isn’t a banned substance as Gu also serves several varieties but you won’t find any tea bags. All tea is loose and if you want to take some home, it’s weighed out in a traditional brown paper bag.

That’s something that Abbie Sellars, 27, approves of because she is on a mission to make Ramsbottom an official plastic-free town. Abbie, who describes herself as an eco-warrior, has been running Plentiful, a plastic-free shop for just over a year and estimates that she has saved a million pieces of plastics from being used.