Nomads
5 King's Parade, Cambridge, CB2 1SJ
Stepping into Nomads is like finding a haven of tranquility after the bustle of King’s Parade. The shop, owned by Fin Hague, is on two floors but the lower floor really is a world in itself with an abundance of extraordinary gifts. Afghan rugs, textiles, furnishings, ceramics, hand woven shawls, salt lamps, star lanterns, Tibetan singing bowls & thangkas, tribal artefacts, crystals, fossils, and musical instruments fill the room. The range of jewellery is particularly impressive, the majority coming from Jaipur – the hub of the jewellery industry in India.
It all started when a young Fin saw photographs of his grandfather on a mapping expedition to Tibet and knew instantly that travel was in his blood too. Initially travelling to Afghanistan as a teenager and falling in love with the culture, the question was how could he fund further journeys? The answer – to find and buy beautiful items and bring them back to Cambridge to sell and the seeds for Nomads were sown.
Along with a recent refurbishment of the shop, Nomads have introduced a fabulous new collection of clothing and jewellery, designed and created in India by Francis Platt (aka Liquorice Designs Cambridge). They’re also now stocking the unique Little Nomad Jewellery range – hand crafted locally by Penny Reynolds.
When he can, Fin still manages to satisfy his wanderlust with trips, mainly to India and Nepal, to discover new aspects of the cultures as well as sourcing interesting ranges for the shop. In fact, all who work at Nomads love travel, which probably explains the friendly openness and enthusiasm of everyone there.