Old-style fabric rucksack patches have proved to be a business inspiration for one Keswick mum.
Caroline Fisher started making the patches on her kitchen table in the hope that they might appeal to walkers visiting the Lake District.
Three years later demand is such that the 43-year-old, who previously worked as a mental care lawyer, has just opened her first shop in Packhorse Court.
Conquer Lake District now offers more than 40 different self-designed patches, including designs for Wainwright baggers, individual mountains and various Lakeland towns.
And they are now available in over 35 stockists across the Lake District, and as far afield as Snowdonia.The shop also sells a range of locally-made products, including clothing, greetings cards, perfume and even beard oil.
“I got the idea when my husband Martin bought a camper van,” Caroline said. “He was on about getting camping stoves and sleeping bags for it, but I thought it needed patches and stickers – something really Instagrammable.
“When I looked around I couldn’t see anything that looked really cool, so I decided to have a go myself. I don’t have any design experience, but I taught myself to use computer software to turn my pencil drawings into something which I could send to a manufacturer.”
The shop is the first step in what Caroline hopes will become a nationwide business – although she admits it hasn’t always been plain sailing.
‘’At the beginning we took some samples to the mountain festival and they absolutely bombed – nobody bought them.
“But I was convinced it was a great idea, and gradually word started to spread and things really took off.”
