Evolution – the family says farewell to the Torrance Gallery

As we note in the Our Story section of the Quaichshop website, retailing quaichs grew out of our bricks and mortar Angles shops, in Edinburgh’s Morningside and Corstorphine districts.  Angles opened in 1987, and our stores were an integral part of the high street shopping experience at both locations until 2017.  The high street stores themselves grew organically out of Fiona’s family’s original business, the Torrance Gallery, which has been an important presence on Edinburgh’s gallery scene since 1970.  The Torrance Gallery was originally set up by Fiona’s parents David and Florence Torrance, with picture framing supplied by David and his son Brian.  In due course, Brian took over the running of the Gallery, in partnership with his wife Joanne.

Fiona, Brian and Joanne were partners in Angles, and the other members of the immediate family, including sister Pauline, were also involved throughout the last 40-odd years.  The whole family has worked together in buying for the Gallery and Angles, including beautiful craft jewellery and other gift items – a wide range of quaichs naturally featuring highly in recent years!

Time catches up with all of us, however, and Brian and Jo decided to retire in March of this year, a year short of the half Century for the family business!  They ensured that their careers in the Gallery went out with a bang, as they hosted the hugely talented John Lowry Morrison (Jolomo) and Tom Watt for their final two exhibitions.  The beautifully crafted jewellery of Sheana Stephen featured in the final Christmas exhibtion, in December 2018.

Happily, the Torrance Gallery marches on, under new ownership.  Fiona McCrindle, who owns the Edinburgh Drawing School, has now taken over the running of the Gallery, and she has just sent out invitations to the first private view and exhibition of her era.  We’d like to wish Fiona all the very best of success in her exciting new venture!

Concentrating her focus on internet shopping, and the development of Quaichshop as the premier source for the purchase of quaichs by individual and corporate clients, means that Fiona (Reid) will continue to carry the baton, first gripped by her mum and dad, and supported by the rest of the family, onwards and upwards!