A boutique in Blackheath has closed as its owner moves on to pursue her passions in animal rescue and art.
Tracey Parsons first started Blackbird Boutique in 2017, selling everything from gifts to jewellery and women’s fashion.
Despite the ups and downs of Covid — and juggling her other passions — the business became what she described as a “real community feeling shop".
Tracey said: “People would come in for a chat, try on clothes and socialise.”
However, earlier this month she took to the business’s social media to announce that the shop would close its doors for good, and it has since officially closed earlier this week.
Tracey added that many loyal customers and locals felt “saddened” to see the shop close, but “understanding” of her reasons for announcing the closure, adding that the closure was due to “choice” rather than “failure.”
Tracey decided to close the business due to the lease being offered for renewal for eight years — something she didn’t want to commit to alongside her two passions of art and rescuing animals.
Over the years Tracey has become an animal rescuer in the Blackheath and Lewisham area and has rescued and rehabilitated everything from seagulls and ducks to foxes.
She, along with her partner, works with charities such as Whitby Animal Sanctuary, Folly Wildlife Rescue and South Essex Wildlife Hospital to find, rescue and rehabilitate wildlife in Lewisham.
One of Tracey’s most memorable rescues happened earlier last year when she rescued a duck that had got stuck in Blackheath’s pond on her way to the dentist.
“I didn’t have time to get any waders on, so I went in my normal clothes because it was important to get her out quickly.
“I still made it on time to my dentist appointment and turned up with this rescued duck. When we took her back her mate was waiting for her and they swam off together.”
Another memorable rescue was Scraps the seagull, whom Tracey and her partner rescued and reared, documenting his journey on YouTube before taking him to start a new life at Whitby Animal Sanctuary.
The Blackheath community quickly rallied around Scraps, with people taking a keen interest in his progress and even helping to care for him.
The village fishmonger regularly donated premium fish off‑cuts to keep him well‑fed, which Tracey joked meant he lived on “gourmet fish” rather than scraps like his namesake.
But another of Tracey’s passions is her art, which she told News Shopper she is keen to pursue — drawing the many animals she rescues and turning them into artwork as well as greeting cards for the animal charities she works with.
Tracey explained that her art journey began during lockdown, when a friend encouraged her to create pieces for a local exhibition.
“He saw me draw a fox in pencil and said, ‘I want you to do some artwork for the gallery.’”
That push led her to complete her first three pieces — “the fox, the swallow and the owl” — which she described as “really beautiful” and a turning point in realising her creative potential.
Looking ahead, Tracey is hoping to build a career centred around her art.
“I want to focus on my strengths, which is art and painting animals and expand on that,” she said.
Her goal is to create pieces inspired by the wildlife she rescues, produce greeting cards for charities, and continue growing partnerships — selling her artwork online along with stock from brands she loves from her time at Blackbird.
“I feel like in some ways the shop caged me. I would look after animals and set them free but being tied down to a business felt like I had to stay put.
“Now it’s time for new adventures and for me to focus on where my passions lie — saving and painting animals.”
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