If you live near Ely in Cambridgeshire, or if you are fortunate enough to visit this beautiful little city, possibly to look at the eleventh century cathedral known as The Ship of the Fens, possibly to walk along the River Ouse, or maybe to go to the market, or maybe you’re just passing through on the way to somewhere else… whatever reason you might be in Ely, I really recommend you visit the shop a friend of mine has just opened. in the High Street, and it is called The Eel Catchers’ Daughter.
Some think that the name Ely comes from Eel-eye, meaning Eel Island… and certainly the fens around the Isle of Ely are full of eels which used to be caught by eel-catchers; I think there maybe one remaining eel-catcher still working, but it is no doubt another country trade which is fading away.
However, the Eel-Catcher’s Daughter is a brilliant new shop selling all sort of interesting and very different and original items, such as things for the home,and jewellery and soaps, and candles, paintings… and stuff!
I loved the airy and spacious feel to the shop, it wasn’t crammed with goods like some shops are, but beautifully laid out and arranged so the items for sale were easy to see and tempting!
Good luck to Helen whose shop it is! She deserves to do well and I look forward to visiting again!
Lois Elsden 
I’d love to know why she called the shop “Eel Catcher’s Daughter”
I worked on a documentary once about the history of “pie & Mash” shops. At 2.30 in the morning in the middle of January we waited in the freezing rain for a delivery from Holland of thousands of live eels to an eel wholesaler. The truck that arrived and it was like a petrol tanker. A long hose was connect and run into the small shed, where thousands of eels were exacuated into a massive tank. The Slogan on the side of the truck was “Eels on Wheels” – I kid you not.
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What a great story! Eels on Wheels… I love it!
Helen explains the idea behind the name here:
http://www.ely-news.co.uk/News/Treasure-trove-to-open-in-Ely-High-Street-20131022135936.htm
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Have you read Waterlog by Roger Deakin? Quite apart from being a beautifully written book about ‘wild swimming, it includes a long chapter all about the eel catchers in the fens around Ely.
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It is on my to-read list – thanks for reminding me… I used to swim in the Cam as a child and canoed along the Ouse so it is definitely a book I must read! Thanks again!
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I did a paper when I was in grad school about eels in England. It was a paper for a nutritional anthropology seminar. It’s still a fascinating subject to me ☺ xx
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I find eels quite creepy…. and all those teeth…!! You would love Helen’s shop… if you ever come to visit I’ll take you there!
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