Stationery shop with celebrity customers threatened by ‘nightmare’ e-bikes

Samuel MontgomerySun, August 23, 2026 at 1:00 PM UTC

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A photograph taken by Choosing Keeping shows a mound of e-bikes outside its Coven Garden premises - Choosing Keeping

The owner of a stationery shop popular with celebrities has criticised a Labour-run council for allowing an e-bike parking bay outside her store.

Julia Jeuvell, who runs Choosing Keeping in Covent Garden, accused Camden council of turning central London into a “cultural desert” by failing to stand up for independent shops.

The 41-year-old said the “overflowing” electric bike parking bay had undermined her business and thwarted the area’s charm.

She told The Telegraph: “We are paying top dollar for being here and the council are piling stuff into the road. They thought that if they put it there we won’t care.

“I have sent them images of the bay overflowing. The whole area is full of lime bikes. It is unsustainable, overbearing and extremely frustrating.”

Gracie Abrams started selling stationery on Columbia Road before moving to Covent Garden - Vogue

Choosing Keeping, which started out on Columbia Road in 2012 before moving to Seven Dials eight years ago, has cultivated a loyal following.

Gracie Abrams, the American singer-songwriter who lives in London with Paul Mescal, her actor boyfriend, has hailed Choosing Keeping as her “favourite store in the world”.

In an interview with Vogue magazine last year, the Grammy Award-winning artist said she had bought a midnight-blue diary at the shop which she described as feeling “charged, energetically”.

Gemma Arterton, of St Trinian’s and Quantum of Solace acclaim, said she went out of her way to visit the “lovely” shop because it had “the most amazing stationery”.

Gwendoline Christie, the Game of Thrones and Star Wars actress, has previously singled out the “beautiful shop”.

But Ms Jeuvell said the parking bay on Tower Street had given rise to anti-social behaviour which made her workers and potential customers feel unsafe.

“We feel ring-fenced by drug dealers and anti-social behaviour,” she said. “If you have Camden as your council you have drawn the short straw. They treat small businesses with disdain.

“London has become a cultural desert. It has pretty much lost all its small businesses. They are not standing up for us.”

The business owner said the large number of e-bikes on the pavement was a dangerous nuisance.

“It affects deliveries, it can block fire exits… It has been a nightmare,” she said, adding: “People care about the community here in Covent Garden, but we have zero voice.

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“It is a miracle that we are still here. The council give us no help. They laugh at us. I feel humiliated.”

Ms Jeuvell said the bay had been moved to Tower Street from its position further down the road because residents had complained about the noise and the anti-social behaviour.

The mother of three said the reaction from the council had made it tempting to throw in the towel.

“I am just a small business, I have built this from scratch. We have 35 employees. But there are moments when I feel like I have had enough,” she said.

The shop’s stationery has fans including Gwendoline Christie, the actress - Choosing Keeping/Instagram

But Ms Jeuvell, who added that she paid £28,000 in business rates each year, said she felt she owed it to her loyal customers to keep fighting.

“People come to London for these personable businesses and I think we drive a lot of footfall,” she said, adding: “We are here to delight and make people happy through beauty. The Lime bikes are a tarnish on our business.”

Last month, Camden council’s Cabinet approved a new five-year concession contract for Camden’s dockless bike hire schemes, operated by Lime and Forest.

A council spokesman said: “Our high streets play an important role for communities throughout the borough and we are committed to seeing them thrive, particularly as businesses across the country are facing very challenging times.

“While business rates are set by the central government, we remain committed to supporting small businesses and push for business rate reforms as part of our mission to grow an inclusive and mixed economy in Camden.

“We want to assure Ms Jeuvell that we take reports of anti-social behaviour very seriously and, in line with our £1m investment this year to expand community safety patrols in Camden, we are taking action alongside the police to target this area.

“We understand the concerns raised about the bay and have been reviewing its location, with the aim of consulting in the next few weeks on an alternative.”

A Lime spokesman said: “We recognise the concerns raised by Choosing Keeping about this parking bay, and the importance of continuing to ensure it is well managed.

“This bay is being treated as a priority area. Our parking patrollers tidy and reposition bikes in this parking bay up to four times per day, while our van drivers will also collect bikes as often as necessary.

“Riders who park non-compliantly will be warned or fined, while repeat offenders may be banned from using the service.

“Given the growing demand for e-bikes, there is a clear need for more designated parking locations, especially in areas where people use them to access local businesses daily.

“Lime is committed to working with Camden council to deliver more parking that works for everyone and is responsibly managed.”

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Source: “AOL Money”