My Story

Hello, my name is Anna Belinda Grand,

I am originally from Bromley, Kent and moved to Somerset with my husband over 5 years ago. In my previous life I was a Personal Trainer for over 15 years but due to Osteoarthritis in my lower back I had to change career. After working in retail for many years I decided to open Grand Interiors in Crewkerne, Somerset in 2019 and closed the shop in 2023. I renamed the business to Anna Belinda and now concentrate on selling online, markets, pop up events and I also trade at the Ilminster Emporium.

Why I named my business Anna Belinda...

My parents lived in Oxford and during a shopping trip my mother made a beeline for Annabelinda. Annabelinda was this beautiful boutique full of amazing clothes made famous in the 70's & 80's by being featured in glossy magazines such as Vogue and famous personalities had dresses made by Annabelinda.

My mum decided to buy one of their beautiful dresses (after visiting numerous shops and my father giving in and letting her buy the first dress she tried on), she said, if she ever had a daughter she would call her Anna Belinda.

All sounds lovely until I found out when I was 19 (at an interview with a temp agency) that there was more to the shop Annabelinda!

The boutique hit the headlines in 1981 when the notorious Howard Marks (Mr Big as he was known), a former undergraduate and international drugs smuggler had planned on using Annabelinda as a front for his work with the MI6 to provide a respectable front from the wealth gained from his drugs dealing.

(You can imagine the phone call to my mother!!

The company folded in 2016 but the legacy of Annabelinda lives on with designs being highly sought after by fans of vintage fashion.

Obviously this is not a legacy that I can emulate, but it makes for a good story and it is my name after all!!

Anna x