Shoppers and the occasional tourist in Chipping Norton emerging from the grip of this bitter winter will have been warmed by a new arrival on the town’s retail scene.

The Persian Shop has brought a real flash of colour to the High Street, with its evocative blend of carpets, materials and art sourced largely from Iran, birthplace of its co-founder Sakine Faulkner.

Ms Faulkner came to England in 1976, before going to university and qualifying as an accountant at the age of 33.

For many years, she was unable to return to her home country because of the Iran/Iraq war and then, when her Persian passport expired, she was unable to return on a British passport.

Eventually, in 2005, the ban was lifted and she was able to apply for an Iranian passport which allowed her to travel home, along with her husband Nick, 49, and daughter Jasmine, 14.

But even then that could only happen once the couple had gone through a second — Islamic — marriage ceremony.

Ms Faulkner, 54, said: “We went to London and were married in half an hour in front of a mullah which gave us a piece of paper and a photograph to prove it.”

But the effort proved worth it as, to Ms Faulkner’s delight, her husband fell in love with Iran and the hospitality of its people.

And it also helped her to start fulfilling an ambition she had held for many years.

“It had always been my dream to import Persian carpets, and when I came to Oxfordshire, I decided to go ahead with it.

“I have started very small by getting to know our suppliers in Iran.”

During their visits the couple have collected a wide range of beautiful items and now they have taken the plunge and bought a shop in Chipping Norton in which to sell them.

But rather than rely on suppliers to export carpets and other items to the Faulkners in the UK, she sources her stock herself in Iran, which she says is easier.

“I like the whole process of finding the things I really like. There is a particular supplier out there who finds items for me, and has access to a good variety of towns, because every town has something special to offer.

As a result, the shop stocks a wide range of hand-knotted silk and wool Persian rugs and carpets, plus a highly unusual collection of Iranian handicrafts, including pottery and enamelled copper.

Block printed cloth is also a speciality, with the materials being used for sofa covers and tablecloths.

You might imagine that such genuine rugs and carpets would be very expensive, but the Faulkners say there is something suitable for every budget and that includes the range of tablecloths and delicately-painted enamelware.

“Each carpet has its own style and cultural reference and we pride ourselves on understanding the whole process,” added Ms Faulkner.

The top two floors of the shop have also been transformed into an art gallery, which will be a space for local arists to exhibit, as well as a place to exhibit Iranian pieces.

At the moment, work from Ms Faulkner’s mother-in-law, Ann Faulkner, adorns the walls, along with that of London-based Mark Wydler. An exhibition will be running until March 5, while there are also plans to celebrate the Persian New Year, which falls around March 21.

Local reaction to the shop has been very positive since it opened in December ,and Ms Faulkner is confident it will be a success.

“People are very pleased and surprised with what they see when they come in.

“What we offer is different to the big stores. It is very good quality and our mark-up is nowhere near them.”

Mr Faulkner is running the store in between his work as an agent for German windows company Weru, while Ms Faulkner is continuing her work as a freelance accountant, until the business becomes more established.

The couple have high hopes for their new business, despite the recession, and firmly believe it could take off in the spring, when home owners look to improve their properties with some genuinely original materials.

o Contact: The Persian Shop, 01608 730721.