And all through the house…
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
Well it strangely felt like Christmas Eve to me, but without the excitement and boot full of presents.
I called into William & Victorias after work, for a well earned pint of Theakston’s IPA and mine host David said “ it’s funny… it just feels like Christmas Eve’… so it’s not just me!
Another client I fitted a suit for earlier on the eve of lockdown 2, told me he was out with a young lady in Harrogate later and thought it could be like a night in Benidorm ? (I doubt he’s ever been to Benidorm).
Whatever the real reasons, for ‘Lockdown 2’, as law abiding citizens, the bricks and mortar shop of Messrs Rhodes-Wood and Sons (forgive me for slipping into a Dickensian theme, it’s the mention of Christmas) is closed until we are instructed by Mr Johnson, that we can re open.
So that makes today ‘Christmas Day’?…. err no… it doesn’t.
Last lockdown, I gained the best part of a stone in weight, so this time I’ve got to lose a stone or more.
The cupboards were stripped bare of naughty but nice things and deposited in the local food bank, there weren’t any presents and we took some exercise in the form of a brisk walk… but I’m looking forward to dinner, I don’t like Turkey, so it’s no hardship that there isn’t the Christmas bird in the oven.
It’s a mixed bag of emotions as I listened to my clients, who are generally very bright leaders and captains of industry, with bucket loads of common sense. I haven’t heard one of them condone this new lockdown, but also as law abiding citizens we tow the line.
The amount of times, I’ve forgotten a face mask and not entered a business where I would have spent, has been more than several.
Sometimes I have been politely reminded by staff to pull my face covering up, if I’d forgotten to, however the other day having pulled my mask down for four seconds so that my phone could recognise my face to pay the pie man, I was aggressively ordered to cover my face, when I explained I was only trying to pay them…”use your pin like everybody else”
It’s not that I mind being guided or politely asked… I will gladly oblige, I just struggle with being told!
Anyway pork pies aren’t a part of my life this month, and there are other excellent purveyors of pork products once the weight is off… meaning I won’t be darkening their door again.
Instagram has become an important platform for us and the fact that a picture paints a 1000 words has gained us some good new customers.
I plan to be in the shop at least once a week to serve customers ‘face to face’ albeit via zoom calls, now I’ve learned how to do it!
I hope that I can answer questions and show our ranges via this medium… if you would like to arrange a call, please send me an email to set up an appointment.
Aside of all the frustration of having to close, having slowly rebuilt the business to a respectable level (it was a slow process), I will try to tackle some of the jobs that need doing at home, ignoring my partner as she whistles the theme tune from ‘Some Mothers Do Ave Em’…and insisting on calling me ‘Frank’ as soon as I pick up a paintbrush… there is work to be done and it takes my mind off pies.
If you are reading this and have got this far, may God bless you and keep you and your families safe and well, whilst the firm of Messrs Rhodes-Wood and Sons looks forward to re opening and welcoming you back to peruse it’s wares and gentleman’s finery.
‘Merry …….
Jeremy
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