We are in!

At last! The last year brought about a complete change to normal life. For many it was heart breaking and beyond difficult. For me it was a relief, it gave me a welcome break, a chance to stop running around like a mad woman getting my daughter to all of her activities, running the house (which never seemed to happen), doing the paperwork for my husband’s business, running my own business and never seeming to get to the end of my list of jobs to do. For the first part of lockdown I just stopped. I enjoyed the quiet, the simpleness of our new normal and vowed to change how our lives worked when we were let out.

Then towards the end of the year, Katie and I came up with the idea of starting a business. The idea wasn’t brand new. We had both toyed with similar ideas independently on and off for years, but when a shop we had both coveted came up for rent the idea of a real business took flight. We didn’t even get to see inside that property but by that time we were hooked and scouring the internet for alternatives. Over the next few months our ideas grew, shrank, changed, went back to the starting point and changed again. Each property had different potentials and opened doors to additional opportunities but we both loved the building on St Marys Street and the deal was done.

Lockdown number 3 put a spanner in the works and we kept everything crossed that the paperwork at the solicitors didn’t happen too quickly. Then, as the country was given a potential roadmap out of lockdown, everything started to happen. We still didn’t dare to get too excited. Secret and fleeting trips through wool and fabric wholesalers kept the excitement bubbling but it has only been in the last few weeks that we truly dared to believe that this dream would actually become a reality.  

Then the madness started. Tills, Coffee machines, Sinks, Tables, chairs, flooring, doors, walls, paint, wool, shelves, baskets, toys, sofas, cups, lids, internet, slippers, clothes, hair, cakes, beans, shelf height, websites, card machines…… the list is endless, terrifying and super exciting.

Bringing together our Virtual Fairs, local sellers and some amazing small businesses these last few weeks has been incredible. I can’t say we were super organised with immaculate business plans and schedules. We don’t work that way. But we had plans. We had figures worked out (well Katie did). We knew what we needed to do and how we wanted it to work. We knew we wanted to build a community. Work with others, bring businesses and people together in one place. To create a space where people can come to not be alone. To craft together, learn together. Be together from birth to forever. Now we are nearly there.

Yesterday we got the keys!!!!! Happy dances and a few squeals later we descended on The Place Stamford and work began.