When lockdown started we had a few strategies. Initially sales online flattened, I understand this happened to most of the non essential online businesses. If the truth be told it very quickly picked up and we have been very busy online. But it’s a different busy as we are dealing with very few businesses and 95 per cent of orders have been with the Great British Public. In fact, when panic stations set in around the end of March my web designers, who are also my business gurus, told us to stay calm and that orders will come back swiftly. And that’s our excuse for not keeping the blog running through the pandemic. It’s now nearly 50 days and today is the Sunday of the VE Weekend when Mr Johnson will be making announcements to ease the lockdown. We are not so sure. With thanks to all our online customers we are very fortunate in that we can perhaps stay closed longer and wait for more positive data to come back from the Government. That’s probably how best to play this one out – no rush. The birds are singing, we have had time to talk to neighbours and some improvements around the house have been carried out but nowhere near as much as we thought. On many days we have just read books and slowed life down a little.

We live in semi rural Dorset and occasionally a plane will use the flight path close to us to descent in to Bournemouth Airport ( currently stacking British Airways aircraft ). This morning as we were getting up we heard the engines close by of what sounded like a 747. We rushed out on to the balcony to see what was flying in, we are taking a lot more interest these last few weeks as it’s usually military planes but up above our house in a turn towards Bournemouth a 747 was flying low. Its’ livery was red, a huge heart followed by the letters NHS and then a red painted tail. Lisa has an app on her phone identifying the flight route. This plane had taken off 10 hours ago from a city in Northern China – no doubt full up with PPE equipment. How the world has changed it a couple of months. Our best wishes to all our customers. Keep safe everyone and we are very grateful for your custom, kindness and time.