Dickensian fog and drain induced gloom descend
Tom becomes a hero and there is some very bad news on the drains front but we sell lots of wine in both sites, so it is not all bad.
Tom becomes a hero and there is some very bad news on the drains front but we sell lots of wine in both sites, so it is not all bad. We have revoked the decision to slap Tom and he has now run up such a goodwill credit, that it will take quite a few mishaps for him to get close to physical abuse level again. (Please do not use this as an excuse to slip, Thomas). Tom bravely manned the Slow Food Stall Friday, Saturday and today. Olly and Joe provided relief on Friday and Saturday afternoon but he was there by himself for much of it and did a sterling job. While we did not sell a huge amount, we have at least not lost any money and it was a good marketing exercise.
Friday was good but yesterday was obviously even better in Lordship Lane. Jude and I both went to sleep muttering ‘can I help you with anything or are you just browsing’ as there was an almost constant stream of people in and out and we sold some lovely wines. The new Margaux we have just listed (2001 Chateau Bessanne) is tasting incredibly good as is our new Chablis (Chateau Beru – completely organic) and we sold lots of both of those as well as a few things from our Finest of the Fine table. Not as much as last year which is telling, but a respectable amount and tomorrow is yet to come. We have found the last two years that by Christmas eve, there is a crazed gleam in the eye of shoppers. Money becomes no object as they hunt frantically for gifts as the clock ticks. Jude does not think it will be that busy. I think he is wrong, but we shall see.
While I am feeling slightly too weary this evening to be too worked up about it, we did have some very devastating news on Friday. Despite having been told that there would be access to fix the drains next week, the latest is that this day is still at least a month away. We have not got to the bottom of why this is or who has made this decision (or forced the decision to be made) but will hear after Christmas. The spectre of having to close completely for an indefinite length of time is now looming again and after having been assured that next week was irrevocably the end of the nightmare, this news was too much. I suspected that something was up when I arrived from the Fair and a delivery at about 4pm on Friday and Jude was looking incredibly wild eyed and haired and shouting into his mobile but even with a horrid sick feeling in my stomach, I did not imagine the news to be as bad as it was. Tears were shed in the back of the bar and although for an entire career I have managed to stick to my ‘thou shalt under no circumstances weep in a work environment. At least not where anyone can see you’ commandment, this has now been broken twice in the last month. Poor Giselle, Michelle and Kamila who all witnessed the spectacle looked a bit upset themselves which made me feel worse. That is one very good reason why it is such an important rule. How can I expect the team to be sparkly, happy people when I am sobbing in the back bar? Huge apologies ladies – it won’t happen again. At least not where you can see it.
We did have some bright light in the gloom though with one of our very regular customers who is a lawyer offering to help (thank you very much both Liz and James). I shall be sending all the details sometime next week when things have calmed down a bit and perhaps something else can indeed be done on the legal front.
Today has been positively Dickensian with pretty blue Christmas lights (that isn’t the Dickensian bit) twinkling through thick grey fog (that is). We have had a very different crowd in the shop which has been steady but certainly not insanely busy. Most were people that clearly don’t come in here usually, if at all so I do hope we managed to impress them enough to come in again. I really hope that the fact that we are friendly and approachable and not at all pretentious comes through loud and clear to everyone who comes in here but it is sometimes quite hard to remain, well, civil I suppose. We had a rather abrasive lady this morning who got incredibly irritable with us because we did not have a Barolo at under £10. Trying to explain that there really is no such thing can come across as hugely patronising so we did not even try but she left in quite a huff and no doubt won’t be coming back.
The bar and the shop are now very quiet so as soon as the van has been picked up, we will go home and get ready for the madness that will no doubt be tomorrow. I have become deeply attached to our van and despite the fact that having it has meant loading and unloading rather a lot of wine at the festival every morning and evening, the sheer joy of power steering (I LOVE power steering and heating are indescribable. No wonder I am usually in such a bad mood when I am delivering wine - I drive around in a small fridge that handles like a tank. They are coming to pick it up tonight and I shall probably shed a few tears as it disappears off into the distance. Oops. I Will NOT shed any tears. At least not where anyone can see me.
Friday was good but yesterday was obviously even better in Lordship Lane. Jude and I both went to sleep muttering ‘can I help you with anything or are you just browsing’ as there was an almost constant stream of people in and out and we sold some lovely wines. The new Margaux we have just listed (2001 Chateau Bessanne) is tasting incredibly good as is our new Chablis (Chateau Beru – completely organic) and we sold lots of both of those as well as a few things from our Finest of the Fine table. Not as much as last year which is telling, but a respectable amount and tomorrow is yet to come. We have found the last two years that by Christmas eve, there is a crazed gleam in the eye of shoppers. Money becomes no object as they hunt frantically for gifts as the clock ticks. Jude does not think it will be that busy. I think he is wrong, but we shall see.
While I am feeling slightly too weary this evening to be too worked up about it, we did have some very devastating news on Friday. Despite having been told that there would be access to fix the drains next week, the latest is that this day is still at least a month away. We have not got to the bottom of why this is or who has made this decision (or forced the decision to be made) but will hear after Christmas. The spectre of having to close completely for an indefinite length of time is now looming again and after having been assured that next week was irrevocably the end of the nightmare, this news was too much. I suspected that something was up when I arrived from the Fair and a delivery at about 4pm on Friday and Jude was looking incredibly wild eyed and haired and shouting into his mobile but even with a horrid sick feeling in my stomach, I did not imagine the news to be as bad as it was. Tears were shed in the back of the bar and although for an entire career I have managed to stick to my ‘thou shalt under no circumstances weep in a work environment. At least not where anyone can see you’ commandment, this has now been broken twice in the last month. Poor Giselle, Michelle and Kamila who all witnessed the spectacle looked a bit upset themselves which made me feel worse. That is one very good reason why it is such an important rule. How can I expect the team to be sparkly, happy people when I am sobbing in the back bar? Huge apologies ladies – it won’t happen again. At least not where you can see it.
We did have some bright light in the gloom though with one of our very regular customers who is a lawyer offering to help (thank you very much both Liz and James). I shall be sending all the details sometime next week when things have calmed down a bit and perhaps something else can indeed be done on the legal front.
Today has been positively Dickensian with pretty blue Christmas lights (that isn’t the Dickensian bit) twinkling through thick grey fog (that is). We have had a very different crowd in the shop which has been steady but certainly not insanely busy. Most were people that clearly don’t come in here usually, if at all so I do hope we managed to impress them enough to come in again. I really hope that the fact that we are friendly and approachable and not at all pretentious comes through loud and clear to everyone who comes in here but it is sometimes quite hard to remain, well, civil I suppose. We had a rather abrasive lady this morning who got incredibly irritable with us because we did not have a Barolo at under £10. Trying to explain that there really is no such thing can come across as hugely patronising so we did not even try but she left in quite a huff and no doubt won’t be coming back.
The bar and the shop are now very quiet so as soon as the van has been picked up, we will go home and get ready for the madness that will no doubt be tomorrow. I have become deeply attached to our van and despite the fact that having it has meant loading and unloading rather a lot of wine at the festival every morning and evening, the sheer joy of power steering (I LOVE power steering and heating are indescribable. No wonder I am usually in such a bad mood when I am delivering wine - I drive around in a small fridge that handles like a tank. They are coming to pick it up tonight and I shall probably shed a few tears as it disappears off into the distance. Oops. I Will NOT shed any tears. At least not where anyone can see me.
