Coronavirus experience
Coronavirus, or Covid-19 to be more specific, is 2020’s biggest global event shutting the planet’s countries and populations down. As we ease out of lockdown have you had time to reflect? New Zealand announced that it is free from Covid-19 but the UK sadly still has the highest daily rate of deaths in Europe.
How has your lockdown been and where did you experience it? I’m in London of course and it has been such a surreal experience.
When news of the novel coronavirus first emerged on my radio as I got ready on cold Winter mornings it seemed so distant. It seemed like it was someone else’s problem because we (Britain) escaped SARS, MERS and bird flu until all of a sudden the virus creeped into the UK.
The current British government has been criticised for implementing national lockdown later than it should have. That must be dreadful news for all the families mourning loved ones. As a business founder and resident of a busy area in London, I feel like the gradual build up and rules implementing lockdown helped me prepare mentally and bought me time to plan some food reserves (no loo roll stockpile, it’s not my style). Once lockdown started officially I confess I was quite shocked and shuffled around my flat in a daze and disbelief. I wasn’t thinking about the boutique, I wasn’t obsessing over the next collection, over deliveries. As a nation some of us had a full stop while our heroes in the NHS and wondeful keyworkers went into overdrive.
I used to spend a lot of my time travelling to Delhi. Because Pop London is a sustainable clothing brand we have a production base there and because I am hands on with our entire supply chain I used to spend months at a time in the dust and heat of India’s national capital. I felt a bizarre trauma relief that thank goodness I wasn’t stuck in Delhi during the health crisis, unable to return home to the UK. India closed airspace and announced lockdown with four hours notice, I don’t have family in India, only a small flat in Delhi but the thought of being stuck without my independence …the thoughts! I was in India at the time of the great Indian demonetisation project also announced with four hours notice and I remembered the trauma from that experience.
It has been found that countries and regions governed by female leaders fared much better through the pandemic than others. Poor us that we’re not New Zealand or Germany and instead closer to the debacle unfolding in the USA. That ‘special relationship’ continuing down our own hell hole of leaders giving empty thoughts and prayers without accountability.
Which of your plans have been cancelled or postponed? Over half of our new collection has been postponed to Spring Summer 2021, my cousin postponed her wedding, we cancelled holidays, I cancelled my love life but we are so, so lucky that so far none in our family and friendship circle has caught the virus. Life plans and business strategies can be changed, the deep loss of sudden death of loved ones is incomparable.
After three months our boutique will re-open from June.
Live long and prosper.