Obviously the circumstances for having to stay home for months on end have been incredibly sad and we send our wishes and thoughts to all our customers, suppliers, supporters and followers. However, this new reality has got us thinking… maybe some things have turned out better as a result of everyone having to hit the stop button? Here’s a run through our 5 things we’ve loved and 5 things we’ve loathed about lockdown.

 1. The reversal of damage to the environment has to top our LOVE list. Seeing pollution levels drop, visibly in some countries, and hearing storied of dolphins returning to the waters of Venice warmed our heart and reminded us how important it was to look after our precious planet;

2. It was almost as if Mother Nature rewarded us with unseasonably warm and sunny weather, which has lasted weeks. To be honest, we can count on one hand how many times it’s rained during lockdown and we LOVE how much better that’s made everyone feel;

3. However, there are two ways to look at the subject of weather – we really feel for those without their own outdoor space, we LOATHE the fact that they can’t get out at all in some areas, and that our ability to visit the places we usually would on a sunny day has been seriously curtailed;

4. We blogged last time about the sadness we felt at how our spiritual home of Spain had been so badly affected by the virus. We LOATHE the fact that the factory where our amazing boots are made had to shut down, costing local people their livelihoods, albeit temporarily. We’re delighted that things are now opening back up and that we’re still here to pick up where we left off and provide even more of you with wonderful, sustainable, lasting quality products;

5. Living in a small, quintessentially English village during lockdown has been amazing. We LOVE the community spirit that’s popped up, with people caring and looking out for each other. We’ve seen the creation of an official support group for those who really can’t leave their homes as well as the local pub turning to a take-away menu and even buying a pizza oven;

1. Talking of reinventions, we also LOVE the levels of inspiration and innovation that we’ve seen from the business world. From pivoting overnight to produce medical products which are in short supply, to finding ways to keep the cash flowing and survive ready to serve customers again sometime soon;
2. However, for some businesses this has been a stretch too far and they’ve not survived. People may have been furloughed or lost their jobs as companies have folded and we LOATHE that this has had to happen. Let’s hope the caring side of our communities continue to flourish after lockdown and we can support one another to get back to something resembling normal;
3. On a personal level, we also LOATHE how this crisis has kept families apart, even at the most testing of times, through illness, birth, stress and celebration. We’ve known many, many lockdown birthdays and we’re hoping there’s going to be the biggest celebration of life and love once this is all over;
4. We had such plans for 2020, a year that will now go down in history for all the wrong reasons. We were excited about visiting Seville for the festival of the Horse this month, and it would have been wonderful to have supported the Olympic equestrians in the summer. We LOATHE that we’ve had to cancel plans and couldn’t bring you happy reports of our travels;
5. But we LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that there’s always tomorrow. The late, great Maya Angelou once said “I’ve learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.”

Amen to that – wishing you all health happiness and freedom in the future.