As of 6pm on Saturday 21 March 2020, the salon will be closed temporarily to the public until further notice in order to protect the wellbeing of our clients and staff.
In these C- word days it’s hard to imagine giving up and giving in to the virus, its contagion, the panic, the frustrations, the awful fear and the terrible feeling that all we have worked for for the last 16 years is at risk from a threat so out of anyone’s control.
Let me tell you we have seen it all. A post by our fellow shop keepers really brought that home to me:
“Of Cabbages and Kings and Knit with attitude have survived a global financial crisis, a double-dip recession, 4 elections resulting in 9 years of austerity, 25% of high street shops closing in the UK, the turmoil and uncertainty of Brexit, and 2020 kicked off with no less than 3 storms in 4 weekends, and we said “But hey! We’re still standing!”
Add in some really nasty burglaries, death and cancer, the other c-word, and it’s a wonder we didn’t cave long before now.
Except that it’s all been tempered with most wonderful clients in the world, amazing music and art creators and dream teams of the most talented hairdressers in the land. We’ve been having a blast, if you want to know the truth. We may not have many choices as covid-19 advances, but we are actually not done just yet so looking forward to seeing you all again when the dust settles.
I imagine the UK will soon go into lockdown following behind so many other countries. After just a few days in confinement in France I can tell you it is really hard, and sometimes very pleasant The quiet is astonishing. The enforced absolute slow down is quite healing once you stop fighting against it. It is at once eerie and peaceful.
I have seen so many of you posting, proposing and organising to look after each other and those more vulnerable people in our neighbourhood these last few days it has been absolutely inspiring. Please keep doing that as long as possible. My pride in the N16 community is so immense- you all have the greatest spirits. All our local shops and businesses have met this thing head on turning themselves around into every creative type of go getter possible. All the bosses and employees have given theirselves into this challenge to help payrolls get made, jobs saved, customers satisfied and chances shook to try for keeping our community full of local independent retailers when the crisis settles. We are up against a thing never seen before and everyone is sympathetic to the struggle. Still and all, it’s time to stop now you guys, it’s time to go home, take care of families and let nature do her job.
My deepest gratitude to Maggie, Anila, Ida and Enea who have kept the salon running this last week. It’s so hard to ask them to do what I myself can’t do. I have offered that they stop everyday as the situations evolve but they have insisted to soldier on. The Fomo has been real from over here in quarantine land. I have been sick with the fear that it has been wrong to do but also sick with the fear of putting people in financial jeopardy. I tell you what, if you ever had to go to war, you would want Maggie on your team.
But for now, it’s time to shut the door and flatten the curve. My priority is the well being of all of my staff and clients.
Please take good care, stay in once they give the orders. Find yourself a project, a few projects. Do lots of virtual things. Stay in touch, above all – do that please.
With deepest gratitude,
Until further notice,
All love,
Maryna Fontenoy
