First Birthday Reflections
Once turned one year old in July ! We had a lovely time celebrating with friends and family, which doubled up as a private view for Lora Avedian’s beautiful Midsummer collection, now on display until 20 September. It feels like a good time to reflect on the last year, what we have loved and what has felt challenging.
One thing we have been positively delighted by is the feeling of building a community here at Once. It’s something we had assumed would happen, but over a looooong time. Instead we have found that people visiting us are really interested in our work here, and they appreciate the originality of hand made things. There is an understanding that the things we sell here are not rushed, they are instead considered for their impact on the planet and the end user. We have found that those who love this approach tend to come back, and this is so heartwarming. We thought it would be a lot of educating, teaching our customers about the process of making - but instead we have stumbled upon a rather creatively-literate community here. We love it when people pop in to tell us how much they like a teapot, ask a question about a glaze, or the history of a particular type of bowl, we love book recommendations too for our book club. And we didn’t expect that so soon, it’s been a lovely surprise to be exchanging knowledge and having in depth conversations with visitors.
Our successful first year is in a large part down to our brilliant friends and family who have shown unwavering support. We can’t thank them enough for their loyalty, whether its popping in for a cup of tea on a quiet morning or recommending us to friends, it’s been so reassuring to know that we have a group behind us quietly cheering us on during challenging times. We are proud to be part of the East Sheen Village community, which has welcomed us with open arms. As we all know, retail is so different to 10, 20 years ago. High streets are unpredictable places, often with no rhyme or reason (though we now know that the weather plays an important role) and we have chosen a lovely but fairly remote spot - which has many challenges. We believe very strongly in Once, that the things you choose for your home should be as individual as you are, that they should be responsibly produced and made with care. We know that other people feel the same as us, and our main challenge is getting that message out to a wider community in our neighbourhood and beyond.
Making pottery is a joy - yes - but it also takes a LOT of time learning, repeating, honing your skills, finding your own style, learning from ALL the mistakes. It’s a slow process, one that takes patience and a bit of grit. This is something that Lindy and I share, so we plan to be around a bit longer, and we thank you for your support so far. A x
