Postponement of February 2021 Willow Days - Tues 26th Jan.

Postponement of February 2021 Willow Days – Tues 26th Jan

Copy of the email sent out to those due to attend one of my February Willow Days. Sarah X

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Dear, (insert name of wonderful would be weaving woman or man…)

Firstly, I hope that each of you and your families are doing well.

As all of you will have undoubtedly already realised, sadly I am having to postpone our Willow Day together.

Thank you to each of you who have already made contact with me about our February Willow Day. Please accept my apologies that I haven’t already individually replied to you. Partly a combination of being unexpectedly plunged back into home schooling my 2 girls and sorting my tax return. Mainly though I’ve been delaying on rolling out new dates in late Spring / Summer for my postponed Willow Days, (December and January as well as February), thinking that at some point soon I would finally get a grip on what is happening with Covid rates in the South West, with lockdown and with the vaccination programme. This would culminate in my having enough certainty to set a new date for our Willow Day together that would never ever ever have to be postponed again…. Now I realise that this is just too much wishful thinking!

I do realise that for some of you we are now heading into Willow Day Covid-19 postponement x2 or x3 territory. I’m sure that you can (still!) appreciate that this is a place I never wanted to be and that I was so looking forward to our day together. Having successfully taught within the Covid-19 guidelines in September and October, not only my own Willow Days at Coates English Willow but also basketmaking workshops for other South West organisations, I know that as soon as we return to a similar level or tier I will be able to teach you.

My plan is to organise extra Willow Day dates in the early Summer / Summer 2021 at Coates English Willow for everyone who has had their Willow Day postponed. As much as it is possible to, I am aiming to offer you a selection of dates that will include your particular Willow Day on the same day of the week as before. When I’ve got confirmation of dates and our classroom booked with Coates I will get back in contact with you. I really do hope that you are amenable to this and think of our new date as something to really look forward to during the coming months. If however you would now like a refund please do let me know.

For more information on how I have survived this past year, and how determined I am to continue to teach and make in this incredible heritage craft form that I love, you are more than welcome to read my news articles at www.sarahlebreton.co.uk/news or follow me on Instagram at ‘sarah_le_breton’. With your willingness to postpone our Willow Day together, you have already saved my livelihood and I am incredibly grateful, all your support means the world to me. On a positive note, (which like us all I really do need at the moment!), I have just found out that I have been accepted on a brilliant business development programme. I am hoping that this will be the catalyst for me to push forward and still achieve my long held willow weaving ambitions, not just for myself, but so that we can try and save commercial basketmaking and willow growing in the UK.

I look forward to getting back in contact with you soon but meanwhile if you have any questions please do email or call me on 07905 342091.

Very best wishes to you and your loved ones.
Sarah X

(The lovely featured image is of Nichola, Richard, Peggy, Penny, Rosie and Susie who under Covid-19 government guidelines made Zarzo Baskets with me at Coates English Willow on Friday 23rd October).