Have you ever had one of those weeks when you think the stars are conspiring against you? Anything that could go wrong was almost destined to go wrong this week.
Tuesday morning started in complete chaos. My sister-in-law popped her head in to say hello on her way back from the stables. “Morning!” she called in a shrill voice as her head peeped round the door “How are things?”
"Aaaargh, urgggghhh, oooowh, phwaaah, eeeeee...OK" I replied.
I think the fact that I was flapping around like a chicken with it’s tail feathers on fire, may have given her a clue that all was NOT well in The Flower Shop, Pulborough.
“What’s up?” she asked.
"Aaaargh, urgggghhh, oooowh, phwaaah, eeeee...Nothing " I replied.
No.2 Florist Becky had just called to say she’d had a puncture on her way in and was having trouble getting her wheel off. I had funeral tributes ready to go, which had to be dropped off at the undertakers. I could leave everything and shut up the shop for 30 mins or so while I nipped to the funeral parlour, but I had a flower delivery due and who would ‘man’ the phone?
There, standing before me, dressed in horsey gear, smelling like fertiliser, was my only hope.
“Could you look after the shop while I nip down the road with these flowers? ” I pleaded, with my best, your my most favourite person in the whole world, face on.
“Urgh, OK” she replied sheepishly. “What if someone comes in wanting a bouquet?”
“Convince them to take a potted plant instead, or one of those lovely vases filled with everlasting blooms” I shouted as I ran quickly out of the shop, before speeding off towards Coldwaltham.
I turned the corner out of the village, with minutes to spare and would you believe it…traffic lights, on RED! The traffic lights weren’t even there 20mins previously, they must have seen me coming. Revving the Flower Shop van, ready to shoot off like Lewis Hamilton, the lights turned Green, I stalled and Grand-dad split in two. Bugger, bugger, bugger!
Later this week I got an order for a Birthday bouquet, I LOVE Birthday bouquets, especially when they are surprise bouquets from someone special, but…BALLOONS!!! I’ve had a nightmare with balloons recently, a few weeks ago I was asked if I could do a thousand balloons, I said yes, thinking how the heck I was going to fill 1000 balloons with helium and I was already on the phone to the supplier when Becks explained that it was only FOUR balloons; a number ONE and three ZEROs. Thank heavens it was only four, because you wouldn’t believe the trouble I had with them. The seams kept splitting and I had to come up with creative ways to re-seal them.
And there was I thinking ‘Floristry‘ was all about Flowers!
Life as a village florist 