I’ve always found integrating into a new community quite easy, I’m quite gregarious and have lots of hobbies and interests. I moved to Pulborough a year before I opened the Flower Shop and for a few months I enjoyed being a lady of leisure, there were plenty of ‘projects‘ in the house and garden to keep me occupied, I joined a book group and got involved in the Wealden Buildings Study Group, but eventually I realised that this wasn’t enough. I wanted to be PART of the village, a BIG part of the Village.
So I opened the Flower Shop – Pulborough. The opportunity just presented itself and John was very keen to stop me spending and to channel my energies into something that might eventually see an income coming in.
Soon after opening the Flower shop, I met Viv.
Viv and her husband Alan had just moved to the village, from London and we immediately struck up a rapport. Viv would pop into the shop most days and we would talk for ages. We’d talk about everything and anything, when customers came in I’d often introduce Viv and soon she knew as many people as I did!
A couple of weeks ago, Viv died, suddenly.
I was a huge shock for everyone. Viv and Alan had quickly become part of the community and I was absolutely honoured when Alan asked if I could do the flowers for Viv’s funeral. The only snag was that the funeral was going to be in West London, the place they had spent most of their married life. And it was going to be on a Monday, so that would mean driving up to London to deliver the flowers, during the rush hour. I couldn’t close the shop on a Monday morning to deliver the flowers, but I couldn’t turn down the opportunity to give Viv the very best send off I could. There was one way I could do this, but it would involve calling the undertaker and asking if there was any way they could open up and take delivery of the flowers on Sunday afternoon. Thankfully, they said yes! They knew Viv too and were only too happy to open up and take delivery.
So that’s where I’m off to now.
People always look at me strangely when I say that what I love most about floristry is doing funerals – I mean the the funeral flowers, not the funerals themselves (I’d be no good at that, words just come straight out of my mouth without being properly edited and I have an unbridled urge to make people laugh or see the silver-lining in situations, often inappropriately). I strive to make every funeral special and to honour the people, the lives they have lived and those that have loved them.
Florists get the chance to see and be involved in all aspects of human life, from births, exam congratulations, birthdays, valentines, Mothers’ days, engagements, weddings, anniversaries, ‘I love you’s, ‘I’m sorry’s , ‘I’m thinking of you’s, Hellos, Thanks and Goodbyes. Every one is a pleasure and makes me feel very much part of the community.
Thank you.
Life as a village florist 