Saying Goodbye to an Amazing Colleague

It’s Julie’s last day. She’s retiring today and none of us can quite believe it!

When we first set up British Boxers we were selling product at various artisan markets across North West England and I needed help. My friend Beth told me about her friend Julie, a district nurse who wanted a change of career. I met Julie and her daughter Sophie at The Roebuck for a glass of wine and within minutes she became my very first employee. We went through everything together – a howling gale blowing my gazebo and product away at Treacle Market in Macclesfield (we literally had to stamp on the remaining twisted metal of the gazebo to fit it into my old Berlingo so that we could take what was left up to the tip); she helped me sweep out the water from the old office when there was a flood; she came in and worked through the Beast from the East snowstorm when we were simultaneously going viral on Twitter for refusing to advertise with the Daily Mail. We’re based by the Peak District and the weather here can get quite extreme. “I’m used to going up to the farms in all weathers Deb, it’s not a problem!”

She came in with her other half, Greg, last week and re-planned the entire warehouse post-mezzanine-installation, and she held my hand and reassured me and my husband with her nursing skills when I was diagnosed with leukaemia (I’m OK.)

I have all the emotions going on right now. She’s been an absolute star and I’m going to miss her company terribly. She tells me she doesn’t know what she’ll do with her time once she’s retired, which is great, because from a work perspective I hope she’ll come back and help us do ironing, warehouse sorting and order packing, but as her mate I hope she’ll be on a bloody fabulous beach somewhere hot with a glass of something sparkly and cold and not giving pyjamas or pants or any of us lot a second thought.

Thanks for everything Julie we couldn’t have built this lovely business without you, and we wish you all health and happiness in your next chapter. I think I’ll go now before I start projectile crying across the computer screen.

P.S. Clearly, it’s also Black Friday weekend and there are some amazing 40% and 50% discount offers on the website with 90-day returns too. But I know how you’ll be bombarded every day with all the corporate horror emails. (I know we’ve been sending them all week too – sorry) You know what we sell already, so instead here’s a picture of me and Julie smiling on the market stall a decade ago.

X Deb