Hi Everyone,
as I have said here before, this last year has been the busiest of my career. An increase of about 35-40% according to the books.
That may seem rather modest, but it's a big jump in the amount of work received, given that I was always working at about capacity for years before Covid struck.
And it's enough to make me stressed about the long-term repairs and restorations that have taken a back-seat to the oncoming regular work.
Like most people, I have a certain number of hours each week that I allocate to work. My system has always been necessarily flexible, depending on the number of jobs I have promised to have finished, and dependent on the weather with relation to gluing and painting repairs.
I give priority to the week-by-week repairs, the set-ups and fret jobs and wiring etc. But I also always have a number of major projects in the workshop - restorations, re-builds, re-finishes etc. These bigger jobs necessarily have to fit between the day to day stuff, and during busy times tend to bank up in the dark corners of the workshop.
So I often work weekends to catch up.
But I DO have a limited number of hours each week to do the work, and a 30% increase means that I am over-loaded.
I have no intention of speeding up and doing quick-fixes, that is not my way, so I will continue to apply the same level of focus and care that I always do.
SO...
I will be closed during May. Lisa has booked a few days away for us to goof off and catch our breath (yay!), and then I will be in the workshop without interruptions catching up on about thirty long-term jobs that I've been losing touch with.
If you have a repair currently with me, I will call you when it's completed and arrange a time for you to collect it. If you have a repair with me, and you'd like to know if it is completed, then please call or email. Email is good.
I won't be taking on any new work before June.
Thanks for your ongoing trust and support.
Phew!
Andrew
