Julia's KnitWits Blog

Knitwits Yarns knitwitspenzance.co.uk

Happy New Year to all our customers and knitters! I hope you had a happy and healthy festive season and, if you're anything like me, you're now into a healthy eating, chocolate-free, alcohol-free phase (except the birthday party I'm going to tonight, which doesn't count).

Some time ago (25th November to be precise) I mentioned that I'd been very busy with "something else" which was taking up all of my time. I guess you all assumed the "something else" was knitting related - sadly it wasn't. One of my other hats (other than Knit Wits, Cornish Organic Wool, wife to FB, mother to G&T) is Chair of Governors at our boys' school (The Bolitho School in Penzance). I can now hear you crying - "good grief, woman - haven't you enough on your plate? What on earth made you take that on". Well, you'd be right - I have a lot on my plate but you know the saying - when you want something done, ask a busy person!

I've been a Governor at the school for the past 6 years and it was clear this summer that there were some worries and I was put in as Chair to sort them out - "oh, great Julia - good one (I hear you cry) - not just Chair but Chair to sort things out - clever" - yes, I know, I know - believe me, I know!!

Well, the culmination of all the "sorting out" was that we've spent the last 2 months trying to sell the school and, on December 23rd (what wonderful timing) it was clear that we weren't going to manage it in time so I had the absolutely horrendous job of putting the School into Administration. It was one of the saddest moments of my life. The School is the largest private employer in Penzance (165 on the payroll) and educates over 300 children brilliantly.

However, the good news is that we battled on (took Christmas Day off - yippee!), worked hard, put in ridiculous hours, had fantastic solicitors and Administrators and exchanged conracts on the sale of the school at 10.30pm on New Year's Eve!

It's been the most agonising roller-coaster I've ever been on and, as someone else said, if Disney named a roller-coaster Bolitho no-one would get on it as it would be far too frightening!

I'm now exhausted but happy and am looking forward to life getting back to some kind of normality and being able to input new yarns and patterns when they come in, rather than 3 months later. Marie and Tracy have manned the fort womanfully and Tracey has pretty much managed single handedly since Christmas so huge thanks to her (and Rosie, her daughter) for their massive support.

I'm going to take the day off tomorrow and knit in bed - I can strongly recommend you do the same!