There was I, happily jogging along with my life, then the Covid-19 pandemic struck.

That is how I feel retrospectively looking back on those times before Covid changed my life.

I am a big believer in always looking forward, but the pandemic, which is receding into the mists of history now, played a huge part in redirecting my life.

It set me on path never considered. Not planned for and not a topic of conversation with my partner or family. Ever.

Up until then, I was making great strides in the costume world. I was teaching jacket making and waistcoat construction in central London, lecturing at Art University of Bournemouth, Central School of Speech and Drama and London College of Fashion and accepting freelance work from all directions. I was making costumes for many production companies, such as the Royal Ballet and Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, English National Opera, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Scottish Opera and Phantom of the Opera.

In fact, my studio was getting rather small, so I was thinking about finding one that had more space to house more than five people working there at the same time. Such was the amount of work that I was undertaking. I was having to subcontract work out to several people across the South-East of England and was liaising with many different companies and designers as to what they wanted me to take on in the next two years.

That was in June 2019.

By the time I had gotten all the contacts ready and planned out the permutations of what I would be taking on for the next year, there was a lot of talk in the news about a new virus, which was going round causing all sorts of problems. Not only for people not being able to travel between countries but also for people who were getting sick and unfortunately passing away.

By the January of 2020. It was getting quite obvious that the virus was going round the world. It wasn’t disappearing.

In fact, it was getting worse.

Each country began to shut down and grind to a halt in the UK, with the realisation that it was going to be a difficult time.

By March 2020 it was obvious that the entire world was going to shut down and by the end of that month that was actually the case.

That began in a strange period time for many people including myself as they were not quite too sure what to do. The work which I had lined up had come to a halt one by one with many supervisors calling me and explaining in-depth that until things that things were clearer, no work was going to be undertaken.

During the next four months, there were many stories of desperation, and of people finding new ways of inventing themselves to survive.

I was lucky enough to be working as a part time teacher, which I hastily converted to Youtube to complete the course, but I still need to find other ways of making work or finding work just like everyone else. Luckily at this time I was quite well shielded  which meant I did not come into contact with many people at that time which was very helpful.

Having a partner that specialised in online technology was also crucial. We were able to survive financially as I reinvented myself as I prepared for living in a world without my life’s work and passion – costume construction, sewing and tailoring.

By July 2020 a few friends called me to find to tell me that there was a couple of jobs going which seem to be able to fit me quite well. At this time seeing as I didn’t have anything else to do, I decided that I would apply.

The post that was of particular  interest to me which happened to be  at an opera house set in the British countryside. I applied and I was given the job that began a new role for me which I became the head of the tailoring department. It was not easy, especially as the virus was still rampant and there was much work to do, but in the end, I managed to succeed.

I had to move to a temporary accommodation, leaving my family behind, which was so hard on everyone as we are such a close – knit family.

I am glad to report that things did work out okay in the end, but the repercussions set me on a path which I had no plan to travel upon.

For a start, I was quite happy living the life I had. It was my intention to move North of London, and closer to the film studios, as there was much work being generated from that part of the country. I also planned to be closer to family which would’ve been really nice, but again that was not the case.

 I  ended up in the opposite direction and living near the South coast in the opposite direction, in an area which was quite rural so that was quite a shock.

Time for  a life in the countryside and closer to nature.

I’m not unhappy. It’s just different for me, the ultimate city gal.

 It all worked out in the end.