Western Morning News (Saturday)
Small business shows its flexibility in the ‘new normal’
Life under lockdown is testing for all. But if you’re in a people-facing business how do you cope?
FEW places are more synonymous with holidays and the hospital industry than Cornwall’s surfing capital, Newquay. But in lockdown business has virtually disappeared.
So photographer Adj Brown, who is based in the resort, has been working on a project to highlight people and businesses who are quickly adapting to life under lockdown and coping with Covid-19. His snapshot of what one coastal community is doing is a reflection of life across the South West.
Travelling by pushbike and shooting all pictures from a safe social distance using a long lens, Adj visited a variety of business owners hit by the impact of lockdown.
He said: “Cornwall and Newquay in particular has a higher than average self employed population so lots of local businesses are used to thinking outside the box when it comes to work.
“Newquay is a particularly creative community so there are lots of initiatives going on here which are helping people to live some normality at home with businesses quickly developing systems to continue to offer their services. I have been documenting some of the local businesses who are trying something a little different.”
Among those he photographed were Holly Madge (top left) a professional session drummer and percussionist who has toured the world and recorded soundtracks with Hans Zimmer and more recently recorded the album No Mans Land with Frank Turner. As soon as the lockdown was announced Holly purchased a set of microphones and set up a studio allowing her to record her drum parts remotely. She is currently recording percussion for a game soundtrack and an American recording artist. (www.hollymadge.com)
Jess Davis (left) who owns and runs the successful Jam Jar Cafe in the centre of Newquay an institution for locals who want great coffee and freshly baked cakes. Pre-lockdown the Jam Jar was the daily meeting point for a social catch-up and caffeine fix. Jess is continuing to keep the community in cake as responded to the lockdown by baking and delivering cakes and sausage rolls as a Saturday morning treat. With up to 50 deliveries over a weekend this
service has proved to be very popular with her loyal customers. (www. jamjar.cafe)
Debbie Warner (above) is a sommelier who started the popular Wild Wine Club and is now launching Wild Wine School. She has set out to inspire and educate through wine workshops, courses and events, calling on nature to add a technicolor edge to the experience. With so many of her friends in the hospitality industry and beyond finding themselves at home with lots of time and very little, if any income, Debbie started offering free online guided study, with training and tasting sessions each week. Each Monday she sends an email with things to read, watch and do around a different wine topic, with an invitation to join her every Friday for a Zoom training session and tasting. (www.wildwineschool.co.uk)
Liam Broderick (centre, right) runs Get Fit Newquay and pre-lockdown was teaching Clubbercise, Zumba and Zumba Strong, Gold and Step, three nights a week, to a packed hall of enthusiastic exercisers at a local secondary school. Liam’s loyal following even joined him with one last class in the open air at Newquay Harbour the week before lockdown for one last hit of his enthusiasm and sassy dance moves. Liam’s classes were an important social meet up as well as an exercise class and so to keep in touch, Liam has been hosting live classes from his front room four nights a week for anyone to join in online or to watch back at a later date. He has also hosted online coffee and chat sessions for his gang. (www.getfitnewquay.co.uk)
Amy Swanson (top right) of Swan Dive Pilates has moved her popular pilates classes from her studio to take place online, with group classes being held three days a week ranging from classic pilates, high intensity power pilates, strong pilates with a surf slant and barre classes. With her customers getting to experience the familiar surroundings of the Swan Dive Studio, Amy is also offering private tuition, continuing her one-onone classes online. (www.swandivepilatesandyoga.co.uk)
Louise McCutcheon (right) of Mmm yoga jumped at the chance to continue her lessons from her kitchen at home via Zoom. Juggling the space to fit in her yoga moves and harmonium playing in between cooking and dodging her twins, teenage daughter, husband, dog and cat, Louise has made it work. From one on ones to full classes, Zoom has proved invaluable in allowing Louise to maintain an online presence for her clients and for her to stay in contact and connected with her yoga family.