A Scorcher of a Week: Royal Norfolk Show, Stonehenge Polo, and a Few Quiet Moments In Between
This week had a bit of everything — Final wedding banns reading, a trip to one of England's oldest silk mills, two shows back to back in the kind of heat that makes you grateful for a gazebo, and a first-ever sale that means a lot to me and Ruth. Here's how it went.
Sudbury: Bands, Bells, and Silk
We started the week down in Sudbury, where me and Ruth had our final wedding banns read at the church we'll be getting married in. It's one of those moments that quietly reminds you why you're building all this in the first place.... For the life you're trying to create alongside it, not just the business.
While we were down that way, we couldn't resist a detour to Stephen Walters silk mill, also in Sudbury, to look at some fabric sampling. We've got our eye on some genuinely beautiful silks for hat linings and scarves, proper heritage cloth from a mill that's been weaving in England for centuries. Nothing's confirmed yet, but if it comes together, it'll be a lovely addition to the Lockwood range, and exactly the kind of British supply chain story I love telling.
Royal Norfolk Show: A Hot One
From Sudbury we headed up to Norfolk a day early for setup which, selfishly, was brilliant, because it meant Ruth and I actually got to walk the showground before the gates opened and the crowds rolled in. We don't often get that luxury on the circuit, so we made the most of it.
The show itself was a scorcher. Genuinely one of the hottest few days we've stood behind a stand in. But heat or no heat, people still came in for a fitting, and we had some really happy customers leave with their first bit of Lockwood.
The standout of the week was without question our new Barracks range of gilets — the Gentleman's Mons, Gentleman's Knightsbridge, Ladies' Knightsbridge, and Ladies' Victoria all had people trying them on and asking questions about the construction, which is exactly the kind of conversation I love having on a stand. And as always, the Knightsbridge Quarter-Zip kept doing what it does best, quietly being one of our most-loved pieces, show after show.
Stonehenge Polo Festival: A First for Lockwood
After a quick pit stop back home to restock, it was straight down to the Stonehenge Polo Festival and this one came with a proper milestone. We sold our first ever Ladies' Vintage Henry Boiled Wool, on pre order in person, on the stand.
First sales of a new piece always feel special there's a story behind every one of them, and that's now part of this one's.
Building the Brand From the Ground Up
That's the week, in a nutshell — a wedding to plan, silk to source, two shows in serious heat, and a brand new piece finding its first home. It's not glamorous every day, but it's honest, and it's ours. Thank you, as always, for following along and for backing British-made.
