Tasks

Enough! Enough already. Enough of not getting this thing moving. I know it's my fault, I know I should be leading but I've taken a couple of days off to have a think about the future of our business and although the was helpful I'm delighted to say that I'm ready to get all of this working. I'm going to stop messing around. I'm going to stop putting things off, which is something I always do when things don't quiet go according to plan. We, as a team, are going to crack this and bring some value to the people of Totnes. The responsibility for getting this off the ground lays, obviously, with me. It's a heavy burden and there are times when I feel that I'm not quite up to it. I feel that I might let you all down.

What I'd like to do is outline some tasks that we should all be working on. Tasks that could really move wormwoods as a business forward. Here they are:

Gavin (that's me!)

• Get in touch with the real estates that are managing the old Woolworths lease.
• Have premises by the end of December.
• Be open by the end of January.
• Publish the wormwoods vision for the people of Totnes, ready to be handed out at the Totnes Christmas Market! This coming Saturday!
• Floatation Shopping - find a supplier and negotiate rates on flotation tanks

Mrs Wormwood

• Aprons. We need aprons. We discussed this during the team meeting and we really need nice aprons. They have nice aprons at The Brioche and we'll need them too. I'd like you to focus on aprons! 
• Do you think you could make some cakes for the Totnes Christmas Market? 

Crystal

• I'd like you to take interest in Transition Culture. I think this is going to play a huge role in the development of the wormwoods vision. There is an event this evening at the Methodist Church that I will definitely be attending and I would be delighted if you could come. Starts at 8.00 o'clock.

Stephen

• We are definitely going to need music in the shop and I have it on good authority that you know a bit about music. I would like you to think about arranging bespoke music for our store. This is obviously a challenge but one that I'm sure you're capable of fulfilling. 

Let me know if there is anything else you would like to take on and I'll add it to your list! I know that this is very last minute and I know that some of the people in the town are showing signs of frustration but, people of Totnes, we're cracking on, we're giving it our best shot and we as a business would like to thank you for your support. 

I want Emily to get it.

I haven't written here yet. Dad reckons I won't get it right but I reckon I'm going to get it right. Dad thinks I'm a bit thick but I'm not thick. I  had the idea with Woolworths, not the others so I can't be that thick can I?

Emily is a bit pissed at me because I didn't go to her birthday but I said "Emily, something's come up and I've got to sort it out" and she said "you bitch it's my birthday" and I said "it's important I'll make it up to you though". I was a bit worried about letting Emily down. I worry about a load of stuff but if I piss Emily off anything can happen! Emily you can be a right old bitch you can!! Forgive me hun xxx!

I wanted to make it up to Emily yesterday but I. WAS. DEAD. So I'm making it up for her tonight. I'm taking her up The Barrell. Paying for drinks AND THE ENTRACE. 4 Quid for Katie Marie!

Gavin wants us to talk about stuff but I don't now what to say about it all. It's a bit of a mess. I reckon it's going to be good but we could bugger it up and that would be a bit embarrassing considering we all live here an everybody knows us all and stuff. I am doing this right? I don't know. I'm just writing stuff as it comes into my head. Emily thinks the whole idea is stupid and dad thinks it's stupid. I don't think it's stupid. I kind of like Gavin. I reckon I get what he's doing and maybe me and Mrs W can sort it out because we are thinking about this all in a different way to the others in the town. When I talk to Emily and the other girls I get that they don't get it but I get it and that's because I talk to Gavin and Mrs W all the time. It's always a little bit like that here. Nobody is really that interested in what I'm doing and I think nobody is that interested in what anybody is really doing unless it's good gossip for down the Lord Nelson or at the Happy Apple.. That's not right is it?

I want Emily and the others to get it. I feel that I'm loosing them if they don't get it.

Better get a move on. Meeting Emily in ten minutes. Just wanted to say something. Hope this was good.

Crystalxxx

Giving something back to Totnes

I woke up this morning, hungover and in a right old state. Another night of mad dreams and worry has taken it's toll and, although our meeting yesterday was very constructive the overall situation is still rather worrying. I've been down and not good at hiding it and I've been bringing members of team down with me. That's not how I should be managing my people.

To be honest I was a little scared about laying my cards on the table and informing the team just what exactly is going on but I was delighted by how Mrs Wormwood, Stephen and Crystal took the news.

It's part of my vision for Wormwoods to be as transparent as possible - we want the whole town and the surrounding area to be involved in what we're doing and have access to what's going on. At some point we will talk about products, services and vision at greater length and we would encourage you to get involved in these conversations! There is however a more pressing issue that I have not been able to resolve, and issue that threatens the very future of our store.

We have no store. That is to say the negotiations around the lease for the old dairy crest plant have fallen through.  I don't know why but I'm sure it may have something to do with recent events.

The team and I talked at length about what we wanted to do. There were tears and there was a little bit of anger and yes, there was fear. But we all agreed that we were so close to accomplishing our dream that it would be foolish to give up now.

It was Crystal who come through in the end with a brilliantly simple solution and one that I will be trying to organise over the coming week. We're going to try and lease Woolworths on The High Street!

It's a brilliant idea and one I should have thought of sooner but I was so fixed on the diary site that I didn't even think of it. It's the perfect location - it's right opposite Rumours!

Maybe I was just trying to forget those ugly scenes from back in January.

It's a little smaller than I orginally planned and there's quite of work to do on the place but we're going to give it go.

I took the team out for drinks to say "thank you" - they are a wonderful group of people. We're going to try and give Totnes something back but instead of Woolworths we're giving them Wormwoods!

Statement. Vision. Fowards.

I thought long and hard before writing this. Very long and very hard. The combination of Stephen's post yesterday, the local concern about the delayed opening of wormwoods and discrete enquiries about my problems trouble me greatly. I hardly slept at all last night and was forced to seek the council of someone I trust to help me address these pressing issues.

Obviously there we, as a team (and as a community), face a number of challenges. We can welcome these challenges, face them, work through them and allow them to make us stronger or we can allow them to destroy a vision before it has even begun. 

We are trying to achieve something new. We are trying to incorporate many of the concepts that have made Totnes what it is today. We are not only trying to encourage the local community to engage with and purchase local products by implementing the Totnes pound (and we will implement the Totnes pound) but we also want to embrace many of the concepts outlined in "Transition Culture" as well as developing innovative new services such as floatation shopping.

I'm responsible for the vision. I have a vision of wormwoods but I need my team because I can't do it on my own. Stephen, Crystal, Mrs Wormwood, I need you all! It upsets me that the three of you would think that I would be taking advantage of you. 

Let us meet today, as a team to discuss how we wish to move forward. We can clarify contracts, payment and responsibilities. I shall be popping down to Bowens for some soft tissue corrective therapy because I simply need it, but we could all meet up around 4 O'Clock if that's good for you guys?

You wanted transparency. You get transparency.

I sat down with Gavin yesterday afternoon to go through my contract.  My role within wormwoods is to stack the shelves and make sure everything is tidy. That's OK. That's all right. I've not got a problem with that. Gavin asked me to take the contract home, go through it and let him know if I have any of what he calls "issues" with. Well you know what Gavin. I have ISSUES.

Gavin wants to pay me in Totnes Pounds. Not Great British Pounds but TOTNES POUNDS! Is that even legal? Have you lost your bloody mind Gavin? Are you going to pay us all in Totnes pounds? What the bloody hell am I supposed to do with them? You want me to pay my rent with them?

I know this is only supposed to be a part time job but I do need REAL money Gavin! I'm only doing this job so that I can move on! I have plans. All your talk about being "fully integrated into wormwoods as a business" (and yes, I'm waving my damn fingers in the air), is crap anyway. I need real money. Proper money.

And don't think you can pull the wool over the eyes of the people of this town either. They all know that Innocent doesn't make their smoothies locally and that Howies is somewhere up in Wales so you can bloody well forget trying to trade in Totnes pounds at wormwoods. So stick that in your flotation shopping tank and smoke it.

Nice try Gavin, but change the contract. You didn't seriously bloody well think I was going to say yes did you? I never say yes to this kind of crap.

Rant over. Transparent enough for you?

Possible wormwoods services 1. Floatation shopping.

There are many challenges to be faced when setting up a business. It can be a strain but it is most definitely a rewarding process and I can't tell you how excited I am about opening the doors to our store. Totnes is a great place to meet people and talk about their needs, their fears and their desires and it has always been part of my vision for wormwoods to involve as many local people in the planning of our services as possible. The people here are colourful, open and are very creative and have some wonderful ideas! 

This afternoon, after meeting with Mrs Wormwood in Rumours I popped into the Brioche for a spot of lunch (Crispy Duck and Lamb Leaf salad)  when I got chatting to a young chap about floatation. Now, some of my ex-colleagues in London used to do this in their lunch break, but I've never tried it. This chap had spent an hour at the Oasis Float Centre down on Fore Street and, as he put it was "so chilled" that nothing could "stress him out". It all sounded lovely. 


This got me thinking and I've had an idea that I'd like to share (team, let me know what you think!). This is basically it:

• We have some unused/unplanned space at the back of the store
• Even though Totnes is small, shopping here can be quiet stressful (up and down that bloody hill!)
• People don't "shop well" when they are stressed
• People in Totnes are very "open" to "new ways"
• Floatation compliments the other services and products that we intend to offer
• Floatation shopping seems to be a possible way to differentiate ourselves from other similar stores in Totnes.

We could install a couple of these things to help people centre themselves before embarking on a spot of shopping:

It's just an idea, and I would appreciate your thoughts on it!

Capital Letters, Short Trousers and Discretion.

Goodness, this is all a bit nerve racking.  Gavin insists that we all write on this internet and I've never done anything like this before! I'm 62 for goodness sakes!! Can you see this at all I wonder?

I met up with Gavin this morning to discuss discretion and when we want to open the store and his "problem". We had a cup of tea and a chat in Rumours.

Gavin is a charming man, even though he did arrive wearing short trousers, which is utterly unacceptable at this time of year and doesn't make him look younger but a bit of a fool.

Charming never the less, mind. He bought me a tea and we talked about his "problem". I'm not sure that I'm allowed to talk about "the problem" on this internet. Am I allowed to talk about your problem on the internet Gavin? We talked about this problem and agreed that he needs to sort his problem out before we can open! Now, I'm not one to gossip but Gavin's problem sounds like it's not the kind of problem you would want to be nattering about on this internet but I think it's good that Gavin talked to someone about this. You know, someone who has some experience of this things. My poor Cecil will be turning in his grave. Bless him.

Gavin had his laptop with him and showed me how to turn capital letters off and was a bit cross about the people of the town talking about us. I don't understand that at all. We are all being very discreet about it. Nothing nasty just quietly talking about the shop. Obviously they all ask me!

Crystal came stomping in and made a scene. I think she had been up to "The Bull" if you know what I mean. Nasty little thing and considering that Gavin and myself were talking about "his problem" her dropping by and scene making was a bit unpleasant. I took her to the ladies and gave her a word of her mind and then she just stomped of out of it again the silly thing.

Was this what you wanted me to do Gavin? I might just be able to do this internet. Anyway.I'm finished now.

We seem so far away from opening.

Hello there! I'm Gavin, Gavin Toulson-Davey and I'm the owner/manager of Wormwoods. My team and I find ourselves stuck bang smack in the middle of some very exciting times. We're about to open the store. Our little eco-friendly store. It's all very exciting. But troublesome too. You see, we haven't open our doors yet, in fact we've past out official opening date by about a week. I did a plan and everything, but that doesn't really seem to count for much down here, no this isn't the city and things take so much time - so much more time.

These are exciting times but I want to keep my business open and transparent. I want to give my staff a platform and my customers some insight. I want a conversation so please feel free to ask questions.

It only seems fitting and appropriate and useful to start off by explaining that it's not all going to plan.

I know some of you (if your local) may have noticed that we're not open yet (some of you have discreetly asked Mrs Wormwood this lunch time if all was well ) so I just wanted to start off by saying that all is not well at all. But I'm on to it. I'm stepping up to the mark and with the sterling assistance of my team we'll sort I'll have it sorted out in next to no time.

Ladies and gentlemen of Totnes, I'm going to sort it out.

Welcome to Wormwoods.

I'm (hi it's Gavin here) just putting the blog together. Please, please, please bare with me!