Starting out we are having a ball and so much is happening. I'm sitting down to watch the strictly come dancing results like I usually do on Sunday evenings and now that the clocks have gone back the fire is on and the curtains closed. For our first blog I thought I'd do a bit of an introduction.
Rosaleen and Tom Bond that's us. We landed in Belmullet in early 2012. We got married here in 2012 and had no plans to move on a more permanent basis however, a few twists of fate and we were moving to Belmullet the week of our 1st anniversary. The connection to the area is Rosaleen's wonderful dad who sadly died in 2010 leaving a huge gap in all his 6 girls' lives. She comes from a family of shopkeepers and a walk along the main street in Belmullet you will see her cousins shop 'McAndrews' often referred to as Billy's, her late uncle. Opposite is the site of the shoe shop that her grandfather and his father had and still is the 'family' home.
Rosaleen has a huge amount of experience in business and shopkeeping herself. She nurtured her crafty side in her 'free time' always did a class at night school learning a new skill including sewing, pottery, photography and writing. These classes also included French, Italian and Arabic and hopefully these will help in the new pursuit of learning Irish.
Lúnasa is a vision of Rosaleen's that is still work in progress. She has always wanted her own little shop and her love of crafts was the natural choice. So what is that vision….well it's quite simple to promoting and provide access to handmade crafts. When first moving it was hard to find locally made crafts and she found a new interest in the more traditional crafts. She is in the shop most days working on a new project or looking at the vast array of fabulous Irish products. And often you will hear the bark of the young Farah who is always delighted with a bit of a rub from anyone.
The pieces that you find in Lúnasa are hugely from Mayo and Ireland with a few things that I love mixed in. Every few months we head back to England and come back with a van full of goodies. We are passionate about great service and try to make people feel great when they visit our store.
One important part of the vision is about giving people access to crafts and so the 'Open Studio' was created. Here anyone can come and try taster sessions of a number of different crafts any time that suits them.
We also have a packed calendar of courses and try where possible to get local people to deliver the workshops in Lunasa. We are open to any crafts and have plans to offer many things including blacksmithing.
Tom is a Essex boy who was lulled to Mayo by the golfing and fishing. He started as the muscles of the business, painting, laying floors and knocking out old counters and it's by no means finished. However, since opening he is getting more and more crafty and has a particular flare for pottery. He does all this when he is off work and also manages to fit in time to study a degree in Chemistry.
The Friends also deserve a mention. They have been a huge help in giving moral support setting up the business over numerous coffees. We have now progressed to wine but they can be relied upon to hold the fort when called upon…..they tell me they like the break away from the kids.
I guess a nice finish to the introduction would be the parents. My wee mammy now 80 can be seen knitting in the shop when she comes to stay and Tom's mam and dad are a huge support looking after the shop to give us a break. When they arrive in their camper there is a sigh of relief as the cooking, cleaning and ironing fairies always come with them. And despite Pete's initial reluctance he and Farah now have a special Bond!
