Wow!
It is two and a half years since I last wrote a post for this blog! Things have happened, Betty is 2 and a half years older, me and Graham are getting more decrepit.
But the thing that has prompted me to start blogging again is that we are, at this very moment, printing out our very last Raven Mail Shot.
After nearly 36 years we have had enough.
To be honest, this process started in January last year, when our bank decided that after dealing with us for over 34 years, they did not know who we were. So we had to go through the whole setting up security process from scratch.
As I managed to get this wrong .... twice! It prolonged this process and ended up costing me over £100 in telephone charges. They asked me questions like 'Have you got an overdraft facility on this account?' - yes, I knew that one!
'How much is it?' I dunno, we get a letter if we go over it!
Start again.
And each time you have to give them three security words which they will ask you randomly if you ring up, to see if it is really you. The first one is usually Mother's Maiden Name - but as I had to do the process three times - the names I ended up with are a lot more obscure.
And yes, I have written them all down, because I would forget them if I didn't!
So anyway, we eventually got through the process, they decided we were who we said we were, and all is lovely in the garden. Only it wasn't, it reminded us how little we actually do online. We are not permanently attached to social media. I do have a mobile phone, but only so I can let Mike (our son) know each day that we aren't dead yet, and in case we break down in the car, I can get hold of the AA.
Things have moved on. I have actually had people ask me what 'Mail Order' is. People order online, they don't sit down with a cuppa and read through a lovely papery catalogue that comes through the post - well I do, and our customers do too.
So we decided that it was probably about time we thought about closing the business down and retiring properly. So we have been getting our customers used to the idea over the last year.
Then on December 17th our Credit Card machine stopped working. I rang up the provider and they told me that they couldn't mend our machine as it was too old. So someone would be in touch and a new machine would be sent out. As you might guess, that hasn't happened, so we decided that was yet another sign that it really is time we shut up shop.
I must admit this last flyer is not my best and has taken me far longer than normal to get together. This is for two very distinctly different, but linked reasons:
One: I really have had enough, and for once I have not found writing this flyer fun or exciting
And TWO: I have been putting off sending it out as it is our last one.
Raven has filled our life for nearly 36 years. We have loved finding new and magical things to show our customers. We have loved talking to our customers whether they ring up or write to us, and a number of them have become friends too, which is lovely.
We shall miss them all, and frankly our life will contract, our social life will shrink. We shall have to find new ways to connect with people - oh heck, does this mean social media?
Well I suppose this blog is 'social media' and I shall have more time to share my thoughts - oh dear, poor you!
