Meanderings

Handmade Italian 'Ivy' Dinner Service

/ 14 November, 2024

Incredible Women

March 7, 2021

Tomorrow is International Women's Day - a day dedicated to celebrating the achievements of women, a day of empowerment and a day that sparks much conversation, to champion change and to encourage the next generation.

Tomorrow and as ever, we'll be celebrating two incredible women - June Summerill & Bernadette Bishop, best friends foremost and founders of S&B.

Their story is bound by friendship and it resulted in one brilliant business. (Biased, we know.) Two trailblazing women, totally ahead of the curve, passionate, warm and ardently authentic. They taught us everything we know about togetherness and showed us just how special a friendship could be, what it means to collaborate and to create, to encourage and enthuse. Their friendship truly surrounds every endeavour at S&B because it is true, joy is only alive when shared...

[ A note from June ]

It's commonly regarded as quite risky to go into business with a friend. Perhaps the job would interfere with and jeopardise the friendship. In the case of Bernadette and myself, I can honestly say that working together enhanced and strengthened our love and affection for one another. We grew strong, together, and so did our respect for each other. Neither of us were afraid of hard work - when a delivery of several pallets, brimming with heavy ceramics would arrive, we would roll up our sleeves and start unloading. We'd be sure to reward ourselves afterwards with a glass of something... and we would smile and say "well done partner."

We both had busy lives and had to create balance. But, to arrive to open our little shop every morning was something we always looked forward to. Simple pleasures, like lighting a candle, playing music (Mozart, usually) and placing whatever flowers or leaves we had foraged from our gardens into jars, was a joy. Then came the first coffee and exchange of news and ideas.

International Women's Day has been around officially since 1975, though it didn't feel as recognised then like it is today. Of course we didn't think too much of it at the time, we just did what instinctively felt right for us and we hoped other people might like what we did too, fortunately that was the case! Modern society allows us to experience so much, all at once - the world now appears to obsess over the result, the endgame, the destination, sales and share prices. For Bernadette and I, we were only ever focussed on the journey, to live in that given moment no matter its gravity. My advice to young women just starting out and to everyone, actually, is to always retain a sense of yourself and your original purpose and ideas. Don't be swayed by the mass market. I think Bernadette would agree.

Perhaps one of the greatest joys we shared whilst working together, was the knowledge that every time we sold a tablecloth, a family would be united in merriment that evening, talking and sharing about their day, enjoying their food and spending precious time together.

Bernadette and I worked really well together and we laughed... a lot. We each were very supportive and considerate of the other. It was a relationship unlike any other that I will have in my lifetime. Working so closely with someone is a real test of love and love is what came of this "risky business of business with a friend!"

I miss you partner.
June