FINAL WORD FOR 2021
It is our last trading day of the year (Saturday 18th December) and we are about to head off on our 2 week Christmas and New Year break. We’re looking forward to some family time and some important rejuvenating time away from the workshop. There will be relaxing mornings with no alarm clock, bracing walks along the beach or up on Dartmoor, a few trips out and about and that all important time to rest and recuperate after a busy and disrupted year of trading.
We’d like to thank each and every customer for your continued support and for entrusting us with your framing projects throughout 2021.
From our family to yours – we wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Peaceful and Healthy 2022. We look forward to seeing you in January.
All the very best from Alec and Jo
DECEMBER 2021
Another year over and what a year it has been. Squeezing 12 months of work into the 8 months we were allowed to be open and trading has been testing at times. Coupled with stock issues and transport issues, it has certainly been an eventful year. We’ve worked on some very interesting projects that have pushed us to find creative solutions and we have finished the year with our final two jobs being in that category.
One of the benefits of a large workshop is that we can take on oversize framing and so we often get referrals and recommendations for those kind of jobs. Our final job of the year is a 2.5m long world map – made up of three sections it shows the maritime routes and major ports of the world. We’ve floated the separate map pieces onto mountboard, added specialist acrylic glazing and finished it off with a robust ash frame, hand-stained black. Hanging options for something of this size also takes careful planning. The frame has a robust sub-frame to add strength and then a full length French cleat is attached, with the corresponding section ready for the customer to attach to their wall. This allows the weight to be evenly distributed and creates a sturdy hanging option.
The other project was another first for us – a leather jacket with a hand painted picture on the back. So of course it demanded a double sided frame which allows the customer to hang it either way and it will look just as good. We’ve done plenty of double sided frames, including some for football and rugby shirts – but this was our first leather jacket. Double sided frames create their own logistical issues, not least of which is that you really do need a solution to be able to open them back up again if the worst should happen and the glazing gets cracked in the future. We love to use magnets and locating dowels as our solution to this. There is always a very satisfying click when the two frames are put together in that final assembly.
This frame was hand-painted with layers of green paint (2 separate tones) with black over the top and cut through on the edges to show the variations of green. This matched the artwork on the back of the jacket. To add to the biker vibe we used chains down the sleeves to hold them into position. The hanger was adapted to remove the wire hook and create a solid post, it was then painted a “scuffed black” to match the jacket with the cross bar finished in a red with black wash to match the jacket lining. Finished off with the addition of anti-reflection UV99 glazing on both sides.
For so much of the framing that we do, finding creative solutions, using Alec’s woodworking skills and thinking outside the box on methods of support, helps us to bring our customer’s vision to life.
NOVEMBER 2021
Another month nearly over and we are fully into the Christmas rush. Just to add to the mix, Western Power have advised us that they are doing some essential work on Saturday 27th November which is likely to interrupt our electricity supply at points during the day. With the potential of power being shut off with no additional notice, we cannot risk turning on computers and so on, in case they suffer from any power surges as the supply is reconnected. This means that very reluctantly we are having to close customer appointments that day. We will still be here and working as best we can though and waiting to get the all-clear from the power company.
November saw the completion of one of the most stressful jobs we’ve ever had to undertake. Not the frame construction itself – that was a good bit of problem solving and we were delighted with the finished result. It was the item to be framed that caused us to be very glad once it was safely in the frame and heading back to the customer’s home. A guitar – signed by The Rolling Stones, which had added poignancy following the death of drummer Charlie Watts a short time earlier. We always take a huge amount of care and attention with the items we frame, but with so many signatures done with a Sharpie pen, and the permanency of the ink on a shiny surface never guaranteed, this one caused a few extra grey hairs. One false move could have spelt disaster and a smudged signature! This was one of those jobs where both of us worked closely together to carefully move things around – sometimes that extra pair of hands is essential.
Don’t forget to check out our Facebook or Instagram pages for some closer photos and other great projects we have been working on.
Frame construction for the guitar involved stacking 2 frames together, creating a box that blended seamlessly to the rear of the black frame and then creating reversible supporting methods to hold the guitar and record safely in place. Both the guitar and record can be removed from the frame in the future, as if they had never been framed at all. Conservation framing – preserving precious items and memories for years to come, is at the heart of what we do.
We are now in the final few weeks of trading for 2021 – with our last trading day being Saturday 18th December and we will be closing at 12noon. We’ve already got an expanding order book building for January so we are looking forward to a busy start in the New Year. We are still happy to take in new work throughout December, but orders brought in from now onwards will not be finished until we return in January which will allow us to clear the current Christmas order book.
OCTOBER 2021
It has been a busy month for us, with lots of artists needing work for exhibitions that started in October or early November, alongside our normal bespoke work. We’re pleased to say that our deliveries are no longer as disrupted as they were and things are slowly getting back to normal.
We have taken on a new moulding supplier and their mouldings have brightened up the walls with a range of neon colours as well as some more classic metallic finishes in a range of sizes and styles.
We also have new mountboard chevrons on offer – with our key-line mounts in a wide range of colours proving to be very popular. After trialling a few colours we are now expanding the range and our new chevrons will be available at the design desk during the first few weeks of November. After losing so many wonderful, vibrant colours due to factory closures caused by the Pandemic, it is wonderful to have an expanding range of colours once again. Using tones from Farrow & Ball and the Little Greene paint companies, each key-line mount is hand-created by us here in our workshop to your exact specification. Mount colours featured in our key-line range can also be matched to hand-painted frames of the same or contrasting colours. A truly bespoke option to suit the item being framed and with the advantage of boards manufactured here in the UK.
SEPTEMBER 2021
It was a strange month for us as we had a project to undertake that took us out of the workshop for a period of time. Added to that, some scheduling delays with the project that caused plans to be changed last minute a few times and all in all we had a month of disruption to our normal working patterns. Our huge thanks to all our customers for their patience as our appointments were closed off or opened up at short notice.
This month also brought increased disruption to our supply chain. Our suppliers are now holding good amounts of stock on most items, but if something is out of stock then it is often for a prolonged period of time. For any time critical orders, we are now checking stock in real time to ensure we can meet deadlines. For customers who are patiently waiting for their moulding to come back into stock, we are checking on progress weekly and will prioritise your order as soon as stock arrives.
In addition, the couriers who bring our supplies to us have also been struggling this month. A combination of fuel issues and driver shortages as well as sheer pressure of the volume of parcels to be delivered caused blockages and delays. Picture frame moulding comes in 3m lengths and there are only 2 major delivery companies that will transport it so options are a bit limited. We’ve had lots of contact with our suppliers about these delays and we all share the frustration it is causing. We are hopeful that things will calm down in the coming weeks as efforts are made to clear the backlog.
In amongst all of that we have also been busy framing with a steady stream of work keeping us occupied. Lead times at the moment are still around 5-6 weeks and we are working hard to bring those back down to a more manageable 3-4 weeks. With the Christmas season approaching we are already keeping an eye on supplies and forward orders to ensure we have time to complete all projects before our end of year shutdown. We are anticipating at the moment that we will be placing final orders late November, for work to be completed in December with any last minute jobs having to be done from stock items. But we will keep this under review over the next month or so.
AUGUST 2021
The month seems to have rushed by and September is fast approaching. Workloads have continued to be high and although the disruptions with out of stock items from suppliers and delayed deliveries has improved, it is still causing some issues, sometimes at short notice. Our thanks to everyone for being so understanding as our industry, like so many others across the country, is effected by these difficulties.
On a happier note Devon Open Studios is about to start – featuring artists across a wide range of mediums throughout the whole county – you can pick up a FREE Devon Open Studios Guidebook from our workshop. We are looking forward to getting out and about to visit artists in the area. The event opens on 11th September and runs through to the 26th September.
During August we saw an increase in customers popping by without pre-booking an appointment – most likely because general COVID restrictions were lifted at the end of July. We were able to see many of them straightaway because we were between booked appointments, but we did have to ask some people to book and return another time. So this is just a reminder that we are continuing with our booking system until at least the end of 2021. We have had overwhelmingly positive feedback from customers about our appointment system. It allows those travelling a distance, customers with multiple items who need to spend longer with us, or for people wanting to schedule a visit around other tasks, to plan more easily. Knowing that they will have a dedicated time slot with us, with no additional waiting or the worry of a queue forming behind them which can make people feel rushed. So while we are happy to see people if they just drop by and we are free, we would ask that ideally you do book in before heading over. It just takes a quick phone call during opening hours or a visit to our booking page 24/7 to see availability on any day. We are going to be undertaking a customer survey towards the end of the year to review whether to continue with appointments in the long term – if you have any comments on it then please do send them in at any time and they will be taken into consideration when making our decision going forward.
Our COVID-19 page has more information on visiting – turnaround times for orders – our appointment system and so on.
JULY 2021
We are now back from our Summer Break and looking forward to welcoming customers back to the workshop again. Bookings are available via the Bookings tab.
After a very busy start to the month, we have now completed the final order to be ready before our Summer Break. From Saturday 10th July, through to Monday 26th July inclusive we are away from the workshop for a much needed rest and some important family time. 2021 so far has been an “interesting” year – every month bringing its own challenges. We are looking forward to a few weeks away from framing, before plunging back into a busy order book as the month draws to a close and we look ahead to August. We hope the sun shines for at least some of the time!
A reminder again, that despite National COVID restrictions being lifted during July, we will continue to wear masks and practice social distancing in the workshop. This is to keep us safe and to help protect a family member with a reduced immune system. Our workshop does not benefit from windows or doors on either side of the building, so we are not able to have the recommended flow of air – which means we need other methods to help keep us safe. Once the Government restrictions are relaxed we won’t insist that customers wear a mask too, but you are welcome to do so if it will make you feel more comfortable. We will also be retaining our appointment system for the foreseeable future. We thank you all for your patience and understanding.
JUNE 2021
Over the weekend of Saturday 26th June the workshop will be closed for that one day due to proposed ongoing works in the roadway outside which will limit access over the weekend. If you are visiting us at the moment then please do take extra care when parking and walking down the access road as the surface is very uneven at the moment.
The weeks since reopening back in April have been the busiest we have ever experienced, which neatly dovetailed with a severe stock shortage of mouldings and mountboard – and even glass at times – across the whole industry in the UK. This unfortunately had a knock-on effect on our lead time and we’d like to extend our thanks, once again, to our wonderful customers for understanding that we are operating in far from ideal conditions at the moment. We are slowly but surely getting back on track – although we are still suffering with out of stock, discontinued and delayed items from suppliers. We are hopeful of getting our lead time back to normal levels as the Summer progresses.
You may have noticed that we have no available bookings week commencing Monday 14th June – we are still here and working hard but the roadway outside the workshop is currently being dug up and there is a very large trench right across our front doors. This has also blocked the parking spaces outside our front door as they fit a new electric cable to some of our neighbours. To keep everyone as safe as possible we are limiting visitors to the workshop this week while the work is completed. However, if you are just wanting to collect finished work then please give us a ring on 01626 888669 and we will get that sorted with you.
This month we will also be celebrating our 15th birthday. We opened the doors on 26th June 2006 and the business has evolved and changed hugely during that time. None of us could have quite predicted how the last 16 months of trading would have been, but we are still here – busy framing some amazing things – striving to do the very best we can for all our customers. So to everyone who has supported us, chosen us to do their framing, shared the stories of the precious things we have been entrusted with – watched us develop as framers and shared the journey with us – thank you! We couldn’t have done it without you and your support. Here’s to the next 15 years!
COVID-SAFE : finally, we just wanted to give advance notice that we will be continuing with social distancing throughout the summer and potentially even beyond that. We know that the Government is currently looking at lifting restrictions in July and this could mean a change to how we could operate. But, we currently have a family member with a reduced immune system while they undergo some medical treatment. As we offer close support to them, we are doing all we can to keep ourselves as safe as possible to reduce the chance to taking anything back to them that could cause them additional problems. So because of that, we will carry on wearing masks, keeping space between us and our customers, restricting the numbers visiting us at any one time, carrying on with our appointment system and keeping COVID, summer colds and all other bugs at bay as much as we can. Once restrictions are lifted and mask wearing is no longer mandatory, we won’t insist our customers wear a mask, but please understand that for now, we will continue to do so.
MAY 2021
We are now open again for appointments from Tuesday to Friday 10am to 4pm and Saturday mornings 9am to 12noon. The quickest and easiest way to book is to click on our booking page. This will show all available appointments. Then simply choose the day and time you would like to visit. The system is designed to prevent double booking, so the available times will not allow you to book a longer design appointment if the time gap is only long enough for a quicker collection appointment. So the time may be green on the screen, but if the system won’t allow you to book it, it will be because there is someone else coming in within the time you are trying to reserve. Please then try an alternative day or time and it should then accept the booking
You will be asked for your contact information so that we can send you an email confirmation. The system will ask for your email address and for you to create a password – all your information is held securely and fully complies with GDPR regulations. We will not use it for any marketing purposes – it is just to allow you to go back and update and amend your booking if you need to, and for you to log in again next time you would like to visit. If you don’t receive an email confirmation from us please do check your SPAM folder or give us a call on 01626 888669. You should also receive a reminder a day before your appointment. If booking online isn’t your cup of tea – that’s no problem! We are more than happy to take bookings over the phone if you prefer, just give us a call during opening hours and we will get that sorted for you.
After such a long lockdown and disrupted opening hours last year, we are seeing increased demand at the moment. We appreciate that our appointment system means that sometimes there is a bit of a wait to come in for a design session. We are expecting demand to reduce back to more normal levels over the coming few weeks and at that point we should have plenty of spaces to accommodate everyone each week. This also has the knock on effect of increasing our lead time. With so many design appointments to fit in, it naturally reduces the time for us to be framing each day. We will be working hard to get through orders as quickly as possible and if you have a particular deadline you need us to to meet, then please do make sure to chat that through with us when you visit. In the meantime, we do thank you for your patience and understanding as things slowly return to normal.
APRIL 2021
We are delighted to announce that we have our confirmed reopening date! Our shop front will reopen to customers from Tuesday 13th April at 10am – resuming with appointments only for social distancing reasons. For the first two weeks, we will be prioritising those customers who are still waiting to collect work, as well as those who have been in contact with us during lockdown. We will be in contact with everyone on that list prior to our reopening date. This will allow us to manage the workflow during this busy period.
For new enquiries, we will do our best to fit everyone in as soon as we can and if we have availability then we will get you booked in at the earliest opportunity.
We’d like to thank all our customers for your patience and understanding during this latest lockdown. We are looking forward to getting back into the swing of things.
FEBRUARY 2021
We remain in Lockdown in England and so our shop front remains closed to customers for the time being. We’d like to thank everyone for their patience as we wait for our reopening date. At the moment the earliest date for that is April 12th which, as it is a Monday, means our first trading day would be Tuesday April 13th. When we came out of the first lockdown in June 2020, the Government extended lockdown in the final few weeks, so we are prepared for that to happen again this time. Our hope is though that we will be able to see customers for face to face appointments at some point in April, or at the latest by the start of May. We will continue to monitor Government announcements and will announce our opening date on here and on social media (@theframinglot on Facebook and Instagram) as soon as it has been officially confirmed. We have a list of customers we will be ready to contact to book design appointments when we do reopen, so if you have been in touch with us – you are on the list and we will contact you as soon as that opening date is confirmed. If you would like to be added to the contact list, please just get in touch. You can call us on 01626 888669 (leave a message on the answerphone if we aren’t here) or email us enquiries@theframinglot.co.uk.
Once lockdown is lifted we will revert to our COVID safe appointment system. We have a brand new booking system and this is available on this website – just click on the bookings tab! But please don’t try to book any appointments at the moment, as we won’t be able to confirm them until lockdown is lifted!! Our thanks to Ian Birdsey for all his help in setting this system up for us when our Facebook appointment system decided to stop working. We are looking forward to getting it properly up and running. The new system does ask you to add your details – this enables us to confirm your appointment back to you. Be assured though that all your information is fully protected under GDPR rules and we will not access or use it for any other purpose than confirming and scheduling appointments.
We are continuing to work on reduced hours during lockdown, trying to comply with the “stay at home” order as much as possible, while also completing outstanding orders. We are able to offer pre-booked click and collect appointments for customers to collect their finished work and we will be in touch with you individually to arrange this.
We are looking forward to warmer and brighter days in the coming weeks, and to getting back to a more normal schedule. Until then, please do stay safe and well. Alec & Jo
JANUARY 2021
This all feels horribly familiar now – but we are once again in National Lockdown. Our plan was to have one week of CPD education and then return to open the workshop to customers from Tuesday 12th January. Unfortunately, but not entirely suprisingly, the on-going pandemic has put paid to those plans and we are once again closed as a classified non-essential business. With the current health advice from the Government, we are going to be working behind closed doors this month on reduced hours. We will review the potential to restart our click and collect system for completed work over the coming weeks with the hope that we can restart these appointments in February. We will post further details on here as soon as we have them. In the meantime, we thank you for your continued patience and understanding and from both of us, we hope you stay safe and well. Alec and Jo.