The original Solinear December 2020 update was written in January whilst Christmas was still fresh in thought and, apart from maybe a few minor updates and tweaks here and there, it was pretty much complete. It’s always good to plan ahead and keep whatever is being marketed in the mind of the public and Solinear’s marketing along with Christmas plans were going to reach new heights of organisation in 2020. 2020, however, had other ideas.
In the good old days
Looking back at the manic November and December of last year, Solinear HQ was frenzied – already busy with contracts to fulfil, Solinear was on the move to new premises and attempting to plan for the festive season with debates surrounding where to have the Solinear Christmas party and who could fit us in – who was able to come and who wasn’t, who hated sprouts and who didn’t, what day to round everyone up for the team photo and which festive jumper to wear. No one wants the embarrassment of turning up wearing a duplicate Crimbo jumper, do they?!
Finally plans were in place for the office party accommodating sprout eaters and non-sprout eaters, everyone knew what Christmas jumper they were going to wear, and the entire team promised to appear in the photo. Fast forward to the Solinear team Christmas jumper photo day and half the team were either “otherwise engaged” or, despite the memo, the WhatsApp group messages and the verbal warnings – jumperless! Shamefully, this included our fearless leader/managing director, Tom!
No excuses this year
Apart from the Solinear team cover photo the Christmas 2020 newsletter was relatively complete and there was a sense of pride in declaring that this Christmas was going to be planned well in advance; The office Christmas outing was going to be booked as soon as festive menus were released, secret Santa was going to be organised in October, Christmas jumpers and team photos were going to be taken in November…and absolutely no excuses. None. Zilch excuses accepted. Not even alien abduction or ‘the dog ate my Christmas jumper’. None whatsoever.
Then 2020 happened
Early this year the world became familiar with the other C word, Covid. Subsequently, national lockdown was implemented, industry slowed considerably and millions of people were furloughed so marketing to those who were not at work seemed futile and many, understandably, had other priorities to contend with. It became apparent that elements of what was written and planned at the end of last year and beginning of 2020 were, alas, now becoming obsolete and irrelevant anyway – at this rate, what is penned and proposed now could be out of date by the end of this week! Christmas was too far away to think about and by that time all this would be over anyway and we’d be back to normal…wouldn’t we?
Solly steps in
Like the humble Brussels sprout, some loved lockdown, whilst others loathed it but many agreed it had continued for much longer than expected but by the same token March seemed to rapidly merge into August and by September we were adapting to a ‘new normal’. There was even a glimmer of hope for small-scale festivities albeit socially distanced as well as the much-maligned Christmas jumper day but in the snap of a Christmas cracker, we were back in lockdown. And queue the Christmas update rewrite! Once again, the Solinear team has narrowly escaped Christmas jumper day and subsequent photographic evidence of jumper wearing, however, there is nothing to stop Christmas jumpers at home. For now, Solly, Solinear’s motivational mascot, has volunteered to be designated 2020 Christmas jumper wearer and he’s loving it!
Best wishes from Solinear
Suffice to say, 2020 remains on the naughty step, Christmas parties may be on hold and festive jumpers might only be seen through a screen this year but, however people spend this time of year and whatever happens in the next few weeks/months, the Solinear team wishes health and happiness, companionship and hope to all for the future.
