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Monday 4th
This morning Toby asked me if I might be able to stay on a bit longer. He explained that he hasn’t had a decent holiday since he took over the place and he’d just realised that this would be a perfect opportunity. Of course I told him that I’d be happy to look after the shop for him (I almost called it ‘my’ shop, but managed to stop myself just in time).
He’d been hoping to go somewhere exotic, but has decided on a camping trip to Fort William in Scotland... actually that’s all he can afford at the moment. It seems that Mark C__ still owes him more than £5,000 for a few big jobs from last year (he’s always been notoriously slow at paying up).
Monday 11th
Toby’s gone off on holiday – his final instructions to me were, "Please don’t rearrange anything!" I’ve got the place to myself now... well, apart from all the customers! I’d just put on Ruddigore and had picked up my gouge to start rough arching when they started dribbling in.
One chap wanted a written quote on a new bridge and soundpost. Just when I’d finished writing it out he said, "actually the pegs are pretty bad so I’d better have a new set of those as well". I amended the quote and was just handing it to him when he said, "Oh, and can you fix up all those scratches on the front?" When I’d finally finished adding it all up he looked at the total in horror, said he’d have to think about it and rushed out. No wonder Toby needed a break.
Anyway, I did manage to make a few sales throughout the day... a mute, a set of strings, some rosin and a tuning fork. I also wrote out an invoice for Mark C__ and sent it off to the orchestra that he plays in. I made a point of not putting his name on the envelope but I’m sure the orchestra manager will see that he gets it.
Thursday 14th
Every time I try to do some work on my violin, either the phone rings or a customer walks in. I’ve made no progress at all this week.
I did have one very welcome visitor though - Beth Hurley... she’d heard I was back in town. Actually she wanted some help with a small problem – the Pedrazzini that she has from the loan foundation is coming apart and needs some major work. It will take at least a month to sort out and she was wondering if I might have another instrument she can use in the meantime. I decided to let her borrow the violin I’d originally made for her years ago (...not that she ever ended up seeing it).
Sent another invoice for Mark C__ to the orchestra today... that’s the third this week. I think I’ll send three or four next week as well.
Thursday 21st
Fiona called in on the way to orchestra rehearsal – just wanted to thank me for the recent entertainment. Apparently the orchestra manager has been making a big production of presenting Mark C__ with the latest invoice from Stanley Potts. And now every time he walks into the room with any piece of paper in his hand everyone shouts out, "Must be another bill for you, Mark! Time to pay up!"
Also Beth phoned – she absolutely loves my violin! Her teacher thinks it’s wonderful too. They both agree that it has much more projection in the upper registers than the Pedrazzini. I had momentary visions of her playing all her future concerts on a Potts violin, but she told me she would still have to keep using her ‘old’ one, once it’s been fixed. Of course!... part of the image of being a top player is that you can only be seen with an antique (even if it is falling to pieces and doesn’t work properly). But she just thought I’d like to know how much she’s enjoying playing mine.
Monday 25th
Toby back today... thank goodness. Now I can get back to my making. He didn’t look very relaxed - said that it rained the whole time and he’d spent two weeks sitting in a leaky tent slapping midges (I must say his face did look quite blotchy). He was hoping to climb Ben Nevis but never even saw it! I cheered him up by giving him a big cheque. Mark B__ finally paid up... in full!