By any standards, this
has been a daunting and chastening 14 months. From the moment Prime Minister
Boris Johnson ordered the first lockdown on March 23, as Covid-19 gripped the
country, we, like some many UK businesses, have faced a number of serious and unprecedented
challenges. It hasn’t been easy but, and I’m touching wood as I write this,
there are now genuine reasons for optimism as we emerge, battered but unbowed,
from a year of living dangerously.
The key reason for this
optimism is the widespread confidence in the UK economy. According to the chief
executive of Barclays, Jes Staley, the UK economy is on course for its biggest
economic boom since 1948 as the country’s successful coronavirus vaccination
programme allows consumers to go out and spend. Mr Staley predicted the
strongest year for economic growth since the aftermath of the Second World War,
at 6.5% this year, as the “tremendous pent-up demand” built up during the
pandemic is released. He explained: “The UK has done so well around the vaccination
process, basically 50% of the population is now vaccinated. I think that’s
going to allow the economy to open up sooner than what you might see in other
countries.”
At the same time, our order
book for this year is very healthy, with a number of exciting commissions on
the horizon. We have just completed three major projects in London, Lancer
Square in Kensington, Mount Row in Mayfair and One Molyneux Street in
Marylebone and there are more high-quality commissions in the pipeline
including a prestigious housing development at King’s Cross, overlooking the
station.
There were fears that
Covid-19 might hit the self-build residential property market hard, but that is
not our experience. We are currently providing bricks for self-build projects
across the UK, with many house-owners releasing the money they have saved over
the past year. These include commissions in York, Doncaster, Sheffield,
Liverpool, the Wirral, Durham, Hexham, Shropshire, Rugby and Stoke, totalling
almost £1m.
Before the lockdown, we
had enjoyed the most successful 12 months in our 33-year history with a record
turnover of over £2.7 million. Going forward, that has set a benchmark for
success. Another benchmark is the number of projects that we submit for the
annual Brick Development Association awards, the Oscars of the brick industry.
This year we are submitting six and I hope I am not being too arrogant when I
say I am extremely proud of all of them.
They are: the brand-new
Magdalene College Library at Cambridge University, for which we provided
300,000 bricks and specials; St Albans Cathedral in Hertfordshire; One Molyneux
Street, a residential housing development; the Porter’s Lodge at Jesus College,
Cambridge University; Valentine House in Allostock, Cheshire; and the Epic Hotel
in Liverpool.
We have a wonderful track
record in the BDA awards, winning and being highly commended in a host of
categories over the years. Huge thanks are due to the management team and
employees at York Handmade for their imagination, enterprise and hard work,
which have all combined to make this recognition possible. It is also important
to stress that our six entries are completely different jobs in design and
execution, graphically illustrating our ability to work in a wide variety of
colours and styles. We believe we can tackle any brickwork project
successfully.
I do hope my optimism
reflects yours. The last year has been deeply stressful for most of us, and
tragic for many others, but I genuinely believe that, if the vaccination
programme continues to be rolled out so successfully, the UK’s economy will
boom as the year progress. And I am confident that here at York Handmade, we
are ready to take advantage of the opportunities that brings.