Home from Home

An insight into our team’s new home-office spaces

Home from Home

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We ask some of the John Horsfall team about how they’re finding ways to work from home so far …

 

Ellie – Business Development Manager

Where are you?

At the Kitchen Table, in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, UK.

Who else is there?

My Husband is also working from home, he has his ‘office’ in the living room. We both have a lot of calls and video conferences, so separate spaces are a must.

 

 

We’ve also got our trusty dogs Clarence & Alabama to keep us company.

 

What are you listening to?

The hum of the fridge, and a Café Del Mar Chillout mix.

 

The best part of working from home?

The lack of commute, and having time for a sunrise walk before work.

What do you miss?

The rest of the Horsfall team! We’re a small, close-knit company, and are constantly bouncing ideas around in the office. We’re using plenty of tech for video calls & instant messaging, but it’s not quite the same yet.

 

Other than work, what else is filling your time at Home?

With my background in textile design, making and crafting are still my favourite hobbies, so I’ve been crocheting, sewing and trying my hand at macramé! That and some online Yoga classes.

 

 

Do you have a message for our industry colleagues?

That’s a hard one, its going to be tough for a lot of us, but our colleagues in China are coming out the other side and showing us that there’s light at the end of the tunnel.

 

Kirsty – Product Manager
Where are you?

At the Kitchen Table, in Huddersfield – 2 miles from HQ.

Who else is there?

My Husband and our 12 yr old, all of us are now working from home (at the same kitchen table).

What are you listening to?

The laptop is whirring and I can hear my husband on a conference call in the living room – he does a team catch up at 8.30 am every day.

 

The best part of working from home?

No school run/commute – so I get a bit of a lie in.

And I can escape into the garden anytime, it’s my little haven from the world.

 

 

What do you miss?

The office – the team. I have never worked from home before so not having that face to face connection to other people has been hard. Getting used to video calls is almost as hard – why do you have to see yourself at the same time?

 

Other than work, what else is filling your time at Home?

I am obsessed with hanging a washing out every day while the sun is shining! I’m also a knitter/crocheter so have 2-3 projects on the go, and we only have one big TV so we’re rotating who gets to watch their program choice each night.

And cleaning/tiding … One piece of advice I saw for WFH was to keep your surroundings tidy – but let’s see how long I keep that up!

 

Do you have a message for our industry colleagues?

I think that this is going to be the hardest thing any of us has been through, but we are in it together. China is now coming out the other end and the rest of the world will too – stay strong, stay safe and there is an end in sight.

 

Alex – Design Manager
Where are you?

In our guest bedroom, in Leeds, UK.

Who else is there?

My Partner Scott; he started working from home only a couple of days before me, and after an evening trip to Ikea we both got everything we needed to make our own at-home office set-ups …. However, we have chosen opposite ends of the house to base ourselves – we must see enough of each other already!!

 

 

What are you listening to?

Radio 1 has been a nice station to have periodically on in the background, they maintain a good level of silliness right now to keep me laughing.

 

 

The best part of working from home?

I seem to be able to fit a lot more into my day – it must be due to the lack of commute – but it means I have more time to keep in touch with both family and friends; also I can focus my time on things I’ve been wanting to start for months, including some new hobbies and a new interesting read!

 

What do you miss?

The office environment and seeing everyone at John Horsfall each day – you realize how important being surrounded by the team is when you’re not among it anymore …… oh and the surprise chocolate treats that used to appear around the office!

 

Other than work, what else is filling your time at Home?

I’ve been doing some online workouts and yoga sessions which I’ve really enjoyed, I’ve definitely been able to fit in more tiding and cleaning (our house has never seemed cleaner!) and I’m trying to get more into my crafts … currently dabbling with my pom-pom makers.

 

 

Do you have a message for our industry colleagues?

It will be such a difficult time for so many industries right now, particularly the airline industry. However, I’ve found it so inspiring at this time seeing many airlines rescue missions returning residents and transporting essential medical cargo on typically commercial flights – So thank you, this shows we can get through this when we all do our best to work together.

 

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