22nd February - Our earthquake experience (March 10th 2011)
There were about 8 of us in store when the earthquake struck. We could tell immediately that it was serious - it was sharp and violent, but didn't last as long as the September quake. While it was scary inside our large brick building and things were falling off the shelves it didn't prepare us for the devastation outside our front door.
When the quake finished we went out onto Madras Street to the centre of the road - the doorways are dangerous around the city as bricks from the decorative parapets may fall on you. Already cars were completely covered by rubble, an already badly damaged building on the the corner had collapsed over the two layers of shipping containers erected to protect people, and two other buildings on our block had lost their sides. Then the first aftershock came and we watched in shock as a block down both the CTV building and the church opposite collapsed. We knew there were definitely people working inside the CTV building. Horrific.
At that point everyone just wanted to reach family, friends and children and know they were safe. The guys manged to wire cutter through a fence to get our vehicles out as the neighbouring building had blocked the driveway. We didn't realise till later how lucky we were that our cars could still be used.
We left promptly, with just laptops and the orders that were packed waiting to be collected - and already the streets were flooded and there was liquefaction everywhere. It happened so fast.
We were lucky - we are all safe as are our friends and families. Right now, I find it best to hold a vision in my mind of how Christchurch will be in the future - its going to be a bit of a journey to get there, but it is going to be one hell of a place in the future!
The Days Straight Afterwards
The days after the quake passed in a kind of non functioning blur. Most time was spent communicating with people about each others whereabouts. I like to think of myself as strong, but I could feel the stress of it all in my body and couldn't string a sensible sentence together. With the damage to property severe - a red sticker on my home and Bolt of Cloth in the centre of the cbd, we put our energy into making sure our kids were safe and settled.
The last Two Weeks
It has been over two weeks and there have been some ups and downs. It took me a week to be able to contemplate planning my way out of this. I've found planning to be good for the soul - it has been energising and inspiring to start thinking about the future and how we are going to move forward.
We have managed to secure a temporary warehouse for Bolt of Cloth, and as soon as we can move all of our stock from Madras Street then we will be able to offer all of our usual services on line. For now, we can ship some things immediately, some in two to three weeks (we have planes arriving with our favourite items) - and hopefully the rest not long after. Right now, while the cordon has been reduced we are still seriously within it. The best guess currently is that we will be allowed access in order to move out in one to two weeks - though nothing is confirmed.
Despite the chaos we are also busy acquiring new lines - both new fabrics and exciting new product lines - we will keep you posted.
The Future
We really do appreciate all the messages of support that we have received - and all the people who have placed orders writing in the comments field - "ship it when you can" - it is hugely appreciated. Thank You! We are doing our best to be back - and while we might look different in the future we are really confident that there are opportunities in everything and our situation is going to force some lateral thinking that just might lead to some very interesting ways of doing business. So keep an eye on us....
People have been asking how they can help us. To be really honest, it is by helping us get back to some normal routines. So please - tell friends about our business, ask for advice on your projects as normal, keep sending us pictures of your living rooms asking for cushion ideas, place orders..... we might not be able to meet your needs immediately, but trying is good for us and we will come back to you when we are able.
Thanks
And a big sincere thank you for your support - it helps.
P.S. For those who are new to the Weekly Specials here's how it works:
Every second Monday we will be listing 5 specials on our web page. These will be available for two weeks only and while stocks last. To get the discount you need a coupon number that can be used on-line during checkout or in store at 216 Madras Street, Christchurch.
You will automatically receive a code for these specials every second Monday via email. You can choose not to receive these emails at any time, simply by clicking unsubscribe on the bottom of this page.
We add you to our system with your email address as your user name and a random password. You can retrieve this password by clicking on "Members login" in the top right of the home page, enter your email address in the field user name and click on "forgot password". Enter your details and your password will be sent to your email address immediately. Now you can log on to the member section, change your details and see all your orders.
