It’s all been worth the grief!
If you are a regular reader of BN5 then you are probably aware that we have recently relocated our Henfield branch into the former Barclays bank on the High Street – in fact, at the time of writing, we moved in only 2 weeks ago! In the grand scheme of life this amounts to but a tiny speck of activity, however, for those of us involved it has been all consuming over the past 8 months or so. My overriding emotion when we finally opened the doors on Monday 18th November was one of relief that we had finally done so. However, from the inception of the project to this day, I think I have been through the whole gamut of emotions from highs to lows and on reflection, there have been a lot of parallels to the five stages of grief… (Disclaimer here – this article is “tongue in cheek” and I in no way wish to devalue genuine grief or bereavement…)
Denial
When I became aware that the lease on the bank was available, I went to have a look round and decided it would be a great location for our veterinary practice. Annelise and I sat down with our optimist hats on, she with a pencil and paper (old-school) and me with a spreadsheet on my laptop and we convinced ourselves that a good idea, indeed it was. The wheels were set in motion and it wasn’t long before solicitors had agreed the terms of the lease, site visits occurred and plans were drawn up. Reality began to sink in that once planning was granted, we were past the point of no return. For a period of time, I tried to put the project to the back of my mind and pretend it wasn’t happening, however, planning was granted in late May and like reaching the top of a rollercoaster we had to take the plunge, like it or not!
Anger
Luckily, anger hasn’t been an overriding emotion over the past few months, but if I have experienced it, it has normally been due to the unexpected occurring, or the expected not occurring! I don’t know of a building project where unforeseen costs have not occurred and we are no exception. I did my best not to shoot the messenger when I was told sheepishly that a new drain was required in our car park was going to cost the same as a dental X-ray machine…. for a drain! Add to that equipment deliveries not turning up on time (or at all), and I can’t deny that a few heated phone calls did take place…
Bargaining
We had a fair bit of equipment at our original site in Henfield, but once we started buying new equipment for the new site, the older equipment looked a bit out of place. There’s a veterinary equipment company who produce what I can only describe as a veterinary “argos” catalogue and I may have got a bit carried away on the ordering front! We’re particularly pleased with the kennelling that we have installed, with each kennel benefitting from its own thermostatic heater and LED lighting. Cue some bargaining and discount requests with a moderate amount of success…
Depression
As the build progressed, I can’t deny that doubt did begin to creep in somewhat. Why didn’t we just leave things as they are? Why upset the balance? Had we done the right thing? Was the building going to work as we hoped? I remember lamenting about this to one of our nurses one morning. She told me to pull myself together and that the situation was like being in the final stages of pregnancy – just like giving birth is inevitable, the project was going ahead and I had to deal with it! Armed with this philosophical gem I could do nothing but strengthen my resolve and have a large glass of red wine that evening!
Acceptance and Hope
As the month of November began, with 2 weeks until our official opening, things began to take shape. Building supplies and tools were replaced with cabinets and equipment. Floors were down, the reception desk was installed, feature walls were painted and soft furnishings arrived. If it wasn’t for the huge amount of dust everywhere, it would have felt like a veterinary practice! The last two days were spent mopping, scrubbing and wiping every surface so that it was past presentable and clinically clean. I cannot thank the staff at the practice enough for their heroic efforts at this time to get the practice ready for our open day and VetFest Henfield on Sunday 17th November.
If ever there was an event to blow away any nagging doubts as to whether we had done the right thing, this was it. The support that we received on the day emphasised how fantastic a community spirit there is in Henfield. We were humbled by the number of people who came to the open day – many thanks if you were one of those and to all the local businesses which were also part of the event. Also, if you purchased any raffle tickets, you helped contribute to the £1500 that was raised for our two charities – The Retired Greyhound Trust and Paws and Claws – the cherry on the cake!
After local author, Peter James, officially cut the ribbon on Monday 18th November (many thanks for that, Peter), it was time to see if the building functioned for what it was designed for – as a veterinary practice. As I mentioned, we are only 2 weeks in, but other than a couple of early snags, so far all seems to be going pretty well. Hopefully there aren’t any unexpected surprises yet to reveal themselves! So in terms of grief, I’m not sure where the term “good grief” comes from – but I think that is what I have experienced! We are just very proud to now be part of Henfield High Street and look forward to contributing to village life in the future.
