Thank you, goats!

Bulawayo is Zimbabwe’s second City and feels a bit like the place that time forgot – though in a good way. Early mornings can be cool and breezy but, by about 10am, the heat from the sun and the general bustle are reminders that we are in the heart of Africa. Colonial architecture is well-preserved here as, happily, few people have seen the need to modernise. So Barclays Bank has a tin roof, albeit with satellite dish, and the National Gallery with its shady verandas is an absolute treat.

The gallery shop has a good range of local arts and crafts, but we only buy direct from producers so, after lunch we get in the car and head out of town to a so-called “high-density” suburb. Judith Ncube is manager of Bulawayo Home Industries and a popular Jacaranda line last winter was the mohair hats and scarves, made here under the supervision of Sipatisiwe.  Their goats are shorn 2-3 times a year, depending on how good the grazing has been and the fibre is then dyed and either spun or twisted, before being knitted or woven into beautiful items for sale.

We talked about creating a range of throws and cushions for the UK market and will be working on this together over the next few weeks. Nothing happens quickly here, but I find good things are usually worth waiting for…..