Next up in our Life Under Lockdown series, it’s our COO. Here’s Stuart Harris’s experience of life in lockdown.
What’s your working from home set up?
Home office – with door closed most of the time but frequently interrupted by wife (Sarah), daughter (Abi), and dog (Max) – not all at the same time though!
Have you dedicated any lockdown time to learning a new skill?
Yoga. I do quite a lot of exercise anyway (especially running with Max, a Hungarian Vizsla) but never spend enough time stretching, it always gets missed as I convince myself I never have enough time. I’ve noticed a big difference already so it’s something I will definitely make more time for in the future. Whilst I’ve always enjoyed cooking having more time to try out different recipes has been fun. We get between three and five meals each week from Hello Fresh (you choose your meals from a list that changes every week and they provide the ingredients). We all have a go at cooking one or two of them, we’re all learning new recipes and techniques plus there’s a healthy level of competition!
What’s the best and most challenging thing about working from home?
Clearly we are all facing challenges at the moment but nothing like those being faced by NHS staff and key workers. The best – more family and exercise time, plus more sleep! The most challenging – apart from interruptions, it’s missing human interaction, especially the chance to meet and chat over a pint in the pub or at one of the many, great West End cafes or restaurants we are lucky to have close to our office.
What are you reading at the moment?
Apart from some great info on our knowledge hub I’m flicking between two books: The Girl Who Lived Twice by David Lagercrantz and Last Shop Standing: Whatever happened to Record Shops by Graham Jones (I spent many an hour in record shops in Gloucester and Cheltenham in my youth and still have a large vinyl collection).
What are you listening to when working from home?
A variety depending on the time of day and my mood. I was big in to Punk and Ska when I was younger but my music tastes tend to be a bit more varied now. If I’m working it’ll be nothing or something more chilled like London Grammar, Jack Johnson, or The Stone Roses. At the end of the day or when exercising it could The Specials, ACDC, 90’s Dance Music or Dead Kennedys!
What’s your snack and drink of choice?
Snack – Jaffa Cakes or French Fancies. Drink – coffee and water in the day then an ice cold beer at the end of the day.
