Back in February 2020 I received one of the most unexpected emails I've ever had.
The props team from Coronation Street got in touch to ask if they could borrow some Barkley and Fetch dog accessories for a scene being filmed at a veterinary practice. They wanted the waiting room to look authentic, with collars, leads and harnesses on display in the background.
Needless to say, I didn't hesitate for a second!
I was asked to provide enough products to fill around two square metres of display space, so I carefully picked out some of my brightest and most colourful designs. If Barkley and Fetch was going to appear on the nation's favourite soap, I wanted it to stand out!
On 12th February I drove down to the Coronation Street studios and handed everything over to the set designers, who would create the veterinary practice ready for filming. A few days later I returned to collect it all, leaving the mystery of when it would actually appear on screen.
And then... I waited.
The original plan was for the episode to air sometime between late March and April. But as we all know, 2020 had other ideas.
COVID had just begun to change everyday life. Television schedules were constantly being reshuffled, production was disrupted, and nobody could tell me exactly when the scene would be broadcast. Even the production team weren't completely sure.
To make matters even more intriguing, I wasn't told anything about the storyline. Soap plots are kept under very tight wraps, so I had absolutely no idea which character would be visiting the vets.
Every episode became a bit of a guessing game.
Then, on 9th April 2020, Eccles, Ken Barlow's beloved dog, became ill.
I remember thinking, This has to be it.
I sat watching with bated breath, and then there it was.
Behind Ken Barlow's shoulder, sitting in the waiting room, was a display full of Barkley and Fetch collars, leads and harnesses.
It only appeared for a few moments, but I couldn't have been prouder.
Like many small business owners, I secretly imagined that millions of viewers would spot the products, immediately rush to Google and think, "I need one of those collars!"
Of course... that's not quite how it works!
There wasn't a flood of orders. The phone didn't start ringing off the hook. Life carried on exactly as it had before.
But looking back, that's not really the point.
For a little handmade business from Marple to have its products featured on one of Britain's most iconic television programmes is something I'll always be incredibly proud of. It's one of those unexpected opportunities that reminds you just how far a small business can travel.
Even if it was only for a few seconds in the background.
And yes... I still smile every time I think about seeing Barkley and Fetch sitting there in the Coronation Street vet's waiting room.
