All Together Now (Mostly)

27 August 2020

Something I love to see as an editor: a thriving Letters page. We’ve had a lot of letters coming in lately; in fact, the September issue saw me finally able to clear a backlog I’d had going for a while, and no sooner had we gone to print than more came in. Requests for information (I’m sure our knowledgeable member base can help out), discussions on horological theory and an offer from someone who has 159 issues of the Horological Journal available for gifting, from January 1954 through to March 1968. (They belonged to his grandfather, and apparently his grandmother always referred to them as her husband’s ‘horror magazines’. The very idea!) I love hearing what our readers have to say and seeing discussions take place on the pages in front of me. It’s a key part of furthering knowledge and a sense of community. Horology does often involve many hours working alone, so it’s so good to see that people still want to engage with each other through the HJ, especially given the recent lockdown and the fact that social restrictions are likely to continue for quite some time.

In fact, we’re all coming together again after lockdown. All members of the BHI staff team who were furloughed are now back at work, albeit part-time initially, which is really gratifying. Social distancing and hygiene methods are in place at Upton Hall; the graphic designer and I are still working from home in order to free up proper distancing space in the office. Various watch fairs, such as the Hong Kong Watch and Clock Fair and Watches & Wonders are taking place online next month and I intend to have a very thorough gander from the comfort of my home office. Martin Foster, the BHI’s industry expert, gives an analysis of the current situation in the September HJ.

It’s a great looking issue, with a good mix of articles on history, industry and the practical making and problem-solving parts of horology. If you aren’t a subscriber, it comes free with a BHI membership, and we hope that our courses will be starting back up in the near future too. Watch this space.

 

Rachel Reeves, Editor