Over the next few weeks we will be trying to give you a picture of what it’s like at the moment in some of the countries we buy from, and how our producers have been affected by the Covid-19 crisis.

We’re starting with Bali, Indonesia, which has not escaped the virus – the streets are largely empty and most shops closed – but it has had very few deaths so far; the ‘red zone’ for Indonesia is in the busy streets of Jakarta. Our producers mostly work from their homes and so are able to continue earning a living; we even hope we will be able to fill and despatch a container by the end of May, though whether restrictions tighten before then is yet to be seen.

One of producers is working round the clock making masks for us, textile ones which can be washed and re-used. These are not the top-grade plastic variety needed in hospitals, but are nevertheless recommended by the WHO to prevent the spread the spread of the virus. They will be in our August catalogue and, we hope, on our website within 4 to 6 weeks.

In the photo here, you can just see the sign of Titi Mertha, our bamboo chime supplier. It looks pretty dark and dusty inside, well this is not because of the photography, it is dark and dusty inside. And huge untidy piles of bamboo are always scattered outside too. The red bags you see in the car are a pretty normal way of packing crafts in Bali, there’s still a way to go to persuade producers that plastic really is a no-no for all packaging.