Fashion - Joanne

All White Now

Ulster Tatler Woman Editor, Joanne Harkness, looks at the simple, yet classic white, which will be on trend for Spring/Summer 2022.

Spring/Summer jewellery collection by Orelia London.

Throne white trainer, £90, Dune London.

Dellila handbag, £85, Dune London.

Peter Cohen Pre Fall

Collection. Sian Platform Mule, £30, Schuh @ Very.

Textured crew neck t-shirt, £9, Primark.

Raina & Julieta blouse and skirt by Rowley Hesselballe.

Columnist

Jim Fitzpatrick,

Journalist and Broadcaster

Focusing On The Positives

Iwas chairing a public sector conference recently and a theme that emerged from several sessions was a desire to keep the improvements in working that the pandemic has produced.

There is lots we want to avoid again in the future. Procurement of PPE, for example, is not an area where best practice can be demonstrated or best value can be seen.

But there are areas where we can see real improvements that wouldn’t have happened if there hadn’t been what the tech people call the “burning platform” of the pandemic.

For instance, there has been a lot of focus on the lack of face-to-face GP appointments. But for many the ability to have Zoom meetings with their doctor was actually more convenient and it did allow the doctors to see more patients.

So rather than going back to the old system of long waits in GP surgeries, some are moving to a hybrid model which will combine online with face-to- face.

It’s just one small example and there are many more in the public sector. The private sector too has discovered many surprising new ways of doing things.

The pandemic forced customers to adopt technology more quickly than they might have been comfortable with. This was particularly evident in the hospitality sector.

Restaurants adopted ordering and paying by app. And it was remarkably easy and convenient – if a little impersonal. So now the hybrid model for some could be restoring the ordering with a waiter or waitress but offering the app for adding extras or paying the bill.

It’s a personal gripe of mine that you can often spend ages trying to pay a bill after a meal. Staff often forget about you once they know you’ve been served. Paying automatically when ready was great and I hope more places keep this option.

Parcel deliveries was another area where the customer experience improved in many ways. The knock at the door and quick wave or the parcel left on the step. The tracking technology and apps allowing you to approve contactless delivery and have the parcel left even when away. Again, improvements which shouldn’t be lost.

But many businesses will have discovered their own little hacks that have made service or process that bit more efficient. Things that could never be done before suddenly became doable because they had to do them. These are wins that have to be banked.

Of course hybrid working is bringing a whole new dynamic to many workplaces. And it can work for employees and employers too. It’s about finding the balance and it’s also a learning curve for everyone.

So, after two years of pandemic hell, which we can’t say is completely over, it’s maybe ok to focus a little on the positives. They seemed few and far between. But they exist and we shouldn’t forget them.

“Of course hybrid working is bringing a whole new dynamic to many workplaces. And it can work for employees and employers too. It’s about finding the balance and it’s also a learning curve for everyone. “