3 Southwest England Residents Turn Covid Hobbies Into Businesses as Online Retail Opens New Market
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Sep 23
3 Southwest England Residents Turn Covid Hobbies Into Businesses as Online Retail Opens New Market
2 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Sep 23
Summary
Three residents in Cornwall and Devon said Covid-19 disruption pushed them to turn hobbies into full-time businesses, leaving previous careers as online marketplaces widened their reach.
600 miles of round-trip travel helped drive Polperro-based Jackie Bird out of office redesign work in London; since quitting in April 2025, she says ribbon-art commissions have barely stopped.
Buckfastleigh maker Tobias Kaye turned woodturning into a business selling 20-string “Sounding Bowls” to the NHS and hospitals worldwide, and says he has trained other makers to meet demand.
Falmouth’s Will Pearson rebuilt after his screen-printing business was “decimated” by the pandemic, opening a boomerang shop that pairs handmade returns with T-shirts and a surf-inspired brand.
The three stories reflect a wider post-pandemic shift in which lockdown disruption and e-commerce made niche creative pursuits viable as standalone livelihoods.