02/09/2026
Sometimes, you become so accustomed to your own situation that you stop noticing the things that make it a little different from everyone else’s.
We see Billy as Billy. He’s 22, he comes to markets with us, helps out, has a laugh, plays his Nintendo DS and is just part of everything we do.
But something happened at the Siege of Carrickfergus that gave us a little reminder that, although Billy is 22, he sometimes needs a lot more support than another 22-year-old might.
Any market trader will tell you that setting up and packing down can be… stressful. 😂
It’s the bit where everyone is carrying boxes, trying to remember where everything goes, wondering where the card reader has disappeared to, snapping at the people they love and promising themselves that next time they’ll be more organised.
We learned quite quickly that during those times we simply can’t give Billy the attention he needs.
That’s actually one of the reasons we bought our van. We can get all our stock in much more easily, Harry and Billy have plenty of room, and they have their own little safe space away from the chaos.
When we arrive at a market, Billy usually stays in the van while we set up, happily playing his Nintendo DS.
The Siege of Carrickfergus was no different.
Once we were ready, I went to get Billy, but he wanted to finish the game he was playing.
“Okay,” I said. “I’ll come back for you in 15 minutes.”
The van was only about 150 yards away and we could see it from the stall, so off I went.
Fifteen minutes later I walked back to the van.
The van was unlocked.
Billy’s Nintendo DS was sitting on the seat.
But there was no Billy.
Cue absolute panic.
Where had he gone?
Had someone taken him?
Had someone persuaded him to go somewhere?
(Although, knowing Billy, they’d probably have brought him back fairly quickly. 😂)
I checked the toilets.
Shouted his name.
Went back to the van.
Nothing.
And then I saw him.
About 100 yards away, walking towards me with panic on his face and tears in his eyes.
He had decided to come and find us himself.
But he couldn’t find us.
And suddenly something that we rarely stop to think about became very obvious.
Billy might be 22, but there are things that most 22-year-old men could manage without thinking that Billy simply can’t.
He relies on us.
For reassurance.
For guidance.
For safety.
For lots of the little things that other people his age would automatically do for themselves.
And because this is our life, we don’t really think about it.
You just do it.
Every day.
It becomes normal.
It’s only when something like this happens that you stop for a moment and realise just how much support you actually give.
And you know what?
It’s blooming hard sometimes.
It can be exhausting.
It can be frustrating.
And it is constant.
But we wouldn’t have Billy any other way. ❤️
He is Billy.
And everything worked out in the end.
He got his hug.
We got our Billy back.
And I suspect I aged about ten years in fifteen minutes. 😂
But moments like this also remind us why the message behind Little Bloom Co means so much to us.
Because everybody needs somebody sometimes.
Some people just need that somebody a little more often.
So let’s keep looking out for each other. 🥰
Grow Kindness. Grow Purpose. Let it Bloom.
