Hitchin Nub News aims to support our community, promoting shops, businesses, charities, clubs and sports groups.

We will be profiling some of these businesses and organisations regularly in a feature called 'Up Close in Hitchin'.

For today's UP CLOSE IN HITCHIN here's creative talent Dan Bramall - aka Dan the Scribbler - as he talks us through what is turning into being Hitchin and north Herts' 'must-have' Christmas present this festive season.

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Get set for the must-have Christmas present in Hitchin and north Herts this festive season - Dan the Scribbler's 2020 tea towel

While 2020 is most certainly a year we'd all like to forget, Hitchin's talented illustrator Dan Bramall, has marked the annus horriblis with an iconic - and ironic - tea towel.

The co-founder of the acclaimed Hitchin Shared Space put his hand to designing a commemorative item which is already flying off the shelves, such is the demand from punters in our area - keen to mark the year that no-one wants to remember in an inimitable way.

Speaking to Nub News, the creative graphic designer shared the lowdown on his idea.

"As someone running a small business in the heart of Hitchin," Dan explains, "I can genuinely say that I've never known a year like it in over two decades as an illustrator and graphic designer.

"In March my client work fell off a cliff and, as with many professional parents, I found being a full time teacher to an extremely bright but fiercely argumentative seven-year-old who was joined by her older sister for daily PE lessons.

"Although spending all those weeks with my family was wonderful in some ways, I couldn't stop feeling utter panic that my career was going down the toilet, along with my hopes and dreams.

"Looking back, I should have counted myself lucky that my family and loved ones were safe, but we can't change who we are can we?"

A portrait of the artist

Once Dan's children were able to return to school, he was finally able to start thinking about being creative again.

The artist in him once again emerged, and he started planning a few new products that he could sell.

After the first lockdown was over he and a few colleagues set up a gift shop at Shared Space, the co-working studio that he co-runs, just off Market Place in Hitchin town centre.

Dan has been producing products depicting Hitchin for a few years. To date, he has created a popular illustrated map, a mug, a badge and a set of coasters.

But by far the best selling has been the tea towel.

2020 has been the most extraordinary year

"With all this amazing stuff for inspiration my illustration took shape," Dan says, adding: "A commemorative item to mark the most extraordinary year that simply could not have been predicted by any of us.

"It has been designed as something that, with any luck, we will get to look back on 2020 with a little bit more fondness than we do now.

"However, during this second lockdown, it still feels as if 2020 may have a few more surprises in store for us, so I'm not taking anything for granted."

Despite the roaring success of his effort, sensitive to any concerns that the tea towel may be seen as in slightly bad taste, by those who have suffered, Dan emphatically allays fears.

Reflecting on the year Dan adds: "I was acutely aware that 2020 has been absolutely devastating for many people, so the last thing I wanted to do was offend - but we have all been through a collective experience that no one has ever known in our lives.

"There have been highs but many, many lows, and for me the best way to cope is with a sense of humour.

"How many people would ever have imagined a national toilet roll shortage?

"The memory of people panic buying bog roll is quite frankly hilarious." Judging by the fact that his first batch sold out entirely in under three days, many in our area have voted with their wallets.

Luckily Dan has managed to produce more tea towels to meet the ever-growing demand as he gives his withering but sardonic verdict on 2020: "For many of us, just uttering the name 'Joe Wicks' provokes a sigh and an eye roll - and I would quite happily never do another Zoom quiz as long as I live..."

And so say all of us.

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