It all started on Wednesday the day I loaded the van full of stock, the forecast for our area of the UK was rain, rain, rain and more rain. I started the day with a heavy heart but as the forecast for the weekend and Twinwood wasn't too bad, I thought I can put up with a day of getting wet if all will be good at the weekend!
So on Wednesday I got so wet through I have to get changed entirely at least once including shoes as I got so soaked to the skin. Eventually I just had to give up as every time I went back out the rain got heavier, which I didn't think was possible but sadly it was!!
Anyway no worries, I had a hot shower and Thursday I finished loading the van in the morning and set off to Twinwood!
Once we arrived at Twinwood, the sight that greated us wasn't great, flooding on the grass, water and bad weather surrounded us, but in that great British spirit we battled on! We put up the marquee and then the heavens opened, as you can see from the photo below, setting up at Vintage events can turn out to be neither glamourous nor fun!
Yes that IS a waterproof with a hood, I never owned one until I did events but believe me doing outside events is not entirely glam!
Here is the view from our marquee, uuurgh
Yes that is a humongous pool of water where my marquee should be, see that white line out front, that should be where my marquee should start, needless to say it wasn't there as I would have been swimming!!
Anyway we abandoned ship for the Thursday and decided to finish Friday, now fortunately we had the forsight to book a hotel, PHEW!!!
We had a lovely meal on Thursday night, then a great nights sleep and off we went on Friday to finish setting up, it wasn't a great day on Friday but we got done.
Then Saturday we set off for the site ready for a days trading!!
It was only when we got there Saturday that we realised we probably weren't in the best place location wise, and we weren't anywhere near our other trader friends BUT we made new friends so that's all good.
Here is a fab pic of a Lancaster flying over our marquee, ok it's not clear but believe me it was impressive!!
However Saturday turned out to be our worst day trading at an event ever, which was shocking as we'd heard it was a great event! We were sad, but we were there, so hey tomorrow is another day
And yes tomorrow WAS another day!
We arrived on Sunday morning to a freezing cold site and the wind blowing like it was the end of the world. Again though in true British fashion we thought it'll be fine!!
The wind continued to whip around the site but a Spitfire flew overhead and everyone grinned like an idiot, I tried to get a picture of it flying over our marquee but it was too blumming quick!
Then in the afternoon the gales arrived, I have never known wind like it, well we were in a marquee! If it wasn't for the fabulous customers in the marquee at the time when a particularly bad gust hit I would have lost far more stock than I did. My lovely customers held on to my stock for dear life until I unloaded it all from shelving and tables. Then fortunately some friends arrived, thanks so much to Marion and Diane for calming me and helping to pack away some stock.
Then my lovely friend Kay from Rocket Originals heard talk of what had happened to me at the other end of the field, she arrived with coffee, kind words, hugs and help to pack away my stock. Once I was all done, Martin (Kay's husband) from Rocket Originals arrived to help me pack my van and then Martin and some guys from The London Boot Company took my marquee down for me, as if I had tried to do it on my own in that wind I would have been flying higher and faster than the Spitfire!
So all in all, no pics, no video, a terrible disaster, I'm a sad Fiona today, and it was a tough tough weekend to go through, oh and I didn't mention I bruised my rib when I fell on some boxes whilst unloading the van on Friday, oh yeah it was fun,not!
However the good thing that came out of it is the kindness of people, not only friends but strangers too. People are great in helping others in a crisis and I thank all those who did help me.
I'm still getting over the hideousness of the weekend and all that work for nothing, well we essentially made a loss, so a lesson here don't always assume that traders are loaded, sometimes they do a lot of work and come home with nothing.
I'm trying to recouperate and have licked my wounds a lot today, hopefully I will be back to full mental & physical strength soon!!
19 comments:
I think it's THE only flying Lancaster you have there, the "City of Lincoln" and I'd be glad if you'd email a big piccy to me as I look after a chap who flew in the crew and we talk planes he did 50 odd missions over Germany and is one of the most lovely chaps I ever met.
He'd be made up to see that picture.
So out of the mud comes something good.
Much Love xx
oooh I hope it's a Lancaster, that's what I'm assured and I hope I'm right I'd be happy to send a pic, just wish i could have got a pic of the Spitfire that was also impressive but by god they can move!!
Oh, Miss Fiona... I'm sorry to hear that you had such a rough go at things. I had hopes that you would have made some green on your trip. It seems though, despite the losses, you did make some friends - so the universe wasn't completely unscrupulous. Still... I'm sad to hear.
*hugs*
Been there... if I've learned one thing over the years it's to bring wellies, jackets and gloves even in July.
Hope your next event will be a far more pleasant experience.
I'm so sorry! I know how hard vendors (or traders in England) work! My club was vending at car shows last summer to earn more money for Booze Broads and Hotrods (taking care of them boys for 3 days doesn't come cheap!) selling our old vintage and hair flowers, and at one show, our canopy collapsed with all our clothes hanging from it! This was in over 100 degree heat...we had to run out and buy another canopy so there went the profits on that day :-(
Glad you survived and didn't drown or get blown away like Dorothy.
Oh dear! Poor you. I really feel for you. And even more annoying that today Summer seems to have made a reappearance! Hope your poor rib gets better soon.xxx
How dreadful for you :(
I know that doing a big event like this one wouldn't have been cheap and the weather was so bad for you too...how unfortunate, you must be gutted.
I am gearing up for the KKBO show this weekend, and after reading your post I am SO glad that it is inside.
Hope you have lots of web sales this week to soften the blow :)
Ooooooh Fiona, I SO feel for you, what a dreadful trip. I know how much work you'd have invested into this...bloody heaps. Personally I have sworn off outdoor events for these sorts of reasons, I find they're just a nightmare and I'm too precious about my stock as well. I think you're very brave to have even considered doing such an event in England! Thank God you had friends to help, it's always heartening when that happens. Now, repeat after me, Onwards and upwards now please :)
So sorry to hear you had such a traumatic time!It does sound a bit of a nightmare, but perhaps you could just call it a "learning experience"! I must admit I am far too much of a wuss to even attempt an outdoor event...
Thanks all, so kind! No more outside events for us that's for sure!
Blimey, Fiona, I'm so sorry to hear this. You cannot rely on the British weather but you can rely on the kindess of folk. Take it easy..xx
Dear Fiona, I am afraid that I am going to have to stop reading your blog. On seeing the photo of you in a rain mac with hood, I fell to the floor in a fit of apoplexy. It isn't vintage! It's just not! Where were your victory rolls? Where were your inappropriate stilettos? Yes, you may well claim that people in the vintage period(s) (those defined by that petty, bitter twit with the glasses) wore rainmacs during periods of inclement weather, but this is not something I wish to see on your blog.
I find that I will have to log out and then leave anonymous comments berating you for your rainmac, and anything else which you or other people post, which I don't agree with. I can't be doing with people letting down the side of glamour. Yes, I may be typing this in a pair of ancient, gravy-encrusted jogging bottoms, and my hair hasn't seen a comb for a week, BUT VINTAGE PEOPLE ON BLOGSPOT MUST BE GLAMOROUS AT ALL TIMES!
I hope this is a wake-up call. I am moving into your next door neighbour's shed with a zoom lens camera and shall be making sure that there is glamour at all times going on at Notorious Kitsch HQ. I shall be starting a blog about my life in the shed but I shall only be publishing photos of you. If I see the rainmac again, even in a hurricane, I shall be letting the good people of Blogspot know!
signed,
Nutter McNutterson,
Nutter Cottage
Nutsville
ha ha ha ha Helen you are funny that cheered me up today :o)
;D
You poor lady. I send you many interwebular hugs and enjoyed your Fred and Ginger vid. I need to do the very same xxx
thanks hon, you make sure you do the same :o)
Poor STM ! I'm so sorry for you.
My sister is a vendor (handbags) too and she has had a few events like this! One time, her tent blew over during the night (it was a two-day event) and some of her stock got ruined! Another vendor close to her booth even had some of her stock stolen.
I am so sorry this happened to you!
Thanks Big Mama!
Oh yes Lady Betty, we've had things stolen and many of our fellow vendors experience this all the time, I don't know what these people think, we're clearly small traders so it's a personal loss!
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