THE GODALMING BAZAAR EVENT 7 JUNE 2014 - A CUSTOMER REVIEW

Hello everyone

I am really pleased to be able to present this guest post from Lesley Beeton who not only took photographs are stallholder's work at the 7 June Godalming Bazaar, but attended the event as a customer.  It certainly contains food for thought for both me and the stallholders who took part and it is a timely reminder for stallholders taking part in any event.  Thank you Lesley for a very interesting guest post.

The Godalming Bazaar – a customer review

Hundreds of people visited the indoor Godalming Bazaar on Saturday 7th June.  The rainy morning kept some shoppers away, but those who braved the damped conditions were greeted with food and crafty delights.  These are some of my favourites.

JoJo from Artyfacial did a great job, keeping children occupied with face-painting, whilst Julia from Glutton and Glee provided a pop-up café for that much-needed cup of coffee and a sit-down.  Stallholders included Melanie Capper from Melanie’s Garden, a natural skincare range, Kevin Gorton, a local artist and musician who hand-paints scenes of Godalming on everyday items, and Dawn Hart of local home-industry knitting enterprise Stone Pit Crafts. Crafts and gifts on sale varied from beautiful oil paintings on canvas by Jan Windle, to delightful glass products by Hot Glass.  There were plenty of hand-sewn items for sale, many to delight younger shoppers, such as customised bags by Made By Lorraine, and the gorgeous tooth-fairy pillows made by Lauren Broughton of Love Sew Sweet. Acorn to Oak provided a little bit of peace and quiet with reiki massage and crystal therapy.  Jewellery, re-incarnated plastic bags and fascinating items by Juraj, the blacksmith, added to the mix.  There were foodie highlights too, in the visual splendour of the macaroons by Pinch of This and the Chai Tea and Perfect Curry kits.

I do however, have some observations (as a customer), which I hope will provide constructive criticism for both the organisers and stall holders. Remember, you want to sell, and I want to buy.

Firstly, although slightly up on last time, a footfall of 50 an hour, or 2 visitors for each stand, seems a bit low. I wondered if a Town Crier out and about in town would be better than someone trying to hand out leaflets.  If you are going to hand out leaflets, what about numbering them and having a ‘Lucky Number’ draw each half hour, with a different stall holder putting up a small prize each time.  The poster boards at the door were not visible.  The banner poster was not effective.  Bunting might make people look twice.

There should be a unique selling point for the market - something that local people will look forward to each time.  Jugglers and knife throwers (or balloon artists and face painters) are too gimmicky for a luxury market. I spent a minimum of £10 at each stall I bought from, most were £12.50 starting point.  That's not cheap (nor should it be) but the market should promote itself as something special.

The first door (opposite Stone Pit Crafts) should have been open. It would have created a better flow of people, and more welcoming on entry.  A large map of who's who would be nice. Stall holders need badges to identify themselves.  Many were not very friendly.  One even had ear phones in!

I really don't like the borough hall as a venue. It was difficult for stall holders to display on one table top, with nowhere to put a banner or hanging items behind them.  This meant that buyers always look down, instead of up and out at eye-level, making eye-contact with sellers.  The noise in the room is unbearable.  There is nowhere for it to go. I had to work really hard to engage the stall holders in conversation, even when I had my purse open and money hanging out.  The exceptions were Melanie’s Garden, Peru Project and the local Godalming hand-painted coaster artist.  They wanted to tell me about their work, and they were interesting to talk to.

I didn't like having the food court stuck away.  More people would have bought a coffee on the way in/out if it had been part of the main event. 

Well, that’s enough feedback.  Good luck with the next market on Saturday 6^th September.  May it be happy and successful, with lots of sales.

Lesley Beeton

Note: I took photos of, and talked to every stallholder. If anyone wants to talk to me directly about ways of improving the marketability of their stall, or get a high res photo, please let Jill Spain know. No charge.

Monster face-painting by JoJo of Artyfacial

Yummy macaroons by a Pinch of This

Kevin Gorton, local artist and musician

Tooth fairy cushions by Love Sew Sweet

Melanie Capper, Melanie's Garden

Dawn Hart, Stone Pit Crafts

Oil paintings on canvas by Jan Windle

Unique blacksmith art by JAJ BBQ and Blacksmith Products

OH BLOG POST, BLOG POST, WHEREFORE ART THOU BLOG POST

Hello everyone

When I began my blog, I promised myself I would blog regularly - at least once a week.  This was a promise I kept for a long, long time and then everything went to pot!  As we all know, life has a bad habit of getting in the way of plans.  I am sorry everyone for not keeping you up-to-date with what I am doing and more important, not keeping up-to-date with what you have been doing.  I will try to return to my regularly blogging ways and hopefully this post will update everyone with what has been happening in Christmas Pie land.

My 'makes' have been in the pottery section - not items for sale, but for fun.  I have been concentrating on my 'hat people'.  You may recall that a long time ago, I made a 'hat man' who now sports a very glossy black hat.  Along the same lines as Hat Man, I now have Hat Woman; she has a large brimmed hat, also shiny black and this has a red flower attached to the hat.  Her lips didn't quite turn out colour-wise as I had hoped and I will be painting them a nice bright shiny red.  The photographs are Hat Man first, followed by Hat Woman:

I am currently working on another Hat Lady - this one has a very wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses. Unfortunately, I have problems making lips (as you can see from these offerings) and a fellow pottery student said Wide-Brimmed Hat Lady looked a lot like Mick Jagger - I may have to re-name her to him.

In addition to pottery, I have been working hard on organising the events now re-named Godalming Bazaar.  So much of what is needed to set up events takes place behind the scenes and of course, as those of you who have organised events or taken part in them knows, there is always so much more that could be and should be done to make them go with a bang.  For the June event, I and most of the stallholders taking part handed out flyers, posted posters and encouraged everyone they knew to come along to the event.

Adverts were placed in local publications (one delivered to 23,000 homes in the Godalming area), online and we had a mention in the What's On section of The Guide to Guildford.  I even had t-shirts printed with the Godalming Bazaar information emblazoned on the front and back - here is a picture of one of our stallholding promoters (Dawn of Stonepit Crafts) wearing her Bazaar outfit.  Dawn and two other t-shirt wearers went out and about into the Saturday shopping crowds to promote the event on the day.  One big disappointment was that despite being advised that delivery of one of the magazines I had advertised in would take place prior to the event to 23,000 homes, I found out last week that it did not take place until after the event.  Such a waste of a lot of money.  A very expensive lesson learned.

The event wasn't as well attended as I had hoped, it wasn't helped by clashing with the Godalming Town Show that took place on the same day.  However, as the procession went past our 'front door' I had hoped we would be able to welcome some passers-by in before they went off to the field for other events.  I had hoped to work with the Town Show organisers, but they wanted a contribution of £150 for the privilege of a couple of shout-outs over the tannoy on the day- cone on, Town Show Organisers, I am a small-business person!  My next event is in September, so plenty of time to come up with a miracle or two - any ideas anyone on how to get more people through the door?

I have booked a different venue for a Christmas event: Fairlands Community Hall.  The event is taking place on Saturday, 13 December and will run from 10.30 am - 4.30 pm.  I am hopeful that this venue will be a successful one, but I know that it takes hard work to get people through the doors and then more hard work from the stallholders to get them to spend.

A visitor to the event, also our 'official photographer' has written a great post from a customer's point of view.  Once I have published it I will add a link on here - it makes very interesting reading and carries lots of valid points both for stallholders and organisers. (me, specifically)

I bought myself a Cricut Explore recently and am looking forward to getting back to card-making and bag decorating - so watch this space for me getting back to 'normal' or trying to.

Have a great week everyone - don't forget to come back for the guest blog post about the Godalming Bazaar event and of course it almost goes without saying, pop over to Handmade Monday to see how everyone is getting on.

Jill

MILLY'S DIARY

Hi everyone

Long time no see, or rather long time, no write!  In between what seems to be a lot of wet weather, it has been very sunny here and those of you who know me, know that I am a sunshine girl.  Born in August and therefore I love summer.  When the weather is grim I tend to hibernate.

Now what has been happening since I last posted my diary?  My eye problem has cleared up completely, thank goodness - the local boy cats thought I was winking at them!  I am still reducing the local wildlife - why do humans not like the presents I bring them!  Four weeks ago we had Sage, Angelica, Sorrel and Basil staying with us; just over two weeks ago they moved to another fosterer's home because Jill was away for a few days and doing other things.  Guess what?  We have Sage and Angelica back with us and they have grown so much.  Basil and Sorrel are settled into their new home and I am sure they have grown just as much as their brother and sister.

I have noticed that the fish in our pond are a lot more lively when the sun shines.  I will have to keep a close eye on them, just in case they sneak out.  I am not sure why, but Jill and Richard have covered the pond in netting.  When Jill feeds them, I try to pinch their food!  It's rather tasty.  Something else I enjoy doing, but it seems nobody else is very pleased when I do it.

Richard has his new shed - Jill has told him it would make a lovely summer home for him, room for a bed and he already has electricity and water at that end of the garden. Perhaps she wants him to move in there so she can have more cats here?  More cats?  I hope not!  Only room for me and 'the others' that I live with.

I think I am about up-to-date now, so think it is time for me to do a little sun bathing.

See you next week.

Milly

MILLY'S DIARY

Hello everyone

Yes, I know I am as bad as Jill in that I haven't blogged for a while, but sometimes I need her help with certain words and she has been rather busy lately, but, here I am, back at last.

I have been busy too - looking after kittens, well perhaps that is not quite what I do, but I do look at them.  We have four at the moment and Jill has named them: Sage, Basil, Angelica and Sorrel.  She calls them The Herb Gang.  Lillie, re-named Lola, went to her new home on Saturday and it was Jill's first 'on her own' homing event and I am sure it went well.

I had to go to our vet's on Monday because I have something wrong with my eye - the lady vet told me it was Keratitis, an inflammation of my eye which may happen again in the future.  I had to have an injection!  Not my favourite thing and eye-drops twice a day.  Apparently I am very well behaved when these are being put into my eyes - that's what they think, wait until tomorrow!

My pale Badger Boo had to go to the vet's yesterday for an operation.  Hope you are feeling much better today BB.

Now, what else have I been doing - well, lots of wildlife stuff and things like that which I best not write about.

That's me more or less up-to-date, so its off to the garden and Jill is off to the Chelsea Flower Show.

Have a good week everyone

Milly

THE SERIOUSLY, SERIOUSLY LATE POST

Hi everyone

I can't believe that it is nearly three weeks since my last blog post - well I can because I have just checked the date of the last one which talks about getting back to normal with blog posting.  Rather embarrassing.

The last few weeks have whizzed by and although I seem to have been non-stop busy, looking back not too sure what I have actually achieved.  What's even more embarrassing I had to check my diary to see what I have been up to.

Looking back through my diary I see the last three weeks has been a mix of card order completing, flyer designing, event promotion, stallholder recruitment, celebrating friends' birthdays, pottery sessions, kitten fostering, kitten homing.  These activities have been sprinkled with trips to the dentist!  Certainly not my favourite activity.

I carried out my first solo kitten-homing on Saturday - it may not sound a big deal but it is a big responsibility to ensure everything that the new owner needs to be aware of has been discussed, forms completed and the kitten settled in.  It went well and I am happy to say Lola has settled in really well and I will be able to see her as she grows up because she has moved less than five-minutes walk from where I live.

I managed to get Facebook agreement to merge the Godalming Independent Market with the new Godalming Bazaar page; very pleased about this as it took just over 500 of the existing 'likes' with it.  I have designed/had delivered t-shirts for the supporters to wear on the day of the event; new banners have been produced and advertising is now in local magazines and online.  I have designed a new logo for the Godalming Bazaar and that is now attached to all Facebook postings, all tweets and other documentation.  However, I completely forgot to include it in the t-shirts and on the new banners!

I use two rooms in the Godalming Borough Hall for the events, and had decided a while ago that I would use the smaller of the two as a Food court.  This will accommodate the refreshments people (trying to sort this out for the next event and it seems to be taking a long time) and I have invited lots of local food/drink growers/producers to have a stall - I am disappointed at the lack of responses, even to say now would be nice.  Is it too much to ask for a return phone call or email?  I will keep on trying to get local foodies to take part and so far have two - not a lot, but a good start.  However, if there are any local growers/producers out there in Blog-land who would like to take part in the Godalming Bazaar on 7 June, please get in touch.

Hopefully I am back into the swing of blogging and promise my next post will not be after a gap of 3 weeks and I must visit the other Handmade Monday bloggers - another embarrassing moment as I haven't been to see them recently.

Have a great week everyone - I hope you are all able to enjoy this fabulous weather.

Jill

SORT OF BACK TO NORMAL

Hi everyone

Feeling guilty as I didn't write a blog post last weekend and really missed out on reading everyone's posts too  It never takes very long to write a post, although thinking of a witty title does, but it's one of those things that occasionally keep getting moved to the bottom of the list.  Hopefully I should be back on track now - fingers and paws crossed.

It was, as always at the moment, a busy week.  I have re-named the Godalming Independent Market to the Godalming Bazaar.  I have never felt 100% happy with a name including the word market because it gave the impression of an outdoor market and it isn't.  Two friends (Dawn of Stone Pit Crafts and Lesley, the Mad Dog Woman of Shackleford) and I put our heads together and came up with the Godalming Bazaar.  We felt it says it all and is portable - I hope to 'open' the bazaar in other areas of Surrey and needed a name that could easily be changed whilst retaining its purpose.  Thank you Dawn and Lesley for your help and support with this new venture - lots of ideas and hard work for you both that I do appreciate.

A new logo, Twitter page and email address have been created.  I am trying to re-name the Facebook page, but having numerous problems.  I know how to do it, but hit a barrier each time and have come to the conclusion today that it is because I was added as an Admin person by the previous owner of the page and it seems to be that I can only access it through my Christmas Pie Facebook page.  A hurdle to be jumped, but I am sure I will get over it eventually.

I have a card order for a 50th birthday.  The card was to have flowers, a red butterfly and the figures 50 on the front and here it is:

Yesterday was an away day spent in London with friends - we were celebrating a 50th birthday and a retirement.  We had planned to start off on the London Eye, but the queues were too long and as we had a river cruise booked, we had to miss out on spinning around in the sky.  The river cruise was lovely and I was so surprised how many glass buildings are popping up throughout London - they just don't seem to sit well with the lovely buildings that have been around for centuries.  We finished the evening with a meal at Altitude 360 which is on the 28th floor - absolutely incredible views.  We eventually arrived home, exhausted, just after midnight.  Feeling very, very tired today, but it was great fun.  A few pics of what we saw on our river trip:

This was one of the many static boat restaurants that are based along the Thames.

A shot of the London Eye at dusk through a window on the river cruise boat.  It looked so lovely all lit up.

One of the numerous glass buildings popping up in London  - it rather resembled an Armadillo.

It was a fantastic day and it's now back to work,work, work.  I have an advertisement to prepare for a local magazine - it has a distribution of appx 23,000 so I am hoping it will help increase the footfall for my next event.  

Don't forget to drop in on this week's Handmade Monday bloggers - I missed them last week, so have two weeks worth of posts to catch up with.

Have a great week everyone

Jill

MILLY'S DIARY

Hello everyone

Well, I don't feel so bad about missing the occasional blog post because Jill didn't do her weekend post!  Said she was too busy, lots of other things to do, excuses, excuses.  Anyway, I am here bringing you all the Christmas Pie news that Jill would normally have written about.

We are still waiting for our new shed to be delivered.  Why does it take so long for human beings to sort these things out?  Parts of the garden look a little like a scrap yard - hope Jill doesn't read this - tools and racks and pots everywhere.  It's also rather like musical chairs here too.  Jill bought a new bench at the Plant Fair she went to recently and that has meant moving things around to accommodate it.  Not as bad as it sounds really because the bench in our front garden  has parted company with itself and chairs from the back garden have been moved to the front.  We like lots of places to sit and watch the world go by.

Nancy and Nellie have a viewing this evening - I doubt the people coming to see them will be able to resist them (Jill asked me to write that!).  They do like to play a lot and their favourite game is playing with paper balls and then pulling them apart.  Jill has given them some catnip twists that she bought for them - glad she got extras because I like them too.

Time for me to go out and play - the sun was shining very early this morning then it disappeared.  It's back out now, so it's playtime for me.  I will be back next week with an update about Nancy and Nellie.  Have a good weekend everyone.

Milly

MILLY'S DIARY

Hello everyone

Another late post, but it's been a  busy week.  Richard has finished taking down the old shed, the ground is prepared and we are just waiting for the new shed to be delivered.  I have given my advice of where it should be situated and how big it should be - not too sure if my recommendations will be taken on board though.  Yesterday we had the tree gang in; one tree that I call the Curly Wurly tree had to be removed because it was almost falling over and one of our very big Prunus trees had lots of branches chopped off.  I was very surprised to see how much sunshine was coming in after the tree gang had finished.

I know Jill told you about our new foster kittens, Nellie and Nancy, in her weekend post and as you know I tend not to talk too much about the kittens she fosters because as far as I am concerned I am the only kitten in her life.  Yes, I know I was one of the kittens she fostered and yes I know I share my home with four other rescued cats, but I am number one, end of story.  However, because Jill keeps saying how lovely they are and how one of them looks like me, I thought I had better check them out and yes, one of them does look like me!  Very scary.

Nellie and Nancy are now nine weeks old and Jill has given Nellie a nickname: Duracell!  She keeps on going long after Nancy has fallen asleep.  She has taken some more photographs of them and I said she could put them in my post:

Nancy having a bit of a rest

Nellie having forty winks

If you would like some more information about Nellie and Nancy or arrange to visit them go to the Woking Cats Protection website and fill in the request form.  If you are very lucky you might also get to meet me, but that's probably not a good idea because you will fall in love with me and want to adopt me instead and I am very happy where I am!

Time to go to bed - I am almost falling asleep as I am typing  this post.  Have a good week everyone, see you next Wednesday.

Milly

RELAXATION TIME

Hello everyone

Another beautiful sunny day - how lucky we are to have them at this time of year.  Hope the Easter weekend is good as we have family with us on one day and spending the day with friends on another.  Around this we will be putting up a new shed and planting, planting, planting.

I have done very little work this week, apart from a million and one emails and spreadsheet work.  I want someone to tell me how we existed before emails and if our internet connection goes down, which sometimes it does, I worry because I am out of communication with the rest of the world?  The telephone almost seems defunct because of emails and text messages.  Letters?  Good grief, what are they?  Isn't it odd how something that seems rather unusual when first introduced becomes something we cannot exist without?

Many years ago I remember thinking that 5.25" floppy discs would never, ever be replaced by its 3.5" relative.  Now?  Who knows what the next type of computer storage will be.  Look how small and light computers themselves have become.  If someone had told me when I first began using them (and they took up a whole room for storage and the equipment then) that one day I would use a computer that would easily fit into my handbag, I do think I would have thought they had escaped from somewhere.

This coming week means back to working on future events, makes for those events and catching up on everything else that got left behind last week.  No photographs of makes this week, but I am sure you will love the following two pics of my current foster kittens: Nancy the long-haired kitten (she has a tiny black spot under her chin which you can just about see in the photograph) and Nellie the short-haired one.  They will be nine-weeks-old on Tuesday and are absolutely gorgeous.  I hope they get a new home soon, although it is always hard to part with the kittens I foster.

Have a great week everyone and I hope you have a lovely Easter too.  Don't forget to drop in on the Handmade Monday bloggers to see what they have been doing this week.

Jill

AFTER THE BALL WAS OVER

Hello everyone

It almost goes without saying that last week was hectic.  I had left Friday fairly clear to do some last minute leaflet dropping, produce some directional signs and check I had everything packed and ready, then disaster struck!  The people running the pop-up vintage tearoom cancelled due to illness!  I spent most of the day trying to book an alternative, crazy really because if someone was free was that good sign or bad?  However, friends came up trumps and stepped in to save the day.

Thank you Dawn for locating and delivering a water boiler and flasks and thank you Linda for manning the tea table all day.  It was hard work getting everything sourced, bought and set-up and this was in addition to Dawn having a stand at the event.  We had a much reduced refreshment area, but we did it and it was very much appreciated by the stallholders and customers.

As they say on the television, the day of the event dawned bright and clear - well eventually it did because it was still pitch black when I was up and out putting up the 'today' banners.  I made my way to the venue and put up some bunting and balloons:

We set-up the hall, welcomed the stallholders in and while they were setting up I began to feel I should have changed my name just before I opened the doors.  One the whole the setting up went without too many hiccups.  Doors opened for customers, balloon man on the front door, face-painter in position, everyone ready to sell, refreshments set up and ready to pour.  The customers came in waves - slow waves and bigger waves.  The Mayor and Mayoress of Godalming were lovely and spent a long time with us - they visited all of the stands and spoke to stallholders and customers; the Mayor had some face-painting on his hand and they both had some coffee and cake with their daughter.

As with all events of this type, some stallholders did very well, some not so well, the odd moan and groan

was heard, but in the main the stallholders were brilliant.  Feedback has been positive and very supportive - lots of good ideas, some already thought of and discounted because of cost, but it's so helpful to have lots of new ideas to take forward to future events.  I wish had been able to count the footfall and will try to do this next time - it does help to have this information to pass on to people when they are booking a stall..

Advertising for this event was extensive: local newspapers; friends, shops and businesses displaying posters and handing out flyers; around 3,500 flyers were dropped through letterboxes in and around the Godalming area; Facebook, Twitter and Streetlife were used extensively to promote the event as were other paid and unpaid online sites.  On the day I fixed placards to roundabouts coming into the town centre and one on a roundabout just off of the A3.  Could I have done more?  I am sure I could, but what?

On the whole, it was a very good day and I enjoyed it and I feel the stallholders did too, which to me was the most important thing.  A great atmosphere, visitors were pleased with what was on sale, stallholders were friendly, welcoming and worked hard throughout the day to promote their work.  Now it is on to the next one: flyers already printed, some distributed, all places nearly sold, floor plan nearly completed, so I am hopeful it will be easier next time around - fingers crossed.

Finally, I did have a sneak away-day with a friend on Tuesday.  We went to the RHS Plant Sale in their Westminster Halls.  As fabulous as the show was (I bought plants, seeds, bulbs and a new bench!), the highlight for both of us was a tour of the library - we turned out to be the only two booked onto the tour and we had the undivided attention of one of the librarians.  We were shown gardening books, guides, botanical prints and seed catalogues that were, in some cases, over 300 years old.  It was 90 minutes of pure heaven.

Here are a few pics of the plants we saw at the show:

Isn't the Hosta stunning?

I am late with my post this week, but off now to link up with Handmade Monday.  I will be back next week, hopefully with some of my makes as getting a little behind with them  Have a great week everyone.

Jill