When we arrived, as usual we had to wait outside for the security guards to come and open up (I am sure these people take great pleasure in taking their time, sniggering at the fact there are several hundred frustrated dealers out in the dawn cold, while they sip their hot tea in comfort). The waiting is where you get to know each other. We were entertained this time by a lady from Norfolk, who gave us her latest story. Apparently driving from Norfolk to West Midlands a couple of months ago at 3am in the morning in her transit van to a show, she was stopped by the police, after checking she wasn't a burglar or a terrorist they let her continue. 15 miles down the road she was stopped again by another police car...getting slightly impatient she explained that she had just been stopped earlier by their colleague they gave the van a once over and let her go. 30 miles later, lo and behold blue lights again. This time being rather cross she gave the policeman a piece of her mind. However this policeman wasn't a 'nice one' he asked her when the last time was she had had an alcoholic drink, to which she replied "Christmas". The policeman was NOT amused and told her to try again, by then the poor woman was getting fed up as she is one of the rare breed of people who doesn't really like alcohol ! Finally they let her go and she got to her destination an hour and half late. Seems our police force are barking up the wrong trees these days.
Finally we saw the security guards through the window and a cheer goes up, however the security guards deliberately avoid looking at the windows and go scuttling past, 10 mins later the doors are finally thrown open and the dealers descend into a huge empty arena to start the setting up.
This is the most amazing sight, because suddenly this empty space becomes a hive of activity and building!!! Sometimes when I stop my "building" to catch my breath or rest a while I watch the place transforming into one mass of pop up "shops" it's quite beautiful really with all the lights, decorations, stalls, cloths, shelves, props and antiques.
Day one...a busy day we did well. At 4.50 we were getting ready to close for 5pm when a couple came past and saw a pile of "homemaker" pottery we were just about to cover up. After what seemed forever they decided to buy it ( by then we seem to have become surrounded by a group of security personnel who were tapping their feet and looking at us in a way that suggested they wanted us out fast) the customer decided to pay by credit card....ohhhhhh so excited as I get to use my new credit card machine for the first time yippee. You guessed it, after two attempts it wouldn't work ( we were starting by then to feel as if we were surrounded by a ring of hungry wolves in fluoresce jackets) so we all beat a hasty retreat outside as the huge doors slammed shut, and the customer paid by cheque.
Day 2 (feeling smug as we at least got our own back by making security wait for US for a change) the day went well. Pack up time started (another amazing scene as everything vanishes in the space of an hour back to a cold huge deserted arena) lo and behold a customer comes over as we pack to buy ALL of my Art Nouveau candlesticks. It's one of those moments when you are both happy and annoyed, happy because its a sale, annoyed because you have to unpack the b****y things and you wonder why, when she saw them earlier, she didn't buy them then !!!!!
Finally cars loaded off we go to the A14, home exhausted. Tony very meeved because he has missed the start of F1 on Sky, we however catch the end and Hamilton winning cheered him up no end, he even agrees to going to get a take away (there is a god!!!)
Bottle(s) of wine later we crawl off to bed....all done and dusted, but only till next weekend (arghhhh)
