Since we held the very first Vintage & Handmade Fair the concept has really taken off & become a great success with visitors really looking forward to each new fair.
As a result of this we have been inundated with requests from crafters, artists & vintage dealers for tables at the fair - we could have filled the town hall several times over! Quite a number of those asking have been textiles related & as we want to keep a balanced mix at the V&H we are unable to accommodate them.
This got us to thinking (we tend to do this quite often when sharing coffee & cake!) that a dedicated textiles fair could be a fun addition to the V&H stable - this would include all sorts, including vintage clothing, fabrics, haberdashery, textile art, knitting, crochet etc.....something for everyone.
As the town hall is quite large we looked for a smaller venue & were fortunate to find one just across the road in Chipping Sodbury High Street, right next to the library, which is the Old Grammar School
This venue will hold 16 tables in 2 rooms, plus there is a kitchen for serving our famous teas & cakes & a courtyard which will be nice as we intend holding the fair in the summer - Saturday 3rd July 2010.
Like the town hall, it is a light, bright & well kept venue which has just been completely redecorated & is a pleasure to be in.
Michele, the two Misters & I went for an inspection before we booked it & I have posted a few photos here to give you an idea - of course it will look much more lovely when decorated & filled with wonderful stalls.
I'm happy to say that all 16 stalls were snapped up straight away & we are pleased to announce that the premier textiles magazine,
Selvedge will be there too!
This is the outdoor area which (weather permitting) will make a lovely area to enjoy refreshments, have a break between shopping & chat.
The entrance from the courtyard.
Mr Custard tickling the ivories....wonder if we can enlist him to entertain us on the day? ;-)
This is the larger of the two rooms which will hold about 10 stalls.
The smaller room will hold 6 stalls.
This is the entrance from the street.
The entrance is to the left of the clock tower, right on the high street.
So, what do you think? We'd love to hear your views!
How remiss of me! I haven't posted a link to photos of the fair! It was a fantastic day as always with streams of eager shoppers & a wonderland of Vintage & Handmade delights!
This room has enabled us to move our tea room and facilities upstairs so to provide more room in the main hall downstairs and provide a more practical area for serving teas. We will also have 7 new stalls upstairs as well as several in the main hall and lounge area and the stage area will also be utilised.
As it is just 6 weeks until the long awaited V&H Christmas Fair I thought it was time to revive this blog & to start posting info again.
I hope that this post doesn't come over all "Grumpy Old Woman" but it's something I need to get off of my chest & air out.
Well, here we are - just days after the latest very successful V&H Fair & we are already working on the Textile Fair which is a mere 7 weeks or so away. We really have piled it on this year - normally we have a breathing space of 6 months until the next one, but in July we will be opening the doors once again on a fun new fair featuring selected exhibitors offering a wonderful selection of everything from vintage clothing, fabrics, haberdashery, soft furnishings, textile art, embroidery and more!
Is there such a word as "postering"? If not, I just made it up - this is what Michele & I have been doing recently - putting posters up all over to advertise the Vintage & Handmade Fair which is in only a few weeks time. It doesn't seem very long ago since we were preparing for the Christmas Fair & the Spring Fair has arrived already!
So, what do you think? We'd love to hear your views!
With all this snowy weather it's hard to imagine that spring isn't that far away!
