02 December 2007

Dates for 2008 - Shepton Mallet Fairs

I've just correlated the dates for the DMG Antiques Fair and the Giant Flea Market and have listed them at the bottom of the sidebar.

I can't believe how they've messed up their dates for 2008. In 2007 DMG decided to cancel the January Fair but many stallholders complained as, believe it or not, it is a good Fair. As a result DMG reinstated it but cancelled the July Fair which seemed to suit everyone as it's usually quite a poor Fair at the start of the holiday season. Meanwhile, Sue Ede had taken up the offer of a January date for the Giant Flea Market. Not ideal having them both in the same month, but we lived with it!

The ridiculous thing is they've done it again for 2008, but if you check the listing you'll see that for 2 months the Fairs are on consecutive weekends. How daft is that? So, in January we have 2 Fairs (2 weekends in a row); there's nothing in February; 2 Fairs (3 weeks apart) in March; nothing in April; 2 Fairs (2 weekends in a row again) in May and then, the most ridiculous thing, absolutely nothing from the 9-11 May date until 31 AUGUST, leaving 3½ months with no Fairs at all. Thankfully they get their act together thereafter, and there is a Fair a month from September to December. The Fairs were always staged in alternate months and we all knew where we were, and could anticipate some earnings every month. Admittedly many dealers do other Fairs in between, but some of us only do Shepton and it has rather messed things up. From April 2008 my weekends are going to be taken up with another project that I'll be able to tell you about in the New Year and so travelling to other Fairs isn't going to be an option. I'm a bit miffed. Can you tell? I'll get over it, but it's a worse scenario than I had realised until I marked them all on the calendar.

Rant over ...

I hope to take some photos of stock today and really, really want to get items added to the Shop. You are all so good to keep looking and I feel I'm not keeping to my side of the bargain at all. I promise to do better in the New Year. I have plans to organise my life a bit better ... hee hee. Watch this space, but please, please don't hold your breath!

Have a jolly Sunday afternoon.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

ARRRRGHH! Oh the frustrations, why can't things be easy!
cd&m
http://catondarlingandmoore.typepad.com

Shammickite said...

Hi Sue: Things are never as easy as we would like them to be, right? Sounds like you will be a busy lady with all your upcoming sale dats. If I'm ever in UK at the right time, I will be there!Thanks for your blog comments, yes, we had a super time. And this was the first holiday in my whole life when I was able to celebrate my birthday (November 4) sitting in the sunshine on a sandy beach watching the waves roll in! And I really needed to have some relaxing time after the foot surgery and the wedding and then I got an awful cold/flu that lasted 3 weeks.... arrrgghh!
I posted more Florida pics today.... all about pelicans, have a look!

Niki Fretwell said...

Hi Sue - The dates don't make very much sense do they? From a buyers point of view, to have fairs too close together, means you don't have time to save the pennies for the next one!
Maybe Sue could be persuaded to run another Flea Market in the summer - they are always the best ones when there are lots of outside sellers....
Hope to see you Sunday, if this awful cough has settled down a little - don't want to spread my germs!
Love Niki

Nonnie said...

Right, as soon as I get a new diary I'm going to get all those dates written into it and I will come to at least one for sure next year! I can see why you're frustrated with the dates.

Anonymous said...

wow Sue, you are right, that is not good business. I would be ranting too. ( as a matter fact I think I will...AHHHHH!!!). I dont think I will be able to make Shepton on the 9th, Im so bummed about it. I did hope to steal you away for a bit and have a few minutes for a cup of tea and a chat. We could have left Paul( my paul) watching the stall!