NEC Trade Fair

Last week was the Spring Fair at the NEC, our opportunity to look at all the new products and suppliers. As Annie is now on board, we decided to involve her in the buying, using her younger opinion on things to enhance our product range. Annie and Jonah attended the fair alone on Monday. This was a true test of my ability to relinquish a little control and leave some choosing to them. Jonah stayed overnight and met with an old friend in the Midlands, who recorded Jonah’s bass track for a song they have been working on. Jonah had written a short story, one of those miserable ones he writes, without any actual outcome. Another friend has turned the story into a song.

I travelled down to meet Jonah at the NEC on Tuesday; my chance to do some shop shopping. We agreed to meet at the registration desk of the Fair. Jonah was to meet up with existing suppliers while he waited for me. I travelled with a lovely lady who was going to the same fair, so she tagged along with me for the change of trains, etc, as she hadn’t been before. She asked if my husband would be in the right place to meet me. I responded, “oh, yes, he’s always on time and where he has arranged to meet.” We arrive and of course, there’s no show. I said goodbye to my new friend and called Jonah. “Oh, I am at the station waiting for you, I took a little ride on the monorail to the airport.” Why?

Anyway, we did lots of buying, between us all and some things will be a surprise to me when they arrive, which is fun. I think. I also got to see my hero, Mary Portas, who spoke about ‘friendly’ shops and her belief that little independents will grow in the demise of the bigger stores, if we are nice to people and the world.  Annie and Jonah got to see Angel, as in Dick and Angel from The Chateaux, not that they gained anything from this – they watched her having lunch, as you do!

So, the new stock is coming in as I speak: new things for kids, some new Suzie Blue jewellery, Troop bags and scarves and mugs as well as lots of new pots and housey things. Annie will keep adding photos to Facebook, etc.