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Anne

I am a buyer and want to know for April: Licoln or Swinderby? Am I supposed to read something into the early cancellation of the Swinderby fair in February?

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Someone referred to “the good old days” of Newark when Geoff Whittaker ran it. We went to one of the first there & continued with it until about ten years ago. Let me dispel any illusions about the “great” Mr Whittaker – he was not in my opinion a nice person but what he said went & you knew where you were with him. Pitches were small & cramped & if you booked a “double” it was usually only 1 1/2!! The fair was packed with buyers & sellers – not a square inch of grass to spare anywhere – but – that was in the “good old days” – plenty of money & plenty to find to sell.

Now to Swinderby – it was started to try & capture some of the trade assembling in the country to buy at Newark. It wasn’t started with stallholders in mind but by a fair organizer trying to make a few bob for himself – not much wrong with that you might say. Spare a thought for the three or four other people (Brian & Jean – Tich & Jillie) involved in starting that fair who were dumped by Swallows. So once again – not the nice guys some of you would like to make out.

Up to now I reckon it’s about even!! What you might say is that “all’s fair in love & war”!!

Now for the reality of things as viewed with a buyer’s hat on. The first thing you notice as you leave Newark is that Swinderby is well sign posted. Outside the ground there is always someone on road duty watching other traffic & waving you in. Put your hand up to anyone on the way in & you’ll get an acknowledgement & a smile. Your admission is taken as you go in so no queuing. Turn into the ground at Newark & you’ll be lucky to see anyone helpful or with a smile – the stewards must have been set on from the Disgruntled Job Centre – not an encouraging start. Then you have to queue to pay & it’s more than Swinderby & for far less buying time!!

On entry to Swinderby you are (were) amazed by the number of stalls. At Newark – a total farce – green grass everywhere where you’d expect to see stalls. Newark has gone downhill by leaps & bounds – it’s a disgrace & must be an embarrassment to stallholders trying to explain to customers where it’s all gone to. Go on the final day – well don’t go – there’s nothing to be seen!! I don’t know how the organisers have the cheek to take the money.

What I feel is that Newark hasn’t got the things it might have had because it was sold two days previously at Swinderby. True the toilet facilities are better at Newark but that’s about all. Unless Newark pulls its finger out & attracts more sellers then it’s going to collapse. Why did DMG bale out? Saw the writing on the wall I’d say.

I shall go to Lincoln to sus it out – I’ll wait to hear what happened to the new Swinderby but I should imagine it will be as poor as Newark has now become. If I were the Swinderby organisers (what are they called now?) I’d be very worried that the type of stallholders they attract might not respect the Lincoln Showground & their “hallowed turf” – it could cost them £thousands in compensation & clearing up – but that’s their problem.

Has that put both sides? Maybe – but I’d like to say in conclusion – both organisers are only in it for what they can make out of it for themselves – stallholders come second in the financial equation. When stallholders come first fair organisers might start to do better & the fairs might improve – did you see that pink pig fly over!!!

We are all getting a bit worked up aren’t we!!

Anne, you seem to have been hijacked as a site for the trade to vent their frustration at this whole thing.

Proper forum would be great idea. No doubt with only a week to go before the big showdown we’ll also have the after fair autopsy to go to.

Does anyone know how bookings are actually going at either. I phoned Lincoln swallow fairs and made out I needed a fresh booking in a prime outdoor space to see their reaction. They are pretty full with no double space left in prime places and just a few singles that haven’t been paid for. Looks like thats where the majority action will be. Anyone done the same with IACF?