Just a heads up on my feelings about the said show this year.
No. 1. If any one is travelling to the show via the A1(M) and A661, pick a slightly different route, the old turn off from the A1(M) to the A661 no longer exists. Whether temporally due to the road works that are there or what I don't know, but what should have been a 2 hour drive, ended up as a 3 1/2hr. one.
I wasn't that impressed by the people demonstrating, because as is usual once you got about 6 or 8 people around the stand watching anyone else just can't see a thing. Surely the organisers realise that some people just go for the day out, and would like to watch a demo. Either putting out chairs, or putting the demonstrator up on a stage affair would allow more to see him if wanted.
I didn't go with the idea of buying anything in particular, but came away £70 lighter. I could see any offers on at all, in fact I was quite shocked at the prices of some of the tools and chuck accessories. d less to say I didn't buy any, although I did fancy a set of the Sorby/Record long jaws for the Super Nova chuck. In fact I think that it is possible to buy gouges and so on on-line cheaper than they were selling for at the show.
As is normal Proops Bros. stand was doing a roaring trade, but all the rest seemed to be slow. In the end I bought £35 worth of finishing products from Chestnut, and a couple of skeleton clocks from Meantime, had a plate of the obligatory fish and chips, and headed home calling in at John Boddy's timber yard on route. Which I'm sorry to say was also waste of time for me, usually I pick up small pieces of African Black Wood, or some ebony, they hardly had anything in for turners, Plenty of boards for the 'flat folks' though.
This was the first show I have been to this year and have always enjoyed it in the past, (been going for about 8 years now) but I don't think I will be going next year. In fact other than trying to get to Westonbrit next year I don't think I will be doing any shows for a year or two. Possibly my tastes could be becoming a little jaded with too much of what used to be a good thing, so will have a rest for a bit then if they are still around in a couple of years I may try again.
Sorry I can't be a bit more cheerful about it, but a couple of my friends have been saying similar about other shows they have attended this year, so this doesn't seem to be a unique occurrence. Yet as they say, It is all in the eyes of the beholder. So if anyone is going Sat/Sun. I hope you enjoy it more than I did.
No. 1. If any one is travelling to the show via the A1(M) and A661, pick a slightly different route, the old turn off from the A1(M) to the A661 no longer exists. Whether temporally due to the road works that are there or what I don't know, but what should have been a 2 hour drive, ended up as a 3 1/2hr. one.
I wasn't that impressed by the people demonstrating, because as is usual once you got about 6 or 8 people around the stand watching anyone else just can't see a thing. Surely the organisers realise that some people just go for the day out, and would like to watch a demo. Either putting out chairs, or putting the demonstrator up on a stage affair would allow more to see him if wanted.
I didn't go with the idea of buying anything in particular, but came away £70 lighter. I could see any offers on at all, in fact I was quite shocked at the prices of some of the tools and chuck accessories. d less to say I didn't buy any, although I did fancy a set of the Sorby/Record long jaws for the Super Nova chuck. In fact I think that it is possible to buy gouges and so on on-line cheaper than they were selling for at the show.
As is normal Proops Bros. stand was doing a roaring trade, but all the rest seemed to be slow. In the end I bought £35 worth of finishing products from Chestnut, and a couple of skeleton clocks from Meantime, had a plate of the obligatory fish and chips, and headed home calling in at John Boddy's timber yard on route. Which I'm sorry to say was also waste of time for me, usually I pick up small pieces of African Black Wood, or some ebony, they hardly had anything in for turners, Plenty of boards for the 'flat folks' though.
This was the first show I have been to this year and have always enjoyed it in the past, (been going for about 8 years now) but I don't think I will be going next year. In fact other than trying to get to Westonbrit next year I don't think I will be doing any shows for a year or two. Possibly my tastes could be becoming a little jaded with too much of what used to be a good thing, so will have a rest for a bit then if they are still around in a couple of years I may try again.
Sorry I can't be a bit more cheerful about it, but a couple of my friends have been saying similar about other shows they have attended this year, so this doesn't seem to be a unique occurrence. Yet as they say, It is all in the eyes of the beholder. So if anyone is going Sat/Sun. I hope you enjoy it more than I did.