Markets
Dear Ann,
Almost a year has gone by since I decided to venture out onto the market scene with my Curried Zucchini Relish. I am certainly not disappointed with my decision as it has been interesting.
Since Charley joined me in this venture I look back & wonder how I did so many markets throughout the year without her, but then I have always been very determined that any job I do will be done well.
My Mum taught me that. She would say to me “If a job is worth doing it’s worth doing well” so I always give it my best & if need be, a bit more than that. To me it’s like a challenge.
In my later years I realised I liked a challenge, it made life interesting, but I am glad no one threw down the gauntlet to be picked up with a duel followed to the bitter end! I have a strong suspicion that I passed on this attribute & that it is hereditary as there is no doubt, our family like a challenge. We are determined (not stubborn) little elves!
The very first challenge with markets is getting out of my bed at 5.30 a.m. which proves how determined I am! Charley likewise as, mostly she has to be at my place very early in the morning & from where she lives to where I live takes another twenty minutes because we take my car.
I pack it the night before so when Charley arrives we both just have to get in & drive to the venue. Of course I like it when Charley drives, but the other side of this equation is that when we drive back home to my place she can get in her car & drive to her place while I unpack my car.
We work really well together. She is always on time & I think has inherited those qualities I have already written about.
During the year we have concentrated on Warners Bay Market, Fennels Bay Market, Wickham market & – from September – on Maitland Market.
The first two are practically on my doorstep, but Wickham is across the city & Maitland half an hour drive away but worth it. When we had the pudding business in operation I would often go to Maitland & always did well.
The market was held in the local show ground & managed by a lovely lady who always gave me a good spot. The same market is now organised by her daughter, Catherine who also looks after us very well. We now have a permanent stall there under cover in the Pavilion.
This market is held once a month, but from September on they held the market every fortnight, which clashed with Fennels Bay market. Therefore, Charley & I would split up. I would travel to Maitland where I didn’t have to put up a gazebo.
Charley did the Fennels Bay one as she can put up a gazebo in less than ten minutes. Her Dad taught her how to put a tent up when she was about five years old as the family went camping a lot with the Kombi Van, so needless to say Charley gets this job at almost every market. I make it up to her in other ways by packing & unpacking the car, keeping stock of what we have which often needs more manufacturing.
Sometimes a market is cancelled due to inclement weather, which can’t be helped as most of them are held out in the open & people won’t venture out to paddle around in the wet!
During the winter months it can be very damp under foot, so Charle has been looking for a weather proof mat. She found a brand new one last week at a market at a very reduced price & it is excellent.
We also learnt by experience that we need side covers for three seasons of the year as sometimes the markets are held near water, which can be quite chilly, so we are on the lookout for them too.
Until September I only sold our relish which proved extremely popular. It really surprised me. When it came time for Christmas Puddings they were so much in demand that we had to deal with both items on our stall.
This went much better than I thought it would. Charley soon had the set up covered by announcing to passers by that tastings were available for anything on the table! It worked!
Charley has been great & can hold the fort completely on her own, but I must admit that I love it when the two of us do a market together. It’s so much better in many ways.
Charley is very keen to do more markets. I think the bug has bitten her, so next year we will be looking to do more markets: hopefully every Saturday & Sunday, which may mean venturing further afield.
As far as Fennels Bay & Wickham are concerned we have decided to give them a miss as they seem to have run their race. The majority of stalls are bric a brac, so we will be looking at Farmers Markets who cater for home produce.
We would also like to get up into the Hunter Valley among the wineries, which I know from experience would be good. It just means an earlier start.
Our local primary school advertised they were having a fete in November & were welcoming stall holders, so I got in touch with them. The payment they asked for in lieu of money was some of the produce that the stall holders sold, for use in their raffles. I parted with one each of our four puddings which is a handsome gift amounting to over two hundred dollars.
This event clashed with Warners Bay market so Charley went to the school mid morning, with me following her after my market concluded, as the school fete was for all day. It was a real scorcher of a day when thirst was paramount.
Can’t say it was a success for the stall holders though but we had heaps of fun.
Do you remember me telling you about Priscilla a couple of years ago when I met her the time she had a stall at our local shopping mall? Well Priscilla was next to us & also two other lovely ladies, Sue & Sash, selling cosmetics next to us. They were wonderful to be next to as they had a cask of icy water to drink & Charley was so hot & thirsty they held the cask up above her mouth to give her a drink! Not altogether elegant, but it saved the day.
Thirsty Charley at Warners Bay Primary School Fete.
I was busy shopping from Priscilla who had some beautiful clothes. Most of them happened to look good on Charley, so I did some quick shopping while she was drinking!
I must tell you though what happened to me after the fete ended.
I had been up to the school on three occasions before the fete, so thought I knew my way around. When I went up there mid afternoon, everything was in progress: games, stalls, kids performing, raffles etc.
I went in the gate & managed to find Charley. It is a large school. After it was all over we packed up & I went out dragging a case of stuff behind me & couldn’t find my car. At first it didn’t alarm me, but after walking up & down the street a few times I was almost in a panic.
Fortunately for me when Sue & Sash came out they had a window down & waved goodbye to me. It must have been the look on my face, but about fifteen minutes later they drove back and found me.
They stopped the car to ask if I was okay as they thought I didn’t look okay when they waved to me. I must have looked like bursting into tears by that time as they put me in the back of the car & told me not to worry, they would find my car.
All kind of things were going through my mind as I knew where I left the car. We drove around for about fifteen more minutes by which time I was getting very dry in the mouth.
They turned up another street & there was my car, on its own on the crest of a hill where I knew I had parked, but what I hadn’t realised was that I went in one gate & left by another gate on the other side of the school! Can you imagine my relief? But what a dumbbell!
Our very favourite market this year was run by the Chamber of Commerce at Warners Bay, as they often put on a special one like they did with Halloween. They held a Twilight Market at Speers Point, which is only one suburb away & check in time was from 2 p.m. for the market to start at 4 p.m. until 8 p.m.
Last Warner’s Bay Market Dec 2017
It costs a lot more to get into these special ones, but it is well worth it. Charley & I thought we would be early for ‘bump in’ as they call it, so we arrived just after 2 pm. & found we were in a great long queue with about fifty cars ahead of us.
We got in & set up well before time, as once we are in our spot it doesn’t take us long to do what we have to do.
There was a real aura of anticipation, excitement & the public were absolutely adorable. Families came together ready to buy. Charley had put together two small jars of relish sitting on cardboard, wrapped in cello with a Christmas ribbon & card attached.
This was a good way of using up the stock of small jars & we priced them the same as one ordinary jar. They proved to be really popular. At one stage during the evening, while Charley was absent one of my line dancing friends, Anne, came up to the stall to purchase three puddings & seven Christmas packs.
When Charley returned she couldn’t help but notice her gift packs had depleted down to almost the last one. I told her what happened & she said “I feel like giving Anne a big hug for that.” I told her I thought that would be a nice thing to do so she has endeared herself to Anne who never fails to attend the markets that we are attending & is an excellent customer.
I sent Charley off to look around the other stalls & she came back pleased as punch. She had seen a deep dish with a blue Kombi Van painted on the inside of the dish. We both immediately knew that was another Christmas gift for David! He was real pleased with it too, along with his Kombi Shirt!
The Twilight market was brilliant & lingered on so much we were packing up in the dark.
Almost last Maitland Market 2017 Dec.
Our last market for the year was Maitland on the 17th December. I truly felt nostalgic as I drove home. It has been a year of learning, experience & satisfaction on a job well done.
When we added up the figures we had more than doubled the sales on Christmas Puddings from the previous year so we are floating on cloud nine & well pleased.
God Bless & Fond Love. Dawn X O X O