Autumn Fair Part 2

I spent the whole day there today - on arrival I visited Hall 2 which was full of kitchenwear suppliers to meet a friend from facebook as he suggested that I pop by to say hello. Whilst I waited for him to finish with some clients I was invited to have a free coffee - black coffee only, and I was given a copy of the Good Food magazine too. I found myself trying to wangle a freebie saucepan but no freebies for me :(

I went back to Hall 3 and went to look at my light again and actually asked them to put a sold sign on it. I wandered around looking at things I missed yesterday and somehow ended up by the extremely posh umbrellas - I did think that £50 for an umbrella was a bit excessive so was allowed to buy one for £10 - its purple with lilac musical notes around the edge and its what is known as pagoda style, it even claims to not blow inside out in windy weather. I had to be a bit sneaky with the purchase as items aren't allowed to be sold from stands and to get it out of the hall I had to say that it was a sample. I took it back to the car at lunchtime because I didnt want to lug it around all day.

I found some new suppliers who again are willing to sell in small quantities - so now I can have gifts for men, grow kits for various plants and therapy candles which smell divine and can be used as wedding favours.

Later in the afternoon I went back to the stand to buy my lamp - it cost me £55 (yesterday I was a bit confused with the sizes) so I bought the large one and it is now gracing my living room and looks fab. I was stopped as I left the hall and was asked "does madam have a receipt for that?" madam did not and made a great show of rummaging through her vast handbag looking for the business card that she had been given by way of a receipt when buying said lamp, madam kept stressing that the lamp was a sample and eventually was allowed to leave. The business card had been tucked in with my own business cards which were in my pocket.

I also acquired a few freebies too in the form of a notebook and some handmade soap and a little pot of moisturising handcream.

It was great networking with people especially as they now know that I organise corporate events.

I received a call today from Action for Blind People who had been put in touch with me by Access to Work. Due to my visual impairment (no central vision in left eye and limited peripheral vision) I fall under the remit of the Disability Discrimination Act and as such can have Access to Work visit my workplace and make recommendations and as I am self employed they will bear the full cost of any equipment that I need. I was chatting on the phone to them this morning and they are visiting me next Wednesday (I have a week to sort out my office and con someone into changing 3 lightbulbs for me. They are also going to look at upgrading my zoomtext magnifier so that that it could possibly speak to me and respond to my voice for times like now where my eyes are really tired and can barely focus.

Well I had better sign off now - its late and I need to chill out a bit before bedtime (oh and put a pile of washing away too).