26-Aug to 01-Sep 2012

Sun 26-Aug: Spent a few peaceful hours messing about on the allotment in warm sunshine. During a break for tea and biscuits noticed this stag beetle wandering around in the shed. Down on all fours to get a close up.

Mon 27-Aug: Somewhat dissatisfied with the first attempt last week, here's my second effort for the show completed this afternoon. Now all the kit is out and ready to use at a moment's notice I'm hoping there'll be more watercolours in the pipeline.

Tue 28-Aug: For the last few days cars having been drawing up outside our house, popping entry forms for the show through the letterbox... the neighbours think I'm into something illicit. Reached a peak yesterday, being the last day for entries, so almost all of today was spent on the laptop plugging the final entries into the database and setting up the exhibit cards for sending to the printers. It was taking the best part of two hours to format each set of 100 cards 'cause the laptop is so slow. But good news... I'm going to get an Apple iMac when the latest release is announced in a couple of weeks. Yipee!

Wed 29-Aug: Connor and Paige around today, Paige brought some hair pieces with her which I thought might look quite fetching on my bonce. What do you think?

Thu 30-Aug: Yep, another few hours spent planning for the show on Saturday. Today it was primarily checking all the exhibits would fit in the hall we'd hired at the Corn Exchange, whether there were enough tables, how to lay them out and to work out a plate by plate detailed plan. Here's the final plan we'll be using tomorrow to set out the tables.

Fri 31-Aug: And in the never ending stream of days taken up preparing for the show, guess where I was this evening... yes, in the Corn Exchange with the rest of the team getting the hall ready. At least it's getting easier each year as we all get stuck in. Here we are just before finishing at about 9pm

Sat 01-Sep: At last the show day and the end nearly in sight! Up at 6:00am to pick flowers and clean vegetables for display. Into the hall by 7:45am. Loads of visitors in the afternoon. Becky came first in the set recipe for shortbread, and Izzy won the trophy for the most points in the children's section. Ended the sow for the first time wit an auction of donated goods... here's your's truly acting as auctioneer.