I’m getting quite superstitious about writing down how long it is to Miniatura because recently, the minute I do this bits drop off me and I don’t get to be there.
However it is three weeks to go, I am sewing by the hour. I am trying to provide as many 48th scale dolls as I can because I am aware of a dearth of them, having visited the show in the spring.
Also this time I am going to give a talk. For a few shows, as well as the workshops at the back of the hall, there have been talks given. These are free. You do not have to sign up in advance, you just go along and listen. I was asked how long and if I would like to do an hour and I said half an hour is long enough. If your feet are hurting all the way up your legs and you just want to sit and be entertained for free I think half an hour is enough. I will be talking about how I make porcelain dolls and possibly why and maybe a bit of all the gossip gleaned from 20ish years reporting the show and hopefully a laugh or lots and certainly questions answered and whatever else you fancy, let me know.
One thing I have been doing is visiting other shows. I always bang on about the absolute quality of Miniatura compared to other exhibitions and shows and thought I should top up on alternative shows to ensure my comparisons are valid. Gosh they are. I have been to some posh shows of handmade artefacts, mostly jewellery and woodwork with a bit of artisan glass and small items and, whilst it was a posh day out, there was nothing I could actually afford to buy. At one show there were some machine embroidered pictures that were £32 but they were all the same and the seller was nowhere to be seen. The next price up, for anything, was some plain silver finger rings that started at £68. One of the great things about Miniatura is that everybody gets to go home with the little paper bags. I have seen items for sale for 10p. I’ve offered things for sale for 10p. Now that’s what I call a level playing field. And as it is the NEC it actually is all on one level, if you’re arriving on personal wheels there is nowhere you cannot go.
I did recently go to a show about quilting at the NEC. It was fantastic and inspiring and I had a great day out but halfway through the afternoon I couldn’t work out how I had spent so much money. I had a sit down and a count up. I was skint. Then I realised what I had done. On the way in, at the entrance to the car park, I had paid for my parking with money so I didn’t have to on the way out. £12! Twelve pictures of the Queen just for parking a car.
Miniatura organisers don’t want you to spend your money in the car park. So you don’t have to. On the way out you will be given a voucher, which is never announced in advance, that you show at the car park and get out free.
It is a great show in all sorts of small ways and many big ones. Hopefully we will meet there.