This is a letter sent by a friend of mine to the organisers of the December Show
Dear Sir,
I have been attending the Toy Soldier Show three times a year for many years. I attended the new venue in Chalk Farm yesterday.
I was extremely disappointed not to say saddened. I was very dissatisfied in the venue which, whilst the show had been listed for months, had the distinct air of having been thrown together at the last minute. It resembled a local town “Swap Meet”. There was scant evidence of the professionalism usually found in the past. It seemed utterly chaotic and was uncomfortably cramped. There was little room for punters to move along the tables and look. If you stopped, someone invariably asked you to move – there was minimal room in the aisles and this created blockages as those who wished to progress down the aisle and those who wanted to examine the goods on the table were forced to squeeze along past each other all the time fearful of dislodging displayed figures. I have been a regular visitor for years and whilst there have been busy times in the past, it has never been as confused and messy as it was yesterday. At every turn one was in danger of knocking a table display onto the floor, such was the lack of space.
I gather that one of the halls had been withdrawn – probably to make way for a regular Saturday class for little ones, which frankly should have been cancelled. Was there double booking? Who decided to run two very different events on the same morning and expect it all to work out? Yummy mummies were pushing buggies and dragging crying toddlers in tow as they became fractious at not being able to get through the show to their allotted hall – down the same aisles as punters were trying to see the goods on offer. Bloody stupid and no proper organisation. I heard many comments from dealers and punters none of whom was happy or content with this arrangement and venue. I didn’t hear one complimentary remark. Want a cup of coffee? There was a small shuttered alcove and none of it looked inviting. And if you wanted to sit down for a moment – forget it.
Judging by yesterday’s fiasco I seriously wonder if your company wish to continue with this show. There were no badges – just paper wrist strips and no floor plan was produced or available, so where do you find a particular dealer? It all had the air of “throw it on and see what happens”.
Not good enough. All this leads me to have a feeling the organisers are going to dump these shows.
The setting was so unfriendly that I couldn’t be bothered to pause long at stalls, losing complete interest in anything that might have been worth a look. My brother and friend Frank were equally unhappy. Frank having driven down from Oxford was so fed up, he looked around one section and left. He had had enough declaring that if this was a glimpse of future shows – he would not bother. I felt the same. How many other regulars I wonder came away with a similar opinion.
If your company intend to continue with these shows then you will have to do a great deal better. There is big room for improvement. It did not compare to those shows held in previous years at other venues. Your standards have fallen woefully.
You can do better – I have experienced it. I hope you will strive to return to the efficiency of earlier shows.