11th – 13th September 2017 BCTF London

Hello,

Just arrived home from the British Craft Trade Fair at The Old Truman Brewery, 85 Brick Lane, London E1 6QL.

The drive to London on a Friday took me longer than expected due to congestion and I arrived later than my allotted time slot, but, thankfully, people were still around and help was at hand in getting my work into the building.  I soon found my way to the Qbic Hotel for a good nights sleep and the reason I chose this hotel was because it had a car park.  As an added bonus, my double room was big and comfy with a huge rain shower…fantastic!  The next day I walked to the Truman in just under 10 minutes.  It was just a straight road so no hassle to find.  Setting up my stand was great because I had all day and could take my time.  Everyone was friendly and we helped each other out; I was sharing a designated plug socket with another member of Design Nation and erecting our own lights for the first time proved to be an experience!  I was able to store my boxes and tools at the venue which was good.   The ambience outside the Truman Brewery was amazing; families and friends milled around the area and the air was filled with delightful aromas from the multiple food venues.

The quirky Qbic hotel gave guests a free drink if they left their Teddy outside their room to say do not clean it, a jolly good idea I thought!  The staff there were very friendly.  A full English breakfast was made fresh to order and set me up for the day ahead.

The three days proved to be hot outside but we were cool inside the venue due to the fab air conditioning.  Visitor numbers were not as good as we were expecting but the ones that came were genuine buyers so collaborations, conversations and contacts were very good.  I also had some `first’ experiences – Driving to London  –  Special Qbic cocktails containing blackberries  plus A most exquisite Vietnamese meal!