The pathways got gradually deeper and deeper in mud as the day wote on, but there were plenty of determined customers and the farm staff and the organisers did their very best with bark and wood shavings to make the marquees habitable! Most people had come well equipped with wellies or boots and we were lucky that none of our stock was dropped or splashed. It was good to see and chat with everyone and generally people were remarkably cheerful. In quiet moments you could hear squelching though as people walked about!
We were pleased to finish in at the end of the afternoon and it had even stopped raining! We went for a quick pub supper on the way home - I must mention the warm welcome and good food at the Chequers in Keysoe here - and it was a hot shower and an early night to get ready for the Sunday.
Sunday had much better weather and the field had drained, although the mud in the marquees was still there and I did think that this put people off browsing amongst the stalls as much as they might have done. In any case, we still had plenty of customers and I'm pleased to say that my bolero pattern proved popular. It felt more relaxed once the weather improved and Mum spent some time looking around and watching the sheep shearing. It was her first show - I hope it hasn't put her off as I'd like to do Wonderwool next year.
At the end of the day, we got packed up fairly quickly and I even managed to drive across the muddy field without getting stuck! The drive home was through hot sunshine and the pleasant Hertfordshire countryside and when we arrived, my husband had cooked a meal for us and my father was waiting to accompany Mum home.
I've now got everything unpacked and sorted out and yes, I would do it next year - we surely can't get the same conditions two years running can we?
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