Ally Pally

Photo taken from AP Website
I went to the Rubber Stamping and Scrapbooking fair at Ally Pally yesterday. Although I went on my own (I prefer to go solo when shopping so I can sit down when I want, have a cuppa when I want without cramping anyone else’s style) I felt excited as soon as I got on the train to London as there was a weekend vibe of people chattering and laughing that you just don’t get during the week. At Victoria I queued up to get a tube ticket to Wood Green, and realised why I normally wouldn’t go to London at the weekend – it was heaving. I haven’t been on the tube since a few days before the July 7th bombings preferring to go on the bus instead (which makes no sense at all but there you are) but it was fine, in no time at all I was emerging into the sunshine at Wood Green. It had said on the website that there was a free shuttle bus from the station to Ally Pally but it wasn’t immediately apparent where it went from but I quickly spotted two women who I felt sure were crafters and asked them. Sure enough they were on their way there too and pointed me towards the correct bus stop. I felt quite nostalgic as the coach wound its way up the hill towards the Palace. The last time I’d been here was aged 16 to go to a concert with my best friend at the time, Margaret Baines. I can’t even remember who were playing (I want to say Wishbone Ash but I’m really not sure!) What I do remember was that we missed the last bus home to South London where we were staying with her Nan and had to walk through the night (I can see us now dressed in maxi skirts and cheesecloth tops , love beads wrapped around our necks), but that’s a whole nother story!
I met a lady on the coach from Hampshire. I asked her if she knew the Crafty Cow and it turns out she lived about three miles away from it (Ange this piece of information is for your benefit if you’re reading this) As soon as I got inside, the first stall I came across was the Rubbernecker stall which was the one thing I had specifically wanted to look at. I recognised one of the exhibitors on that stall from Create and Craft TV when she demonstrated Scene-velopes (I think that’s what they’re called)
I really enjoyed looking around not so much for the scrapbooking stuff but for the rubber stamps – I really didn’t “get” rubberstamping before but now I am obsessed by it. They had some great stuff – as well as the Rubbernecker stamps I bought (11 of them plus a freebie – which was actually a free bee!), I got a Pink cat studio beach set and dickered for ages over the Hannah stamps. At £13.50 I felt I could only afford one of them but couldn’t decide and in the end decided not to get any. I also bought four more sets of nestabilities as they had them at four for £60. I didn’t really buy a lot compared to most of the people there (credit crunch, what credit crunch?) and everyone seemed to have wheelie suitcase things to carry their mounds of stash home in. I also saw that Stephanie doo dah from Ideal World demonstrating her workstation thingy. She was prettier in real life – I know people always say that about people on the telly but it’s true – what can possibly be happening with those camera lenses? There were a lot of people demonstrating mica powders and although they looked amazing I wasn’t sucked in, I am still too frightened to try the twinkling H2Os I bought several years ago. I thought the food in the restaurant was a bit pricey and the girl behind the till didn’t have a clue. The two people in front of me were having problems with their bills so I kept a very close eye on what she was ringing up for my food. As I looked round the restaurant area the rather uncharitable thought crossed my mind that there was a certain element of the clientele that could have done with spending less on crafting materials and a bit more on getting their hair done. There was a tremendous atmosphere in the hall though with everyone happy and having a good time, although boy it got hot in there. I came over a bit faint in SirStampalot and had to sit down and administer half a kitkat I had squirreled away in my handbag for just such an occasion. By about 3 o’clock I’d had enough and got on the shuttle bus back to the station. I shall be back with bells on next year.
P.S. Scuse the lack of photos - I only took photos of card samples which aren't really appropriate to post. I did take a photo of the inside conservatory bit but now realise the foreground was filled with a huge "Toilets" sign!