Late August Bank Holiday 2008 (28-08-2008): Carshalton Park, Ruskin Road, London Borough of Sutton.
While it was very good to have a free buses to and from the fair, the very first drawback, on arrival was that, unbeknown to me, and many others, I think, there was an entry fee of £3 being levied for all adults (with some concessions) and even yours truly's press credentials, which normally get free entry everywhere, did not do that here.
Why there was a charge in the first place beats me as other Green Fairs, such as the Camden one at Regents Park, is free for all and hence has got a great amount of visitors coming from all over London and not just the local area.
I very much doubt that the entry fee was needed in the first place as the stallholders, I am sure, were paying quite a substantial sum for the privilege of being there. Most of those stall were trade stalls, some selling goods that originate in India and are sold, in general, to market traders via wholesalers such as Cha Cha Dum Dum in North London.
In addition to this the entire fair would have been better – maybe – called a vegetarian/vegan event as no meat products were even permitted to be served, so I understand from those that had food stalls, and at ever corner one was being accosted by someone with a vegetarian or vegan agenda trying to push his or her view on the visitors. Not a good move.
Let me tell the vegetarians and vegans something. What do you think would happen to all the chickens, sheep and cattle you want to save from being killed for food if everyone would stop tomorrow eating meat? I tell you what. They would all be killed and destroyed as there would be no reason left for their existence bar, maybe, chickens for egg production. The problem is that the majority of vegetarians and vegans is not living in the real world but in a molly coddled idea of lovely furry animals and all that. Please people, including organizers of such fairs, wake up to reality. The only reasons for sheep, for instance, to exist, bar for their wool, is for meat. And this is even more so true for poultry and for beef cattle; dairy cattle exempt here, for the moment. Should, as I said, everyone become a vegetarian tomorrow those animals would be destroyed and, without a market, burned.
But back to the theme in hand, the Carshalton Environmental Fair per se, as I, as seems to be my habit, digressed again.
Despite the dark clouds looming always overhead and the occasional spot of rain – hardly noticeable – the event was very well attended but I doubt that the numbers quoted to stallholders that were expected to be there would have been met even to a quarter.
It is a shame that, despite the half-hourly free bus services with three separate routes, some people still had to come by car and, as one should assume, not from all that far away.
While it is understandable that stall holder would have to come by motor vehicle – as horse and wagon are, not as yet, again an accepted mode – it is not so as regards to local residents that live but a few roads away from the park, for instance.
In order to be fair, however, a lot of people came in on foot and others on their bicycles, and both is good to see, from a green perspective.
The only, in my opinion, stand worth a mention, and worth a real mention it indeed is, was the one of “Lilly's Bags for Life”. This is a young lady who uses material discarded by manufacturers of curtains and such like and from those she makes “bags for life” shopping bags/totes. Every thing else was but organizations, some with a green theme, many not; crafty people such as potters and such; many of which had absolutely nothing to do with green issues and the environment. Maybe one other stall could be mentioned in the green theme and that was the one by the couple from the narrow boat that make jewelry from recycled silver and other metals. Another one definitely worth a mentioned was the stall by the lady who sold crocheted rugs bags and baskets, etc. that she makes from old plastic carrier bags. Unfortunately, while I have her photo I have not got her details.
In addition to that there were groups there represented that have absolutely nothing to do with environment and green issues, though some would fall under the ethical living and that should be fine too. Other, though, were “Guide Dogs for the Blind”, certain hospices, hospitals, Amnesty International, free thinkers, religious groups, most not environmentally linked at all. While we all, I am sure, would be happy to support them in the right setting, they were taking up space that should have been filled by recycling craft ventures and such like. Many stalls were nothing but retail outfits selling goods that can be had at any wholesaler for market traders and such like. The person doing the painted wooden and other articles, for instance, had not made any of them, of that I am sure and I can nigh on guarantee that, but had just painted up some blanks bought wherever it may have been from. One could there, for instance, question as to how ethically the goods had been produced but, alas, it would appear that the organizers never even as much as checked into that. I guess someone saw £-signs in front of their eyes.
The stewards, I am afraid to say, had little idea as to what was happening where and especially as to where one would go to pick up up the free bus services again to get home. “I guess it is here on the road outside”, I was told when enquiring at the “main gate”. Training of stewards might be an idea for next time. I doubt that the Green (Living) review will be bothering to visit the fair next year though.
While the idea of the free bus service can but be applauded it would have been a very good idea to actually have marked out where the routes would start from outside the main gate. Yes, they indeed picked up outside the main gate but we all just did this by guessing.
Overall I am sure they could have done a lot better and my recommendations would be to first of all either let people know you are charging an entry fee and then allow members of the press free access – gets you much better coverage for sure – though my recommendation would be to follow the Camden lead and make it a free event. Sponsors can, I am sure, be found. Then train stewards so they 100% know where is what. Also do not enforce vegetarian and vegan food policy only. All of those, as it was, were turn offs for people, for I have heard the moans and took them on board.
While my criticism as a journalist may sound harsh all I am trying to do is give some advice and constructive critique of how to improve on the event and get a bigger footfall into the fair, regardless of how many years it has been operating.
© M Smith (Veshengro), August 2008
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