Vintage Makery Do II

Not been posting much recently -been pretty busy with bees really. Some of my stock seem very swarmy and I'm thinking it's possibly due to the swarms I captured last year. Next time I catch swarms I'll possibly requeen them as soon as they're settled. Anyway on Saturday 7th May 2016 was the second Vintage Makery Do organised once again by the top notch Vintage Cafe on Chanterlands Avenue -the place for gluten free cake!.

As before it was in St Ninian's Church on Chanterlands Avenue. When I rolled up to set up my table the weather was warm and there was one of those vintage ice cream reverse tricycles outside selling gelato from Bellissima Delights. I planned to visit that later but didn't get round to it, shall have to watch out for it elsewhere in the city. Last time we'd

Looks like the right place

I've taken to using fruit crates to carrying my stuff about in. They're very robust and it turns out larger shops and supermarkets just dump them on the pavement till whenever they get picked up -handy to know if you're ever moving house.  I'd brought along Clear Honey, Set Honey, Lip Balm, Beeswax Polish and Propolis Salve. I had meant to bring Propolis Tincture too but seem to have forgotten that. I also brought along a Super full of drawn comb -one I'd let the bees clean up so it was dry. As well as providing a visual it was handy to help with explanations when people asked questions about the bees. To finish filling the table out I stuck a bee smoker in a corner of the table, the little one I got at the auction last month. Looking at the late Dave Cushman's encyclopaedic beekeeping site he identifies this style of smoker as having been made in England in the early twentieth century, there could be an antique under that red paint.

Made by the Bees and Me

To my left was A. Cockerill a chap who makes bespoke furniture. Well he seemed to make pretty much everything really, from egg cups and plates, to pens, tables, cupboards, cabinets and boxes and even the workbench and vice he used. The workbench looked like something out of Skyrim and was clearly more solid than my Work Mate.

Some of the same vendors were there as the previous one including Koh-Koh Chocolates which now has it's own website. Actually I bought a box of his wares just before things started, can definitely recommend them.

Some of the handmade items from Koh-Koh Chocolate

There was an interesting display from Uncouth Arts who had some textured pictures, sculpture and I think jewellery -I didn't get a photo but you can to visit the Facebook page for a look. Near to me was Granny's Toybox with a table full of hand knitted toys, painted decorations, candles and curios.

Hand painted items from Granny's Toybox

Once customers started wandering in it got pretty busy, sales went so well I ran out of change a couple of times, at one point gave a discounted tin of lip balm in lieu of coinage. When there was a lull I nipped over to A Cockerill's table and bought myself a wooden egg cup -I've kept chickens for years, it was about time I got a smart egg cup.As well as promoting local businesses the event was also to support charity. In total it raised £120 for Hull Animal Welfare so success all round!

Vintage Makery Do

The excellent Vintage Cafe (purveyors of top notch coffees and gluten free cakes) organised the Vintage Makery Do on the 24th of October at St. Ninians Church on Chanterlands Avenue. Originally built in 1643 that weekend it played host to a variety of art and craft related stalls to raise money for the Hull Animal Welfare and the Homeless. Entry was just 20p per person or a piece of food or clothing for the homeless collection.

Some folks set up the night before but I was working late and was the last to arrive. I'd brought honey, lip balm, beeswax polish, propolis tincture, beeswax, propolis salve and cold process soap. I also lugged in a super of drawn comb just remind people of the bees' contribution and to advertise that I'm a beekeeper -although I suppose it's possible the 45 kilos of honey I dragged in might've been a clue o.O

I've set the table

The event ran from 1pm to 3pm and business was very brisk so I didn't get much chance to look around the other stalls but ones I recall were a gourmet chocolatier preparing for the November launch of Koh-Koh Chocolates, and I can happily tell you he's using quality local honey, near the door was Alternatively Useful showing soy wax candles, For the Love of Kitsch was to my left with a few curios and jewellery versions of everything from newts to elephants, local shop Chance Gifts also had a stall and YoungYarn a local company with a huge Facebook following was there too.

The first person to look at the table was a young girl, I gave her a free lip balm after all it's about charity, then it got busy. Most of my sales were honey in pound jars, about two thirds of that was set honey which I'd made for the first time this year although some people still preferred liquid honey. It's quite possible that some of the honey was made from nectar collected from the gardens of the households it was going back to. After the honey sales came lip balm then soap and a bit of beeswax.

In the two hours the event was open some 400-450 people visited. Some were regulars from Vintage Cafe, others had seen the event on Facebook and quite a few told me they'ed been passing by and seen the sign outside so popped in. After totting up Vintage Cafe had raised £85 for Hull Animal Welfare and a huge 15 bags of food and clothing for the homeless.