Sorry all but I'm pulling the plug on this, as have sent many letters and e-mails asking collectors to attend, and only had six stalls @ £30 each plus 70 visitors at £3 each confirm -- and all of them via this BBS (thank you). Yet I had to pay the booking fee of £400 by today if going ahead, and sort the public liability and personal indemnity insurance (which together total £350), shortly after. Although was happy to go out on a limb a little, the sums just don't ad up and I'm not prepared to put myself potentially out of pocket and spend the next four months stressing myself & my family by trying to play catch-up just to recoup any out of pocket expenses that could have been avoided. A shame but there you go, and at least my epitaph when written in (hopefully) many many moons time can read
"at least I tried" ... .
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Thanks for the continuing interest in this proposed event (loads of e-mails and p-ms ), so here is an up-date. The venue is all booked (with a get out of jail free card for yours truly in case the Police say no), and am currently awaiting a reply to the following from the Fire Arms Dept covering the location in question before I start advertising and taking stall booking deposits etc. Will keep you all posted (pun intended ): Gareth W-B.
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Dear xxxxxxx,
I am organising a collectors sale and swap meet for collectors of sub 12ft,lb air rifles and sub 6ft.lb air pistols to be held at the xxxxxxx near Chelmsford, and have a provisionally booked date of Sunday 7th September 2008.
The proposed event will not entail the sale of any new air guns, purely those deemed collectable (along with aligned paraphernalia), and shall be a table top type sale and swap meet much like the stamp and militaria meets held at the same venue throughout the year.
In mind of the V.C.R. bill of last October, I will not allow traders or registered fire arms dealers to operate there however, and will prior to the event, have a full list of names and addresses of those who wish to take up table-top space for your full inspection should you so wish.
I will ensure all safety measures and conduct regarding air guns are adhered to (eg. all air guns must be bagged or boxed when being carried in and out of the hired hall), and will insist that all who attend have a recognised form of photo I.D. with them.
This event is not being organised for profit, but for genuine air gun collecting enthusiasts like me. I am a member of Springfield Air Rifle Club, and am also a current F.A.C. holder.
Before I take the arrangements of the event as detailed to the next level however, first I wanted to check that it met with your approval as if not, I will shelve the idea completely out of respect for you and your officers.
I look forward to hearing from you regarding the above at your earliest convenience.
Yours Sincerely:
Gareth Woolven-Brown.