Timber, timber everywhere...
As Crowie said, it was a good day out. Meeting fellow forumites at Boutique Timbers site was a highlight, but I must admit the cramped conditions until about 1.30pm when the school kids left wasn't ideal.
I didn't realise until I returned home that Timbercon weren't there, and I knew McJing's and Stan Ciglinski's Billinudgel Woodworks with his saw races wouldn't be there, much to the disappointment of the school kids. Stan's set-up was always a highlight of the show, especially on the weekends when the younger kids were there with Dad.
Hare & Forbes haven't had a stall for quite a few years, probably due to the floorspace requirements to display their bulky machinery and subsequent cost, and I noticed that Trend Timbers didn't have as big a display area for their timbers as in other years.
At previous shows, I really enjoyed the displays of finished work by HSC and TAFE students, but this aspect was severely reduced at this years show due to space restrictions.
I heard one radio advert prior to the show, and didn't notice any signage around the Homebush precinct. I did hear a radio advert for the food and wine expo being held at Darling Harbour this weekend, along with multiple TV and radio adverts for the Craft & Quilt show at Darling Harbour. Last year, the food and wine show was next door to the WWWS at Homebush, looks like they have made the move elsewhere, maybe due to venue pricing?
I am going to the show again today, mainly for the social aspect, and will keep a look-out for the general vibe of the place in respect to vendors sales activity and the quantity of items in the parcel pick-up area as a gauge to the success of the show.
There certainly wasn't any shortage of timber for sale, ranging from pen blanks and veneers to a massive slab at Greg Ward's stand, and just about anything else in between. Plenty of projects about to start judging by the number of vehicles loading up their spoils towards the end of the day.
I'll be back next year, hopefully to a bigger venue with more vendors.
Alan...