wander round, shaking hands, catching peoples’ eyes and smiling encouragingly. Now, it seemed, I had a stand. ‘Right!’ I said, plonking down my folder. I sprinted through the foyer, leapt into an open lift and waited for it to ascend. In my room, I pulled an orange, green and purple sarong from my case and hauled the ironing board from the wardrobe. This WI stall would, at least, have a cloth. I borrowed a pillow from my bed and took that downstairs too. I put the pillow at the back of the table and draped the now pristine sarong over it and the table. I fanned leaflets out over the front and balanced Grandee’s photo on the pillow.
I stood back to examine my handiwork.
It looked crap.
At the sight of my first Thorsen Leisure t-shirt on a passing girl, I pounced. ‘Don’t suppose I could borrow a white table cloth from housekeeping, could I?’
She smiled. ‘I zink so. I go and find out,’ she said before marching off. I cleared the table of my clutter and waited. Around me, other exhibitors were squaring up bits of kit on their stalls, wiping away non-existent dust and checking their video loops.
I grabbed a handful of flyers and took a mosey through the hall.
The ice sculptor was prowling around a half-completed, two metre owl. I went to take a better look. He smiled. ‘Who are you with?’ he asked.
‘The Joshua Steele Theatre.’
‘So, you do performing stuff – team building with drama?’ he asked.
‘No. Not yet, although it’s worth thinking about.’ And it was.
‘What are you selling then? It’s not one of Thorsen’s venues is it?’
‘No.’ Although that was another option which hadn’t occurred to me. ‘I’m trying to raise funds to save the theatre. Duncan…well…Thorsen Leisure invited me here to drum up some support.’ I handed him a flyer.
He looked over it and nodded. ‘Good luck with that.’
‘Great sculpture,’ I said.
‘Thanks. Won’t be for much longer.’
‘No?’
‘Not after the masses have knocked seven bells out of it.’
‘Why?’
‘It’s a team-building activity. They get to have a go. There’s another three of these out in the chiller for them to hack away at.’
‘Cool,’ I said, wincing at my unintentional pun. ‘With chainsaws?’
‘Yeah, well not today,’ he said, waving a chisel.
‘Can I have a go?’
‘Sure, see if you can add a feather in there.’ He pointed just below the first two rows, and handed me a mallet and chisel.
I tapped. The chisel slid off the ice. ‘Harder than it looks,’ I said, achieving exactly the same result with the next two taps.
‘You need a bit more confidence. Give it a bit more welly, and turn the chisel this way.’
With confidence and welly, I lanced three existing feathers and gouged a six inch scar across it.
He laughed.
‘Sorry, I’ve really spoiled it.’
‘No worries. You won’t be the last. Have another go.’
‘Erm…’ I studied the glistening beauty. ‘Probably best I don’t but thanks.’
‘If there’s anything I can do to help you and your theatre, get in touch.’ He handed me a card: Luke Page – Frozen Art.
‘Thanks, Luke, I will.’
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the Thorsen Leisure girl returning to my stall. She placed a white cloth on it. I hurried over. ‘Thank you so much, that’s really kind of you.’
‘Is my pleasure,’ she said. ‘Anything else I can help you with?’
‘Yes. If you get chance, tell every delegate to be sure and say hello to Joshua Steele’s granddaughter.’
‘This is you, yes?’
‘Yes.’
‘Of course.’
‘Great. I’m running a raffle with an exclusive, mystery prize.’
‘Raffle? What is raffle?’
I explained as well as I could.
‘Ah, rifa ! Si ! What is the prize?’
I smiled back at her. I had absolutely no idea, but I would come up with something. ‘The clue’s in the mystery…’
‘Of course.’ She looked excited. ‘Can I have a ticket?’
‘Yes, I just need your business card. Well,
I stood back to examine my handiwork.
It looked crap.
At the sight of my first Thorsen Leisure t-shirt on a passing girl, I pounced. ‘Don’t suppose I could borrow a white table cloth from housekeeping, could I?’
She smiled. ‘I zink so. I go and find out,’ she said before marching off. I cleared the table of my clutter and waited. Around me, other exhibitors were squaring up bits of kit on their stalls, wiping away non-existent dust and checking their video loops.
I grabbed a handful of flyers and took a mosey through the hall.
The ice sculptor was prowling around a half-completed, two metre owl. I went to take a better look. He smiled. ‘Who are you with?’ he asked.
‘The Joshua Steele Theatre.’
‘So, you do performing stuff – team building with drama?’ he asked.
‘No. Not yet, although it’s worth thinking about.’ And it was.
‘What are you selling then? It’s not one of Thorsen’s venues is it?’
‘No.’ Although that was another option which hadn’t occurred to me. ‘I’m trying to raise funds to save the theatre. Duncan…well…Thorsen Leisure invited me here to drum up some support.’ I handed him a flyer.
He looked over it and nodded. ‘Good luck with that.’
‘Great sculpture,’ I said.
‘Thanks. Won’t be for much longer.’
‘No?’
‘Not after the masses have knocked seven bells out of it.’
‘Why?’
‘It’s a team-building activity. They get to have a go. There’s another three of these out in the chiller for them to hack away at.’
‘Cool,’ I said, wincing at my unintentional pun. ‘With chainsaws?’
‘Yeah, well not today,’ he said, waving a chisel.
‘Can I have a go?’
‘Sure, see if you can add a feather in there.’ He pointed just below the first two rows, and handed me a mallet and chisel.
I tapped. The chisel slid off the ice. ‘Harder than it looks,’ I said, achieving exactly the same result with the next two taps.
‘You need a bit more confidence. Give it a bit more welly, and turn the chisel this way.’
With confidence and welly, I lanced three existing feathers and gouged a six inch scar across it.
He laughed.
‘Sorry, I’ve really spoiled it.’
‘No worries. You won’t be the last. Have another go.’
‘Erm…’ I studied the glistening beauty. ‘Probably best I don’t but thanks.’
‘If there’s anything I can do to help you and your theatre, get in touch.’ He handed me a card: Luke Page – Frozen Art.
‘Thanks, Luke, I will.’
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the Thorsen Leisure girl returning to my stall. She placed a white cloth on it. I hurried over. ‘Thank you so much, that’s really kind of you.’
‘Is my pleasure,’ she said. ‘Anything else I can help you with?’
‘Yes. If you get chance, tell every delegate to be sure and say hello to Joshua Steele’s granddaughter.’
‘This is you, yes?’
‘Yes.’
‘Of course.’
‘Great. I’m running a raffle with an exclusive, mystery prize.’
‘Raffle? What is raffle?’
I explained as well as I could.
‘Ah, rifa ! Si ! What is the prize?’
I smiled back at her. I had absolutely no idea, but I would come up with something. ‘The clue’s in the mystery…’
‘Of course.’ She looked excited. ‘Can I have a ticket?’
‘Yes, I just need your business card. Well,
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