Snubbed by the SNUB Winter Green Fair

[grumpydad]

As a keen supporter of most of the independent shops in East Dulwich I was very excited to go down to Goose Green today and spend my hard earned on various trippery and frippery within the tents on the green. At the time I was pushing my 5 month old in his pram, he was a sleep. I went to enter the main tent and was turned away saying that I could not enter the tent with a pushchair.

What a bunch of muppets, do they know who their target market is? It does not take a brain surgeon to understand that all these small businesses are frequented on a daily basis by parents and their children, not wanting to get in a war with those who want to avoid the little people. The organization of this event must have predicted some form of precipitation or inclement weather.

As I walked away feeling incredibly frustrated I told all parents with children the sad facts that they could not enter the Fairy Grotto due to the fact that Santa was only seeing people who could walk on their hind legs.

I was well and truly SNUBBED by the SNUB WINTER GREEN FAIR

[Keef]

That is so stupid! There might be some on here who like to have a pint without kids around, but a fair...

[Jessie]

I was turned down for a stall as my cards aren't environmental enough (i use recycled card) and also apparently I'm not local enough (living on Peckham Rye). So I snubbed the fair too.

[Quaywe]

Got to admit, the tent was really poorly laid out. Simply too many stalls allowed in such a small space. Forget about the push chair; there wasn't even room to stop and browse unless you wanted the ten people behind you to have to wait until you were done before they could get past. I felt like I had to rush through the tent so didn't get to spend much time in there.

Good concept. Poor planning. As for no push chairs - schoolboy error (but not surprising considering the size of the tent)!

[TillieTrotter]

Just back from there myself and yes the main tent was very badly laid out with all the stalls crammed into too tight a space. Sort it out organisers. Indulged in a delicious oyster though, mmmmmmm.

[Vik]

I was about the post the same re the tent layout - what a nightmare! I managed to get my pram in but was them followed round by the pram police, asking 'Are you going to be looking at that for long?' and 'Can you move on please!' I moved the pram over as close to tha stalls I was looking at as possible! I was not going to carry a sleeping 7 month old around!

The kids enjoyed themselves, powering the music stage, trying all the free samples and making Christmas cards, but I felt it to be very un-family-friendly, the tents needed to be much bigger!

[Curmudgeon]

well even though you think they do, pushchairs do not fit in everywhere unfortunately.. and they certainly did not fit in that tent with the 2 foot of space to walk through .. it was seriously crammed too tight with no thought being given to people trying to pass as others bothered to stop at stalls

I went child-free and was frustrated by those maneouvering toddlers around if I'm honest

I didn't notice a santa's grotto in the main tent .. but really? you were taking a 5 month old to see Santa? precious first born by any chance? >:D<

[dulwichmum]

Curmudgeon - what kind of sad unfamily friendly git are you! "Precious first born" indeed, just because a parent like Grumpydad has a baby to tote around - not everyone in London has willing relatives or staff (like I obviously do) to care for their little ones while they hit the shops. Life does not stop because we have children you know, and attitudes like yours - expecting those of us with children to stay at home, are what cause postnatal depression, isolation and anxiety in new parents. Get over yourself.

Winter Green = Victor Meldrew fair.

[Curmudgeon]

dulwichmum Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Curmudgeon - what kind of sad unfamily friendly

> git are you! "Precious first born" indeed, just

> because a parent like Grumpydad has a baby to tote

> around - not everyone in London has willing

> relatives or staff (like I obviously do) to care

> for their little ones while they hit the shops.

> Life does not stop because we have children you

> know, and attitudes like yours - expecting those

> of us with children to stay at home, are what

> cause postnatal depression, isolation and anxiety

> in new parents. Get over yourself.

>

> Winter Green = Victor Meldrew fair.

I'm not sad nor unfriendly I merely commented on the perceived need to take a 5 month old to see Santa (which may or may not have been the case) in a jokey fashion .. and 'precious firstborn' is a friendly joke in my circles reflecting the precious aspect that all first-time parents seem to adopt in the early months/years until they get more experienced or have more children

I didn't realise that in other circles parents give up the ability to laugh at themselves?

So I shan't get over myself, but maybe you should

(parent of 2)

[grumpydad]

there was no Santa it was just a bit of festive or if you prefer seasonal humor obviously misunderstood

[Mark]

I think that it was obviously a mistake putting the stalls too close together, but saying that the organisers were snubbing families is a bit daft, I suggest you go and get your entrance money back. I understand it was the first event they've done and I'm sure they'll adjust the spacing for next time.

[Michael Palaeologus]

I staggered through with friends who have two youngish kids. It was a nightmare. I dont surpose that the organisers were in any way family unfriendly - but there awareness of their needs seemed to be nil.

The sight of about dozen buggies lined up outside the tent would have been amusing if it werent so sad. The weather was SO much nicer than the summer fare, but the organisation was SO much poorer.

Disabled access? I am not such a pillock as to think that all disabled people are in wheerchairs, but anybody who wasnt fully mobile would have a real problem fighting through.

Shame the council didnt do anything about the muddy quagmire that surrounded the event.

Very disappointed, walked though once, didnt buy anything, ran off to Borough Market and bought lots.

[Dulwich Born And Bred]

I had the common sense to SNUB the fair!

[grumpydad]

I feel that michaels point about the disabled access is much more important than my rant. I would love to see a copy of their access statement and their risk assessment

[Frisco]

"I feel that michaels point about the disabled access is much more important than my rant. I would love to see a copy of their access statement and their risk assessment"

Fat chance there I think, and Southwark Council probably wouldn't know what these are. Their lame attempts to meet their obligations under the statutory Disability Equality Duty (now a year old) seem to me to be almost nil.

[monica]

Your points have been noted and thank you. SNUB have been in existance for 6 months,this is the first time we have organised a fair, we had a budget donated by sponsors and we had to justify every penny spent. We would have loved a bigger marquee and warmer weather but we are not miracle workers. For the last 6 months My co organiser and i have worked hard to make sure we could provide a good eco fair. I dont expect praise from East Dulwich and we are not snobs. We had to ask mums to leave the buggies outsede because of the marquee size,again down to budget all from sponsorship money.

Jessie we said no to you because we had cards already so please do not lie. We did not promise a santas grotto and we tried to make sure that everyone had a good time. For every negative comment on here we have had 5 positive comments.

This fair was organised by SNUB not southwark so vent your spleen on us.

When you guys organise a fair i will be more then happy to come along and support it. SNUB was created on here so you have every right to attack us.

[Snoopy]

Good post.

Monica makes many a fair point. If everyone did everything perfect the first time round there wouldn't be half of the problems that there are in the world. The truth is we don't. But we should all try and we should all support each other.

Focusing on the 80%+ people who loved the fair, I look forward to the next one.

[Frisco]

"This fair was organised by SNUB not southwark so vent your spleen on us."

You misunderstand, if it is my post you are referring to, it is Southwark Council's responsibility to ensure that people or organisations holding public events on council owned land (or anywhere else in the borough, come to that) complete an access statement and undertake appropriate risk assessments. If they were not done, and you were not asked to complete them in advance of the event, then it confirms that Southwark haven't got a proper handle on their statutory duties.

[AllforNun]

And why was it so cold, ridiculous, it was lovely and warm over in Nunhead I had to go home and change out of my flip flops.

[SimonM]

>> feel that michaels point about the disabled access is much more important than my rant. I would love to see a copy of >>their access statement and their risk assessment<<

Oh well.....for the record I was there on a scooter around noon....and yes the front of the marquee was seriously congested and there was a neat row of parked, empty buggies to one side. Being sly and experienced in these kind of affairs I betook myself around to the rear entrance of the tent hwich was (a) gratifyingly people-free and (b) sublimely close to both Anna's oh-GOD-these-are-heavenly-let-me-die-now cake stall and the cheese guys who were also selling excellent baguettes. These two alone were worth the price of admission....oh wait....it was free I think??:))

It was busy....in many ways like trying to negotiate The Lanes in Brighton but I thought pretty damn good for a first attempt and I feel sure lesons will have been learnt (tu)

[monica]

Frisco southwark have a list of risk assessment and we had to follow them to the letter,if i had 10000 to spend on the fair i would have.

What ever is left after we have paid everything will go towards the East Dulwich cloth bags,we organised the fair to help fund the bags,although we have been allocated money from the dulwich community council we still need to provide bags to 3000 extra households so any fundraising by SNUB will fund the bags.

[kford]

Good on yer, SNUB for trying to brighten up our rainy week. You might not have got it quite right this year, but, hey, I bet the first Glastonbury was chaos too.

To all the moaners, I suspect you'd rather they didn't have one next year, so you can have an empty, muddy and windswept Goose Green to yourselves again.

And risk assessments, without sounding too Daily Mail, are the kind of safety-first tosh that's making us all a bunch of blame-everyone,-sue-everyone,-never-take-personal-responsibilty dullards.

Phew.

[monica]

This is a 1 off it was organised to help fund the bags.But to everyone who has posted thanks. all comments are useful

[Narnia]

Wasn't there but my partner was. Well done for trying something most people couldn't be bothered doing but still feel they should support in theory and yet moan if it's not perfect. We are imperfect and the last one's to see it!

[luddite]

********* fifty years ago we didnt have trendy all terrain buggies , but then i guess we didnt have ECO winter fairs to go to . CANT FIVE MONTH OLD BABIES BE CARRIED AT LEAST FOR AN HOUR OR SO ?