Its TWO days to our Handmade Christmas Market in Stamford! We are all very very excited of course! This is our 3rd Christmas Fair in Stamford, and it is the biggest Craft Fair the Guild has organised!
It all started one muggy September afternoon in 2009 when Mr Paul Gibbins from SKDC broke the news that the 6 December Christmas Market at the Stamford Arts Centre had been cancelled because there was to be an outdoor Stamford Christmas Festival. A lot of the artisans don’t do outdoor events, plus the cost for a stall had suddenly gone up 3 times! Our guardian angel Mr Gibbins came to the rescue. He simply said ” If any of you want to organise a Craft Fair on the 1st Sunday in December, the Arts Centre is already booked for the day, do it!” He arranged for us to have the use of the Arts Centre and also gave us a lot of tips and help in promoting the event.
That’s how the Stamford Artisans Guild was born! And from that one Christmas Fair on 6 December 2009 grew a community of local crafts people who have become good friends and enjoy working together to bring locally handmade craft markets to Stamford, Oakham and Peterborough!
We all volunteer our time to organise these events and run the guild & every second the members spare is really appreciated. Without the hard work put in by everyone involved some of us artisans might still be looking for a proper Handmade show in Stamford!
I would be lying if I said its been all smooth and fluffy on this journey. There have been highs and there have been lows but we have worked through it all, learnt from mistakes made and worked hard to put them right. Onwards and upwards now!
I hope the people of Stamford will come out and support us this year the way they have in the last two years and given us the belief and motivation to carry on making our unique handicrafts.
Let’s make it another special Hand-made Christmas this year!
Shalini
