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Welcome to todays diary entry! The planning for Blakemere is now well and truly underway, and I can’t quite believe that this time next week we’ll be opening the gates for our soft launch. It’s gone from a distant date in the diary to suddenly being right on top of us—and it’s all starting to feel very real now.
It’s strange, because we’ve done shows and events before, but this one feels different. We’ve never taken on something quite like this, and there’s definitely that mix of excitement and apprehension bubbling away.
I’ve no idea how it’s going to turn out, and that uncertainty can be tough to sit with. But, that said, we do usually land on our feet with these sorts of things. We’ve built a bit of a reputation now for putting on good events, for pulling the right people together, and for creating a great atmosphere—and that does give me a bit of reassurance.
Plus, it looks like we’ve got the weather on our side which, as far as outdoor events go, is half the battle. Forecasts are showing a dry spell, which is absolute gold dust this time of year, and it could make all the difference in turnout and atmosphere.
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Even still, I can feel the pressure starting to creep in. The to-do list keeps growing, and there’s that low-level buzz of stress that follows you around. Not in a full-blown panic kind of way, just enough to make it hard to switch off.
I suppose it’s the anticipation mixed with the fact that so many people are relying on it going well. We’ve got traders, suppliers, customers—and our own team—all in the mix, so it’s a lot of spinning plates. I want it to go well for everyone involved, not just for us.
We’re planning to head over to Blakemere on Sunday after work so we can get our pitch set up. It’s always better to get a bit ahead, especially when there’s going to be so much going on. I don’t want to be scrambling at the last second when the gates open.
Being on-site early just gives us that bit of breathing room to settle in and sort ourselves properly. And to be honest, it’ll feel good to get the van parked up and know we’re there and ready. There’s something about being on-site the night before that just helps calm the nerves.
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It’s not just setting up the stand—it’s mentally preparing for the days ahead. Thinking through how things will flow, how we’ll manage footfall, what we might have missed. It’s the kind of thing you only learn by doing, and we’ve had enough experience now to know that getting there early always pays off.
Adding to the chaos is a rumour floating around that we might have to start using our new system six weeks earlier than planned so it aligns with the start of our financial year. If that ends up being the case, it’ll certainly put the cat amongst the pigeons.
Trying to bed in a whole new system while running a live event is not what I’d call ideal timing—but I guess that’s the nature of small business life. Nothing ever really runs to plan, so you have to stay flexible. It’s frustrating, sure, but also part of the challenge.
So yeah, it’s a bit of a whirlwind at the moment. But we’re in it now. The countdown to Blakemere is well and truly on. There’s stress, there’s pressure—but there’s also a bit of a buzz in the air. And deep down, I know we’ll make it work, just like we always do.
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