Well, here we are again, only this time it’s distinctly murky.
The clocks have gone back, the nights are well and truly drawing in and – despite one last ridiculously warm Halloween hurrah – we’re all rummaging around in wardrobes for the thermals. I have to confess at this point to being a bit weird and secretly liking long evenings, where I can lower the portcullis, pull up the drawbridge and park myself on the sofa to watch a film or catch up on some reading…all the while attempting to reduce the world’s chocolate supplies. Not every evening, of course, because then you start to go a bit funny in the head through lack of human interaction…but once a week or so it’s sort of pleasant to hide from the world.
Halloween came and went without a single trick or treater knocking on my door. I was at home, but adopted blackout mentality with no lights on – in reality I was working upstairs, as I am now, in the study – but not a single ghoulish child crossed my path. I even had my lollipops ready, just in case! I do have mixed feelings about the whole trick or treat thing…it’s lovely to see little kiddies dress up and have a fun time, but when a surly teenager knocks on your door, mumbling incoherently at you, surely that’s a bit rich. I veer between polar extremes of ‘it’s a lovely dressing-up event for the kiddies’ and ‘ghastly over-hyped American atrocity’ – and advancing years do nothing to change my views. Of course when I were a lad none of this happened – it seems to have ballooned in the 21st century, driven by the crass commercial concerns of corporate retailers desperate to fill an event gap between the summer holidays and Christmas. If I could think of a chilli-related angle on it maybe I might change my views!
Ooh, look what I found in the tunnels
There’s been a lot of stock creation at the Farm over the last few weeks, yet we still don’t think we have enough. Rough calculations (the kind we’re best at) lead us to believe we’re two-thirds of the way to having the right amount, even though we’ve been busy. Of course it’s a good thing if we need that much, but it’s a bit daunting that – despite having more stock than ever – we’re still well short. Of course this is a knock-on from being at so many events, we are victims of our own success, so I’m not complaining. Oh well, another day on the bottling machine beckons tomorrow 🙂
Event-wise it all goes a bit quiet in October. Even those events we do attend are a bit quiet – everyone is keeping their powder dry for the Christmas push, though I did win a frankly mahoosive cake at a WI function last weekend, which was a bit of a Brucie bonus. There are signs that pressie-buying is just about kicking off – even though the number of units we’re selling is pretty stable, what we are selling is veering towards the scary end of the table, a sure sign of gift purchasing going on. The supply of Voodoo Habanero box sets disappeared very quickly, and we’re keenly awaiting delivery of more, along with the new Fatalii sets. The grinder box sets started flying out at the weekend, and I expect the 2-bottle sets will go just as well when we get them in.
2015 is taking shape already. frightening though that is to comprehend. My inbox is burgeoning (yes, burgeoning no less) with mails about events for next year – some of which are repeats, some are new to us, some are completely new events with no history. At some point in January there will be a gloves-off, no-holds-barred bunfight between all the main protagonists to discuss who’s doing what, when and more importantly why. It’s a difficult task, with people having favourite events they want to go to again, some they think we should cover but don’t have the time, manpower or willpower to do, and a few left-field 
suggestions that hang tantalisingly in the air waiting for someone to take charge. 2014 was difficult to plan, 2015 will – I suspect – be even harder. I’ve learnt a few things this year though – namely, don’t fill in gaps too early, there are always events out there – even if they’re planned in at fairly short notice.
One thing I’m pretty sure about though – I reckon my cricket playing days will be extremely limited again, possibly limited to the point of extinction. That is a real shame, but the bills have to get paid somehow. I’ll try to sneak into a midweek evening game or two, they’re unlikely to impinge on events too much.
Talking of events, we’re at a few this weekend:
- Sheffield Global Market – Wednesday to Sunday
- Bristol Temple Quay – Thursday
- Reading Farmers Market – Friday
- Sutton Benger Farmers Market – Saturday
- Swindon Designer Outlet Farmers Market – Sunday
Pink Chilli Hobbit will be in Trowbridge as usual this Wednesday at her community market stall, selling all sorts of goodies. At the last count she had 55 samples available for food and cosmetics…I have enough trouble coping with 10 or 12! She’ll also be in Calne this Saturday morning selling chilli stuff, as well as other foodie goodies, so pop along 🙂
Had to drop off a delivery in Broadway (the Worcestershire variety) last week. I may just have stopped for a nice lunch whilst I was there, it’s a lovely place – well worth a visit!
And with that, ladies and gentlemen, I shall sign off for this post.
Have a great week, don’t work too hard, and remember to bow before your Poozonian overlords.
It’s Remembrance Day this Sunday, so spare a moment to think of the fallen from all nations, most especially the conscripts, that fought for their country.
We shall remember them.
The Chilli Hobbit 