NEWS

Chelsea 2010

We had a great time at the Chelsea Flower Show 2010 and for once we were not completely knackered at the end. Once again we were lucky enough to receive an award for the quality of our stand

Edited 16/06/2010

Chelsea 2009

The Chelsea Flower Show came around quickly again but the creation of our stand was at last getting slicker however our transport decided that it was going to choke for all of the 200 mile journey. Spluttering through London traffic with a stall every few hundred yards made it all the more fun! The van ended up in the hospital this time but lived on to fight another day.

This time our swing seats were right in the thick of it. We were next to James May's plasticine garden which received constant attention during 'build up' and throughout the show. The Van struck again and seized up and whilst we appreciated Mr May's admiration of our elderly combi our admiration for it had run dry! Television cameras were a permanent fixture and everyone seemed to be coming our way. Royalty dropped by and by the end of the Show we had sold more swing seats than ever before, recession and all!

Edited 04/06/2009

Chelsea 2008

After getting an award for our 2007 stand we managed to obtain a stand in a different part of the show ground which had more sunshine - a swing seat needs to be in the sun! Having done the show a year ago it was clear that this time we would be better prepared. If only that was the case. Everything was clearly left to the last minute and was a terrible rush. Swing seats had to be made in a couple of days and all the previous year's props were distributed around the house! After much ¡®grumping' my husband finished the swing seats in record time and I, being much more organised found everything else. The Volkswagen van limped out of retirement again and filled to the brim we were bound for SW3 once more. Inexplicably, we managed to take longer to build the stand and it didn't even rain!

We had a great show again and once again we utilised our garden sofas to rest on during the long days. They were also employed to rejuvenate other tradestand holders flagging spirits too, notably Harrod Horticultural - for all your gardening needs and J's pots - beautiful antique and architectural pots. We again won an award for our stand which at least vindicated all the hard, albeit somewhat disorganised, that year!

Edited 10/07/2008

Chelsea 2007

Chelsea Flower Show 2007 was our very first show. It was great to be accepted and no doubt our swing seat's classic design and traditional craftsmanship helped our application. We weren't just presenting another run-of-the-mill piece of garden furniture.

We hadn't designed any 'stands' before but we knew that planting was key so we promptly teamed up with a local garden nursery who gave us advice on what would be in season. After many design iterations we enlisted my old art teacher to paint a walled garden on canvas with an Idler swing seat central to the picture. My husband duly stretched a giant 12m x 3m canvas over a folding frame and the painting began. Within two weeks and 8 hours a day in a cold art room the canvas was completed. The swing seat placed centrally in the picture was the focus of the design and we were chuffed to bits with what had been created. Now all we had to do was get everything to London and put it all together.

Of course on the day it was raining. We'd spent three hours getting to London in a 1976 Volkswagen bus which frankly 'ran like a dog' and as soon as we arrived it really started to pour. We didn't have a choice as time was limited so unloading and construction had to begin. The rain became harder and then there was the mud. Our pristine swing seats became covered in dirt and our painted canvas became drenched but of course the Show had to go on. After six hours everything was in place and notably a team of 'pros' had set up three stands in the time it took us to do ours but were very pleased with the results.

The first day of the show soon came around and being 'newbies' we were rushing around trying to get everything just right but at the same time probably making things worse. Our eternal thanks to the ladies from 'Labels 'n' Things' (for serious gardeners!), Chelsea veterans, for answering our questions and for lending us their kettle and hoover! So on Monday, after repositioning the swing seats hundreds of times the doors opened for the special preview and judging day. It's not only the gardens that get judged, the tradestands get awards too. So after having the stand scrutinised by three inscrutable judges, we started to relax and then time flew by as we celebrity spotted all day from the comfort of our Idlers! And so for the rest of the week we invited everyone who walked past to sit down. To watch people's face morph from a tense exhaustion to expressions of utter relief and relaxation is just lovely! The Idlers just sold themselves, with 'punters' sitting on the swing seats cajoling their friends to sit down. And whilst we do have the most comfortable seats in the Show it is still exhausting! Most stands had relief but with just the two of us it was 13 hour days. So when the bell rang at the end of the Show we were elated to have done so well but very happy to finally be going back home (as long as the damn van worked!).

We had had a great show and even now swing seat customers who bought that first year visit our stand at Chelsea and say how much they enjoy their Idlers. They quite often get involved with telling potential customers that 'You simply MUST buy one!, They're just MARVELLOUS'. It is just really, really fabulous to sell a product that you know really does make a difference to someone and something that they just love!

Edited 10/06/2007