The Practical Classics & Restoration Show 2023

So my first show has come along, it seemed as though it was a long way away at the start of the year, but it soon came around.

Lots of long days in my studio, getting everything ready, and yes I didn't quite get everything I wanted to exhibit finished, but the most important pieces were on display, my two new "Wing Cars" and my first piece of glass art.

Exhibiting at a show like this is actually quite a tiring experience. It all starts on the Thursday, when you rock up and build your stand. For this show, I decided not to add the covers to the marquee, I just used the frame to help support my racking, so that it was more stable.

It's usually quite manic on the build up days, but this show went quite well. I was able to get the car very close to our build area, and unload the kit when needed.

it all took about 3.5 hours to build and hang the pieces, so about 2pm we were all done which game me time to have a mooch around the rest of the show just in case there were any interesting cars to photograph, or people to see.

Each day of the show is always a different crowd. Fridays is usually people who can easily get the day off work, or are retired petrolheads, and its usually  a quiet day, from 10.00am to 5.00pm.

Saturday is always a busy day, and a long one, from 9.00am to 6.00pm. That's a long time if your stand is quiet and nobody pops in for a chat, just to break up the day.

Sunday is the longest as its 9.00am to 5.00pm, but then you have to break everything down and get it all back into your car, when everyone else is trying to do the same, and its absolutely manic.

People are almost driving over your stuff, you have to have eyes in the back of your head, everyone just wants to get out of there and get home.

We finally did it in 2 hours, but its amazing how everything that you have packed carefully into your car when you came on Thursday, no longer fits into it on Sunday night.

But, we did it, and we even managed to get a cou8ple of pints in on the way home just to take the edge off.

So, its all systems go again for the next show in Goodwood on the 15th and 16th April, and i want to get as much glass art done as possible for that one, so there will be some more long days to come, but to be honest, I love it.