Updated;
Our Car Boot business has been in absolute free-fall for the past few weeks almost going back to last November where it seems the weather patterns has plotted against us all to earn a living. We are well aware of the implications for those sellers who absolutely rely on our Car Boots Cornwall to provide venues for our sellers to be able to trade and earn money as part of their most important income. For the record we have lost 20 plus car boots this year mainly due to the heavy rains that have ruined ground conditions at all of our locations. The cancelled Car Boots affects everyone Landlords don’t get paid, portable loo people don’t get paid, our own teams don’t get paid and more important our sellers don’t get paid.
We are sorry it affects all of us but it is well time that we had a ‘huge indoor location’ centre to Truro or Newquay so that people would have the opportunity to trade under cover and protect their stocks and to provide themselves with the opportunity to earn a reliable income.

The majority of sellers are from all walks of life and could not afford shop rents and rates but they can earn a realistic living selling at our ten Car Boot Sales. I believe the provider of such a location should be Cornwall Council. Car Boots Cornwall could not possibly fund such an ambitious project but it would be nice to see the Cornwall Council actually doing something for Cornwall’s ‘COMMUNITY’ by providing a location where the people can meet the people and Car Boot Sales and Flea Markets and Antiques Fairs can all intermingle at one location providing a service to the Cornwall public and their visitors. And the recycling we would achieve towards Cornwall’s environment would justify the Council’s involvement. Anyone got any friends in the Council?

SUNDAY at Truro we were amazed that over 50 sellers braved the dreadful rains and high winds to sell, a crowd of 500 turned out to support those plucky sellers. At 2.10 pm there was a huge gust of wind with heavy rain, part of the roofing was ripped off causing brickwork to be dislodged and fall to the area where 4 stalls in particular were affected by the falling rubble. Dear Marge was standing close by as stones were heading in her direction fortunately missing her by inches (here we go again) but she was fine although a little hot flushed I would have thought, but with soothing words from myself she went home to tell Richard of the dramas, dear of her! We checked our 4 stalls there was no damage to their stocks and no persons injured. Thank you to the four sellers who were most understanding of the situation we refunded their stall fee as a gesture of goodwill plus a voucher for their next visit for any inconvenience caused, nice people to deal with and thank you to my team for being ‘on the ball’ with dealing with this incident.

You will recall that last Sunday a complainant was getting uptight because he claimed that on ‘several occasions’ he had-had stuff stolen from his stall and I had reacted by telling him it’s his own fault if he does not concentrate on what he is doing instead of gossiping all the time!
He sent me 3 emails mostly drivel, however below are 2 extracts from his comments which I believe are confrontational and racially prejudiced. I then get told on Sunday that he is getting his solicitor ‘on to me’ I think the first thing the solicitor should do is to tell you to GAF yourself and not waste his time and certainly do not make threats in printed email “I will sort him out” and “It’s the fucking foreigners” these comments are totally confrontational and you could seriously get yourself into a lot of trouble making such statements especially as this column is read by a few of the ‘boys in blue’ teams cos they don’t like threats and anti-racist remarks see and they might av to pay you a visit! Know wot I mean son? Oh, and by the way I am meeting another complainant during the week which should be very interesting, this time the complaint is about you FFS! The jury is still out.

Date: Thu, 7 Apr 2016 16:39:56 +0100
Subject: mobile phone
From: neville
To:
hi geoff ref the mobile phone that was stolen
it was stolen and i have witnesses as one of the customers went after the bloke ,this is not the first time and i am not the only person to have had stuff stolen ,everyone is scared to say anything because you like Barring people for saying the truth ,we caught a guy walking of with a pocket knife walking off with clothing ,a action camera was stolen the other week and last week the mobile phone yes i have a lot of stuff ,and i am trying to give people a choice ,why people have to steal is any ones guess ,
i will say this if that guy who has stolen from me shows up i will sort him out myself your comment is false above and people who know me there know i would never accuse any other seller of stealing its the fucking foreigners

On Thu, Apr 7, 2016 at 5:13 PM, Geoff Camden-Wiles wrote:
I don’t doubt it was stolen but when you make it every body’s business it becomes monotonous and it gives our Car Boot Sales a bad reputation. It also makes sellers close to you feel that suspicion falls on them
I like ‘barring people’ is a load of bollocks, the last person I ‘barred’ was well over 3 years ago.
Your trouble is that you love a bit of gossip so when your back is turned the stealing starts. Message to brain! I must concentrate!
Geoff
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Now then, ‘the best stall’ gets a FREE voucher scheme is popular but I received one comment-complaint that the sellers who pay to go in early have an unfair advantage against those who have only half an hour to set up their stalls. Fair point! What a very good observation and absolutely correct therefore according to the Oracle of St Pirran and in fairness to all concerned I believe any sellers who pay to go in early cannot qualify for the FREE stall voucher so there, like it or lump it so there!! Now the gossip will really start, my god that should get right up ‘the Committee’s’ noses FFS!! Bring it on!!

The winning stall on Sunday judged by Louise had brought so many genuine BARGAINS. They displayed their stall brilliantly and traded really well and lots of our customers had happy faces with their purchases and I know lots of the items bought will appear on eBay and have probably got bids on already. The sellers, delighted with the FREE stall will probably come back next Sunday. Happiness is!!
We went to the Royal Cornwall yesterday to put out the signs for this Saturday’s start of the Car Boots delayed through bad weather last week. The grounds show the evidence of the heavy rains we have had in Cornwall for so long which was the same at Mitchell when we inspected the fields yesterday. According to the BBC forecast we have more rain up to the weekend so we can only hope they have got it wrong.

We had a call from the owners of ‘The Birds of Prey’ Sanctuary at Winnards Perch, Cornwall asking if we would be interested to discuss the possibility of Car Boot Sales at their Complex. Their plans are already in progress with the foundations settled they are to build a huge hanger 100 metre by 200 meters for their Birds of Prey Shows, however the show is closed on Sundays. Yes, we are interested, let’s see the building first, my first impressions are it would be a good ‘drive in boot sale similar to the Car Boots we used to have at Wadebridge where sellers drive into the hanger and sell from inside the hanger. Fantastic winter location! Early days yet but it could be ready for August.

Let us pray! No more rain please and if you must rain on us please make it Wednesdays over the Rosudgeon area dear god whoever!! Hah!!

Geoff

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