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Hi Daphne,
I was going to log off about an hour ago but keep seeing new and interesting thins to read. Your question being one of them. Two or three ideas really jump off the page to me (having been on the show circuit for about 5 years in the UK). In no particular order they are:
Cash machine .... how many times have people walked away because they've 'left their cheque book at home' or 'don't carry credit cards'
Love the ideas of seating near to the tables for people to rest awhile and just view 'their' bear. Also take the point about positioning of tables although it's hard for an organizer to know exactly how an artist will arrange their display. How about a 'newby/first time exhibitor' corner. People will always support newcomers - even if it's with words of encouragement.
A kid's corner is a brilliant idea. No single thing in the world is more distracting for a collector than when their children don't want to traipse around. So a colouring/moulding corner would be attractive but why why not expand it by getting a good story-teller (grandparent?) to come and read <bear> stories to the kids. Even better in this day & age, how about showing bear videos (Pooh and that sort of thing), or would this fall foul of copyright? Design a bear (again, drawing and colouring), How tall an I compared to ........ (Could anyone loan you one of those bears that stand outside of shops?) - draw a picture, mark it in 1/2 metre and let the kids be measured against it. Great fun, I promise, I've done it myself and most importantly it's inexpensive. You'll need a few dedicated people to look after your area but that's all.
Good luck. Well run shows are a pleasure for exhibitors. :clap:
You're little motto certainly suits you down to the ground. Isn't it funny how the choice of a motto can give you an insight into another person before you've ever 'spoken' with them. :dance:
Loved the piccy's of your daughter's 14th and don't worry about the pizza's. My 11 y.o. son delights in telling everyone he can about how Mum 'burns bunnies'. My Mum "burns bunnies" he happily spouts and waits for the polite looks of askance. He means, of course, that I burnt the dough that we had made and shaped into little rabbits for bread bunnies. He was about 4 at the time and he has never let me forget it.
They were pretty charred tho'. Cinders, in fact and the house ponged for days. :crackup: :crackup:
S.
Paula,
Oh my gosh - you've made me feel homesick for the fist time since we have lived in Texas. Especially the photos of Rochester .... even the colour of the sky is correct - at least for 6'O' clock in the morning when you are waiting for the Town Hall doors to open! Loved Cornwall too and have been to at least 3 or 4 of the places you mentioned ... but not to the open-air concert which looks magical.
What a fabulous idea of yours. :clap:
LOL, Sue
Mindy, Guys,
I haven't a clue about the games you have mentioned but I do have a brilliant one that will take you about 10 seconds .... not to cast aspersions on your ability or anything! :crackup: Mindy, I'm going to send it to you personally rather than post it to the website as I can't take a chance of it bringing the system down. (yikes). :redface:
If you love it as much as I do then feel free to post it up here for others. In fact, if you really like it I'll ask Quy and then post it as a challenge!
LOL,
Sue
Lisa, I posted these somewhere else on the site but in case you haven't seen them. No offence meant to anyone - they are posted in a spirit of good naturedness .... if there is such a word!
Sue
The following are accounts of actual exchanges between airline
pilots and control towers around the world.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Tower: "Delta 351, you have traffic at 10 o'clock, 6 miles!" Delta 351:
"Give us another hint! We have digital watches!"
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
"TWA 2341, for noise abatement turn right 45 Degrees."
"Center, we are at 35,000 feet. How much noise can we make up here?"
"Sir, have you ever heard the noise a 747 makes when it hits a 727?"
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
From an unknown aircraft waiting in a very long takeoff queue: "I'm f...ing bored!"
Ground Traffic Control: "Last aircraft transmitting, identify yourself immediately!"
Unknown aircraft: "I said I was f...ing bored, not f...ing stupid!"
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-----
O'Hare Approach Control to a 747: "United 329 heavy, your traffic is a Fokker, one o'clock, three miles, Eastbound."
United 239: "Approach, I've always wanted to say this...
I've got the little Fokker in sight."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
A student became lost during a solo cross-country flight. While attempting
to locate the aircraft on radar, ATC asked, "What was your last known position?"
Student: "When I was number one for takeoff."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-----
A DC-10 had come in a little hot and thus had an exceedingly long roll out after touching down. San Jose Tower Noted: "American 751, make a hard right turn at the end of the runway, if you are able. If you are not able, take the Guadalupe exit off Highway 101, make a right at the lights and return to the airport."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
There's a story about the military pilot calling for a priority landing because his single-engine jet fighter was running "a bit peaked."
Air Traffic Control told the fighter jock that he was number two, behind a B-52 that had one engine shut down.
"Ah," the fighter pilot remarked, "The dreaded seven-engine approach."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Taxiing down the tarmac, a DC-10 abruptly stopped, turned around and returned
to the gate. After an hour-long wait, it finally took off. A concerned passenger
asked the flight attendant, "What, exactly, was the problem?"
"The pilot was bothered by a noise he heard in the engine," explained the flight attendant. "It took us a while to find a new pilot."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
A Pan Am 727 flight waiting for start clearance in Munich overheard the following: Lufthansa (in German): "Ground, what is our start clearance time?"
Ground (in English): "If you want an answer you must speak in English."
Lufthansa (in English): "I am a German, flying a German airplane,
in Germany. Why must I speak English?"
Unknown voice from another plane (in a beautiful British accent):
"Because you lost the bloody war."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Tower: "Eastern 702, cleared for takeoff, contact Departure on frequency 124.7" Eastern 702: "Tower, Eastern 702 switching to Departure. By the way, after we lifted off we saw some kind of dead animal on the far end of the runway."
Tower: "Continental 635, cleared for takeoff behind Eastern 702, contact Departure on frequency 124.7. Did you copy that report from Easter
702?"
Continental 635: "Continental 635, cleared for takeoff, roger; and yes, we copied Eastern... we've already notified our caterers."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
The German air controllers at Frankfurt Airport are renowned as a short-tempered lot. They not only expect one to know one's gate parking location, but how to get there without any assistance from them. So it was with some amusement that we (a Pan Am 747) listened to the following exchange between Frankfurt ground control and a British Airways 747, calling sign Speedbird 206.
Speedbird 206: "Frankfurt, Speedbird 206 clear of active runway."
Ground: "Speedbird 206. Taxi to gate Alpha One-Seven." The BA 747 pulled onto the main taxiway and slowed to a stop.
Ground: "Speedbird, do you not know where you are going?"
Speedbird 206: "Stand by, Ground, I'm looking up our gate location now."
Ground (with quite arrogant impatience): "Speedbird 206, have you not been to Frankfurt before?"
Speedbird 206 (coolly): "Yes, twice in 1944, but it was dark, -- and I didn't land."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
While taxiing at London's Gatwick Airport, the crew of a US Air flight departing for Ft. Lauderdale made a wrong turn and came nose to nose with a United 727.
An irate female ground controller lashed out at the US Air crew, screaming:
"US Air 2771, where the hell are you going?! I told you to turn right onto
Charlie taxiway! You turned right on Delta! Stop right there. I know it's
difficult for you to tell the difference between C and D, but get it right!"
Continuing her rage to the embarrassed crew, she was now shouting hysterically: "God! Now you've screwed everything up! It'll take forever to sort this out!
You stay right there and don't move till I tell you to! You can expect progressive
taxi instructions in about half an hour and I want you to go exactly where
I tell you, when I tell you, and how I tell you! You got that, US Air 2771?"
"Yes, ma'am," the humbled crew responded. Naturally, the ground control communications frequency fell terribly silent after the verbal bashing of US
Air 2771. Nobody wanted to chance engaging the irate ground controller
in her current state of mind. Tension in every cockpit out around Gatwick
was definitely running high. Just then an unknown pilot broke the
silence and keyed his microphone, asking: "Wasn't I married to you once?"
Daphne,
What a wazzo idea. I'm going to try it on Monday ... well maybe Tuesday as the kids are off on Monday - and I'll post up my results. It should be good for a laugh if nothing else. :crackup: I'n not at all technical (ask Shelli) so if it works for me I can guarantee success for anyone else.
Hugs,
Sue
Tracey, these aren't women vs. men but I hope they give you Guys a laugh anyway.
Quy, if you are going to strike me off can you give me the heads up privately first. How embarrassing to be 'struck off' in public!!
******************
The following are accounts of actual exchanges between airline
pilots and control towers around the world.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Tower: "Delta 351, you have traffic at 10 o'clock, 6 miles!" Delta 351:
"Give us another hint! We have digital watches!"
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
"TWA 2341, for noise abatement turn right 45 Degrees."
"Center, we are at 35,000 feet. How much noise can we make up here?"
"Sir, have you ever heard the noise a 747 makes when it hits a 727?"
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
From an unknown aircraft waiting in a very long takeoff queue: "I'm f...ing bored!"
Ground Traffic Control: "Last aircraft transmitting, identify yourself immediately!"
Unknown aircraft: "I said I was f...ing bored, not f...ing stupid!"
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-----
O'Hare Approach Control to a 747: "United 329 heavy, your traffic is a Fokker, one o'clock, three miles, Eastbound."
United 239: "Approach, I've always wanted to say this...
I've got the little Fokker in sight."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
A student became lost during a solo cross-country flight. While attempting
to locate the aircraft on radar, ATC asked, "What was your last known position?"
Student: "When I was number one for takeoff."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-----
A DC-10 had come in a little hot and thus had an exceedingly long roll out after touching down. San Jose Tower Noted: "American 751, make a hard right turn at the end of the runway, if you are able. If you are not able, take the Guadalupe exit off Highway 101, make a right at the lights and return to the airport."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
There's a story about the military pilot calling for a priority landing because his single-engine jet fighter was running "a bit peaked."
Air Traffic Control told the fighter jock that he was number two, behind a B-52 that had one engine shut down.
"Ah," the fighter pilot remarked, "The dreaded seven-engine approach."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Taxiing down the tarmac, a DC-10 abruptly stopped, turned around and returned
to the gate. After an hour-long wait, it finally took off. A concerned passenger
asked the flight attendant, "What, exactly, was the problem?"
"The pilot was bothered by a noise he heard in the engine," explained the flight attendant. "It took us a while to find a new pilot."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
A Pan Am 727 flight waiting for start clearance in Munich overheard the following: Lufthansa (in German): "Ground, what is our start clearance time?"
Ground (in English): "If you want an answer you must speak in English."
Lufthansa (in English): "I am a German, flying a German airplane,
in Germany. Why must I speak English?"
Unknown voice from another plane (in a beautiful British accent):
"Because you lost the bloody war."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Tower: "Eastern 702, cleared for takeoff, contact Departure on frequency 124.7" Eastern 702: "Tower, Eastern 702 switching to Departure. By the way, after we lifted off we saw some kind of dead animal on the far end of the runway."
Tower: "Continental 635, cleared for takeoff behind Eastern 702, contact Departure on frequency 124.7. Did you copy that report from Easter
702?"
Continental 635: "Continental 635, cleared for takeoff, roger; and yes, we copied Eastern... we've already notified our caterers."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
The German air controllers at Frankfurt Airport are renowned as a short-tempered lot. They not only expect one to know one's gate parking location, but how to get there without any assistance from them. So it was with some amusement that we (a Pan Am 747) listened to the following exchange between Frankfurt ground control and a British Airways 747, calling sign Speedbird 206.
Speedbird 206: "Frankfurt, Speedbird 206 clear of active runway."
Ground: "Speedbird 206. Taxi to gate Alpha One-Seven." The BA 747 pulled onto the main taxiway and slowed to a stop.
Ground: "Speedbird, do you not know where you are going?"
Speedbird 206: "Stand by, Ground, I'm looking up our gate location now."
Ground (with quite arrogant impatience): "Speedbird 206, have you not been to Frankfurt before?"
Speedbird 206 (coolly): "Yes, twice in 1944, but it was dark, -- and I didn't land."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
While taxiing at London's Gatwick Airport, the crew of a US Air flight departing for Ft. Lauderdale made a wrong turn and came nose to nose with a United 727.
An irate female ground controller lashed out at the US Air crew, screaming:
"US Air 2771, where the hell are you going?! I told you to turn right onto
Charlie taxiway! You turned right on Delta! Stop right there. I know it's
difficult for you to tell the difference between C and D, but get it right!"
Continuing her rage to the embarrassed crew, she was now shouting hysterically: "God! Now you've screwed everything up! It'll take forever to sort this out!
You stay right there and don't move till I tell you to! You can expect progressive
taxi instructions in about half an hour and I want you to go exactly where
I tell you, when I tell you, and how I tell you! You got that, US Air 2771?"
"Yes, ma'am," the humbled crew responded. Naturally, the ground control communications frequency fell terribly silent after the verbal bashing of US
Air 2771. Nobody wanted to chance engaging the irate ground controller
in her current state of mind. Tension in every cockpit out around Gatwick
was definitely running high. Just then an unknown pilot broke the
silence and keyed his microphone, asking: "Wasn't I married to you once?"
Sewzanne,
I been listening to the story unravelling all day. There are just no words.... especially when you are a parent yourself and can only imagine what his family are going through.
Anything else has already been said or will sound trite in comparison, so I'll keep silent but pray for all those who have been touched by this horrible event. Yourself and your daughter included.
Keep your chin up.
Sue H.
Duff, hi
I have just moved from the UK to Dallas as my hubby is on a two-year assignment over here. We live in Plano which is about 40 mins. from downtown Texas ... and we are just loving it! So much to do and the Texan people are unbelieveably friendly. After 3 months I'm getting withdrawal symptoms from being away from the fantastic UK bear community so It would be great to keep in touch if you do come over. Maybe we could all get in touch - Sue Ann and Luann - if you do come.
Good luck in your decision making.
Sue 
