I have brought the application form up to date in Word so that you can fill it in on your computer and give me a nice legible copy by e-mail so that I don’t then need to waste paper printing it. Your information then goes into a spreadsheet for planning the day, even the hall layout is computerised now. The Data Protection Act is not applicable because no personal data is involved. (Your name address and telephone numbers are already in the public domain and the other data you give me is understood to be freely given for use in our show brochure)

A few notes however, this is a true craft fair, if your stock is not genuinely UK craftsman/craftswoman made by you personally please do not waste everybody’s time trying to get in. We will not allow traders of warehouse stock especially cheap imports. We are ordinary folk so we can be fooled but not on the day when we see it, so please avoid any unpleasantness, cheap and crude does not equate to craft, especially not here.

We are strongly supported by the Guild of Essex Craftsmen and as the majority of our exhibitors are fully accredited members, we adopt all their policies on quality, originality and content.

We have reluctantly, had to incorporate all the Health and Safety considerations that the rest of the craft industry has accepted. The Product and Public liability laws tightened on retail many years ago and Craft has simply been forced to catch up. We expect you to carry your own Product and Public  Insurance although of course we cannot insist. We also expect you to have any electrical appliances you use fully safety tested and carrying a valid certificate (sticker) and this we can and do insist on (our insurance requires it).

Please print the form, fill it in and post it to us with your cheque for £18 per standard 6 ft pitch. If you use the new e-mail option you can give me the cheque anytime but not later than 2 months before the show. Please read the notices as by filling in the form from the same source you are accepting them both so they will be binding on you.  We will not use your cheque until we have made sure that there is space and that your craft does not clash with anybody already booked in. In case of doubt we will phone you so if you change your number please keep us up to date. Please don’t turn up on the day with goods of a type we are not expecting. You will find the atmosphere of our show very relaxed and friendly and this is partly how its done, we seek to avoid conflict at every stage. We don’t wish to come across as nosey and intrusive, if we are fully aware of what you are doing, we can head off somebody else trying to do the same or do an amicable deal. Most bookings are made six to eight months ahead and a lot can change in that time. Your success and ours is tightly linked, all our income before the show goes on advertising and expenses hence we need them up front, our only hope of net income is for the day to be a success. This year’s footfall depends on the quality of last year’s show and so on, it is in our interest to help you in any way we can, talk to us!

The show is run entirely by volunteers under the auspices of the Elsenham Community Association which is a registered charity. If we do succeed in making a profit it goes into projects generally benefiting the community.