Hello. Here are the facts. The Grand Opening of Animated Canvas UK has been thwarted by the Council demands for insane paperwork, and the Craft Village agents because they clearly do not want this event to happen. That said, we are now inviting everyone to come down to Marsh Mill to check out the studio on 27th March 2010. I do not believe that the Village agents will protest at shoppers coming into the Village to browse. People buying things?! Shocking!!
The fact is that if we hold a Grand Opening, the agents require that we do NOT spill out into the Communal area of the Village itself. This means that the Army Recruiting Unit with vehicles, the Ambulance crew, the Craft Stalls selling crafty goods (it's a Craft Village!), the Blackpool Rugby club, the North West Harley Davidson Owners Club, the Face Painting, the North West Cancer Research Fund, ANd the Bouncy Castle are NOT going to happen as it would require that we use the Village car parks and central courtyard which the agents for the Craft Village are unwilling for us to do.
Neither are we allowed to operate a Grand Opening Event from our premises that we rent from the agents of the Craft Village as we would require an Event Permit from the Council if we had over 50 people attending, which, quite clearly, we would.
Here's the best part. After inquiring at the pub if they would put on a "Do" for us, they were more than happy to oblige, but, and here it is, anyone attending our Event would not be able to traverse the main Village courtyard as anyone further than 1 (that's ONE) metre from the pub itself would be guilty of trespass because WE would not have permission from the agents to hold an Event. If a patron of the pub that WASN'T attending our Event was to traverse the courtyard then THAT would be fine.
I can only assume that these lunatic byelaws and exercises in bovine eschatology would be enforced as otherwise, the agents would never have mentioned them.
So, what we are going to do is this. We are going to ask everyone on our lists to advertise the 27th March as being a Meet and Greet at Animated Canvas UK Ltd, 10 Marsh Mill Village, Fleetwood Road North, Thornton (by the Windmill) and we would ask that everyone fills the usually empty agents car parks, takes up room in the central courtyard and generally patronises the businesses that rent premises in Marsh Mill Village. We are going to have a national journalist down to interview the staff, Scot Kumo from Animated Canvas in the USA will be there and there will be a prize draw. Facilities at the Village include:
Hair Salon
Nail Bar
Music Shop
A firm of Lawyers
An excellent Coffee Shop
A Model Shop
A Knitwear Shop
A Craft Supplies Shop
A Pub that serves food
Twelve Restaurant
A Printers
And us.
If we cannot advertise and promote our studio then we are going to advertise Marsh Mill Craft Village as a whole.
Bring it on.