Etsy UK Meet Up

Saturday was once again one of those unplanned, entirely random days that I seem to enjoy so much -- or at least seem to stumble into so often.

It all started on Friday night, when at a loose end for a short while, I thought I'd stick my head into the forums on Etsy and say to people -- I've been buying gifts on Etsy lately and my friends there have complained about not seeing me. I read a couple of pages of the UK team thread, and found a link to the Friday night chat room. The forums and chat rooms on Etsy are why I don't visit as often as I used to now -- you log in and, before you know it, you've lost hours of your life.

In the chat room I picked up on some mentions of a meet up planned for Saturday. I jokingly mentioned crashing the party, and was told there'd be no need, since everyone was welcome. I then started to seriously consider it, and was encouraged -- at great length -- particularly by Miss Bunny, whose work I love. I figured what the hell, it would be a laugh -- and yes, completely random. So I contacted Bunny to ask if I could have her phone number, in case of getting lost or being late. She suggested that we met at Waterloo station and turn up together -- since she was nervous about meeting people. That was it, then -- once I agreed to meet Bunny, I knew I was committed to going as I'd be letting her down if I chickened out.

I had only a very vague idea of who was going to be at this meet, and an even more vague idea of what anyone's real name was or what they looked like. Several Etsy people participate on Flickr in a "Self Portrait Thursday" group, but I couldn't remember who I would be meeting that I'd already seen. I did know in advance though that I was likely to be the only male there, and probably also the youngest attendee -- although even among the UK sellers as a whole I am not the youngest, nor the only male.

I got to Waterloo station before Bunny -- she'd warned me she might be late -- and was in a queue for a cash machine when she called me. Even though she'd told me her real name the night before, I still answered the phone with "Hello, Bunny". We arranged to meet, and then set off together to find wherever it was we were supposed to meet the others. I recognised Miss Bunny from her self-portrait Thursday pictures and she was easy to get along with. We talked about random stuff as we walked along the South Bank -- her dogs, her boyfriend, people that were going to be there -- but it wasn't too long before Bunny admitted that she didn't know any more where we were going. I'd assumed she knew where we going, and she'd assumed where we were going would be obvious when she saw it...

A quick phonecall to her boyfriend at home later she'd got the number for Reform -- whom I think she might have met before. The call started with the words "I'm a lost Bunny!" and apparently the others were laughing at her for being lost, and two of them set off to meet us and take us to the Riverside Terrace cafe.

I was no less nervous when I was introduced to the Etsians already assembled, drinking their coffees and hot chocolates, feeling very self conscious -- although it was clear who I was, I didn't get formal introductions to everyone, and some people I still wasn't even sure who they were online much later in the day and only worked out by a process of elimination. Unfortunately, although people took lots of pictures on the day there isn't one definitive picture of the group.

After sitting around the cafe for a bit, we all tramped off down the South Bank to see the Frost Fair. Frosty is the word for it, Saturday was far too cold a day to be outside for any length of time... Although it was interesting, it was largely a craft fair -- something that seemed a bit redundant to me, as most stalls I saw I thought "I could get that better off someone I know on Etsy". Giving craft to Etsy people is like giving crazy to Britney Spears -- she already has plenty.

Before long it was decided that food was definitely needed, and Bunny suggested the nearby pub. It seemed like a great idea to me -- food, warmth and of course alcohol. About a thousand other people had already had this same idea at the same pub, though, and it was full. But -- haha -- only full inside. There were plenty of benches outside, and we could all share the same table! What's more, the pub had a supply of blankets for people (presumably smokers) to help themselves to. And so we sat, huddled in our blankets, looking like hobos.

After a incredibly cold lunch we wandered further along -- to the Globe Theatre, which was opening for free. This time there really was warmth to be found, although of course the Globe was so packed full of people getting out of the cold that you couldn't actually really take the time to look at anything. It was like a free trial to get you just interested enough to know it would be worth paying money for some other time when it's quiet.

The day ended back in the cafe, where I had a very interesting chat with Tiinateaspoon -- whom I had never heard of before, and was relieved to find the feeling was mutual. Since I only joined Etsy in around October, she has been less active in the forums since then. She was added to my favourite sellers list as soon as I got in, because she's not only a great person but also very talented.

Other highlights of such a random day were everyone talking to Kezz on the phone (who couldn't make it, since she lives in Aberdeen) -- and then remarking how we were surprised she sounded Scottish, but how lovely she is. Also, talking to debsmuddle about local things -- since she lives in a town less than 10 minutes from me, and feeling like this meet-up made up for not going to a Christmas ball at Torture Garden with the First Time Club.