15 & 21 Sept: Boat Show
I’m not sure why I sign up for the NCI stand at the Boat Show since I can get in for free as an “aged inhabitant of Southampton”. I’d signed up this year but did not read the NCI instructions until a day or two before the show. They very plainly said “No [NCI]baseball caps”. This gave me a sleepless night before the show day because it was going to be sunny and I was not prepared to stand all day in the sun without a hat. I was prepared to be “sent home” if baseball caps were really banned. As it turned out, two watchkeepers were more vocal in their opposition and a concession was made to allow baseball caps.
Last year they had introduced “goody bags” and a free prize draw but I was meant to be on the stand on the Sunday and the Boat Show was closed in respect for the death of the Queen. So this was the first year I’d been involved with giving out carrier bags and raffle tickets. Friday, 15th September, was the first day of the show and I was surprised how many people came back to the stand at 1430 to see if their ticket would be drawn.
Later in the day we were visited by Jim Davidson, a TV personality and comedian, who lives in Hamble. From what I have since learnt, I don’t think I would like his brand of humour, but I get the impression he does good work for charities. Anyway I accidentally got photographed with him! One of the women accompanying him took the photo with her iphone and she was clearly better at taking photos of people than I am.
I went again on Thursday 21st. Unlike the sunny first day, there were a number of very heavy showers but it was better than the previous day which had been very wet and windy. Mainly I had a look at the historic motor launches although I had seen HSL102 the previous year. This year’s tall ship was the Thalassa, a Dutch ship used for taking parties (mainly of school children I think) on cruises around, for example, the Scottish islands. I’m sure that the Boat Show is becoming less popular year on year!