Today was mainly spent button thumping - or web site building to give it it's proper name. We now have a new shiny website to showcase the amazing and talented folk that make up the Hippo Family. And then it dawned on the small brain that we have so many people to say thank you to that this post would rumble on for pages and be like a Gwyneth Paltrow acceptance speech if I did that. So, I will try to narrow it down to the core bits.
Firstly, we trundled along to Apley Farm Shop with a few humble possessions, a fingers crossed attitude of 'hope this works' and a few Hippo-ettes trundling along with us. So, firstly thank you to Clare's Prints for allowing us to fill our walls with her fab pictures in those early days.
Then the fun really started! Err, this is a big space folks and we don't actually have a lot of stock. And then, from nowhere this voice popped round the corner saying 'hello, I do paintings, do you want to have a look?' Being blissfully ignorant of who this person was, or what they did we just said 'ooh yes please'. And then this amazing array of pictures turned up from Simon along with various helpful things like browsers for prints. Then there was Maureen who giggled her way into the shop with the most amazing quilts ever, and again then turned up with helpful things so we could show them off better. We cannot thank them, and others that joined in the early days enough.
Here we were, two strangers just arrived to take on a lease who they didn't know and all these amazing artists trusted us with their stock that had taken them hours to produce. In some cases the work they use to raise funds for their charities which means so much to them and now to us, thank you John and Kath.
I look at the button thumping done today and realise that we are incredibly fortunate to be trusted with some fabulous work, have and continue to meet some lovely people who are just so talented it's jaw dropping on times. From about 3 Hippo-ettes we have grown to almost 30 in a matter of four months and most have been like Simon, Maureen and John just popping their head round the door to say hello.
Apologies if you now feel like calling me Gwyneth, but this is a truly Humbled Hippo at how much we've gained in terms of new friends just from putting up that sign that says 'Hello, we are open so please pop in and say hello'. Hippo xx
