Sunday 6th April 2008.
I woke at 6am, just a little bleary eyed and arrived at the farm at 7.30am. Before I left home I gave Stuart a call, he emerged just before I left and he looked far more bleary eyed than me!!
He arrived not long after me and once again did a great job with the water changes, I'd be lost without my mates!
Sundays traditionally are much quieter than Saturdays, but today was not the norm. It was a great day with many through the gate, South Hants had a coach load as well as the Celtic Club from South Wales, but even without them it would have been a record day.
The morning was so much colder than yesterday and we had so many seasons in just a few short hours. Lynn thought that running the barbeque from it's frontal position would be a little difficult so I moved her to the back end of the concrete pond tunnel. This worked much better and as the day progressed, she removed layer after layer of clothing! Ending with just one or two fleeces and a jumper!
Then the sky darkened and she was stood there cooking in the snow! Once again, I hope someone has a photo as it was unreal, barbeques should be held in nice warm weather.
Hikari koi foods were in attendance all weekend, as I am now carrying the full range of Saki Hikari. The stocks were soon depleted on Saturday and new stocks had arrived for Sunday. Sales were brisk all day.
We had so many visitors many I know and many I wish had introduced themselves. It's a funny thing, everyone knows me, yet with so many I recognize, yet can't put a name too. Please make sure you make yourselves known.
Late in the day Jasper Kuijper from Evolution Aqua and Michael D Cox of Koi Nations Magazine made a visit. Michael has traveled from the USA to do a tour of the UK and Koi UK was high on his list of visiting places. He has already covered some of my activities in the magazine and has asked if I will contribute with a few articles. So watch this space and look out for this fairly new magazine, the quality is currently second to none in the koi mag world.
The day raced by, we were so busy and records were once again broken! I felt a little upset at the end of the day, as many had to leave and I never got chance to say good bye. So sorry to those who I missed.
At the end of the day any koi not sold had to be returned to the concrete ponds, although Stuart started helping, he ended up inside with a crowd of us looking at a few of my special tosai and the job of returning the koi from the vats to their ponds was carried out by, Lynn, Cassie and Elisa Snaden. Thanks girls.
So the end of a great weekend and I'd like to say a very special thanks to all my perennial friends who help me time and time again at the Open Weekends, so in no special order, Stuart Tom, Mark, Sue and Bekki Chetter, Mark and Ritta Cooper, Raad, Al, Nicola, Mike and Elisa Snaden and one special lady, my wife Lynn, who without her, there would be no Koi UK. Also new recruit Cassie who soon learned the ropes and seemed to get on well with the customers and made many new friends. She worked so hard leading up to the weekend and all in her first week at the farm. Thanks Cassie.