Rayguns in Newcastle
Another lovely weekend at Maker's Faire. I find the makers are very approachable and friendly, we all like talking about the things we make. Makers are enthusiasts and can easily get enthusiastic about other peoples projects. The Newcastle event felt a bit quieter and smaller this year, but was still well worth it. My own favourites were the guy painting the clouds with lasers, The bazzarre digital wishing well, and of course the racing penguins. We were very pleased with our pitch this year, initially irritated by the standard rickety table, we noticed that behind it were some closed off stairs, which made an ideal dark display area, nicely tucked out of the way. Very pleased with the way it all looked this year. As well as myself, the team included my eldest, Frankie and Pete Mosley. Frankie has been working with the ray guns for as long as they have been touring, and this year he was fantastic. He spoke well and was a great entertainer and genuine asset. Pete was just tagging along as a driver, but found the whole event
very relevant and useful to his business. We donated the corner of our Area to display his books, and he sold out on the first day, and made lots of interesting contacts. Visitors were very open to our brand of stupidity, and most went along with the joke. We gave away a lot of posters, mainly to children who spent in excess of 15 minutes staring at our display and asking questions, endless questions. We were not worried by the purists who were offended by our pseudoscience. We are creators of nonsensical objects and silly stories, and if your average eight-year-old could get the joke what does that say about you? We were delighted to win another ribbon, the makers equivalent of best in breed at Crufts. We were also very pleased to be asked to attend the Manchester event in August, where we were treated so well last year. My work is, to say the least, strange, and sometimes feels like a colossal waste of time. This weekend it all felt thoroughly worthwhile. It's a wonderful world that can incorporate all this nonsense, and get so enthusiastic about it. So remember, stay away from the ray and you'll be okay, spread the word!
