Tuesday 15 December 2009

Pop-up Tesco!

Do you believe in miracles? They are being performed on a daily basis up here in West Cumbria. Overnight we have a pop-up Tesco - yes,truly - in North Workington.
We now have a Meccano road bridge built in a week and a Lego railway station built in a weekend. An origami Barclay's Bank appeared in a tiny space outside Sainsbury's Cockermouth within hours of the flood abating. It folds back into a neat cube every night. Not to be outdone, Penrith now have an inflatable Morrisons (well, temporary structure, I think I'm getting carried away!) to replace the massive supermarket burnt down a few days ago.
Our dark powerless day in the gallery yesterday was lightened by the visits of good-humoured people anxious to support. They came from Wakefield, Doncaster, er Bassenthwaite ....... and they cheered us. Angie lit a roaring fire and, ever resourceful, was making coffee on the gas stove for the stalwarts who made it when I arrived. We sold paintings, pots, books, cards even though people couldn't see them properly through the gloom. Hope they still like them when they get them home.
Headlines on the news boards were depressing though. The Cumbria Tourist Board are reporting devastating holiday cancellations. This isn't good.
Hey, our fabulous adventure playground of a landscape is still the same (minus a few bridges), the fells and rocks are as they were a hundred years ago, the waterfalls even more dramatic and our people are even more friendly and welcoming.
I'm here in the Pink Egg looking up the north face of Skiddaw and it is magnificent. There's nowhere else I would rather be.
Think about it. Come and see us. We need you more than ever.