While our sales director Mark has been doing his best to soldier on through the 30-degree heat in Las Vegas at the Licensing Show, I’ve been in Harrogate for the Toymaster May Show – and it is one of the few Toymaster Shows I can remember where it has rained so persistently and so heavily. The challenge in the marquees this year wasn’t to avoid passing out in the heat, it was being able to hear conversations with the torrential rain beating down on the roof.

But did we let the weather dampen our spirits? Obviously not; once we had managed to beg, borrow or steal an umbrella from somewhere (something Rishi Sunak singularly failed to do this week), it was on with the show.

Ahead of the event, there had been a lacklustre few weeks’ trading, leading to rumours that a few specialist retailers had decided they had enough stock to tide them over and, as they probably wouldn’t be writing much business, had elected not to make the trek. I still think that was the wrong call, but each to his own – although I do feel it is important to look beyond the next few weeks to better days ahead. Had they been here, they may well have been tempted by some of the excellent offers and deals available – many suppliers had really put some thought into that this year, and it paid dividends.

Despite a couple of absentees, there has still been a very good turnout, with Toymaster members and other retail specialists well represented – and many exhibitors have told me that those retailers who were here have been writing orders. Given the current economic situation, I would say that is an excellent outcome. I am also delighted for the whole Toymaster team, who put such incredible effort into organizing the show.

We enjoyed two wonderful evening events: the first saw John Adams’ Bruno Gallone being awarded a Toymaster Special Recognition award. That evening also saw Bruno lead toy band, Toy Division, through a set of classics that took me back over 40 years to my teenage years (Teenage Kicks was the very first song my first band every attempted to play). Massive kudos to all of the band for putting on such a great show after having had only three practice sessions – I know just how difficult that must have been. And respect to Toymaster’s Paul Reader, who took on the role of Bez for the band – a bit of dancing, a bit of backing vocals and a lot of encouraging the audience to get up and have a good time. Yes, he may have looked like one of those slightly eccentric sign language interpreters you see on televised concerts at times, but he threw himself into his role with admirable gusto. It was also Bruno’s last ever toy fair, as he will shortly be retiring – that’s certainly the way to go out in style.

The second evening saw a Golden Teddy presented to Epoch’s Jon Ward, Brainstorm’s Nick Saunders honoured with a Friends of Toymaster award, a Special Recognition award given to Philip Kaye of Kayes of Cardiff and Toymaster’s Supplier of the Year being given to Character – congratulations to them all. Of course, the chance for exhibitors and visitors to mingle in relaxed, convivial surroundings is always a hallmark of the event. The fantastic camaraderie and sense of close-knit community are a key part of what makes the Toymaster show so special. Members are keen to share what’s working with other members, and often introduce accounts to each other – there is minimal competition between individual members and even other specialist accounts, so the ‘rising tide floats all boats’ attitude is very much the way everyone works.

And at what other show could you see Colin Lisle on an exercise cycle in the foyer, raising awareness (and funds) for the cycling trip he is about to undertake across Cuba to raise money for the Fence Club. Great work Colin. To support his fantastic efforts via his Just Giving page, please click here.

Given the fact the toy trade is like an extended family, there have also been many conversations here about the desperately sad news that Clive Wooster passed away suddenly last Saturday. The whole Toy World team was devastated to hear of Clive’s untimely demise – he was not only a joy to work with, but I counted him as a good friend. Rarely would a week go by when he didn’t email me to talk about what he had read in that week’s Blog, and we regularly shared our respective thoughts on the changing nature of the modern toy market and the toy retail arena. Just last Friday, we joked about setting up a joint seminar called ‘the lost art of negotiation’, after I had mentioned in the previous week’s Blog how interaction with customers is so different these days.

As two big football supporters, we also talked a lot about our respective teams – as well as being a big Southampton fan, Clive was also an ardent supporter of non-league football, and often texted me on a Saturday afternoon to update me on the game he was watching at Maidenhead, Basingstoke or some other grass roots ground – the mark of a true football fan. I am awful at deleting text messages, and looking back through them all, I just can’t believe he’s gone so suddenly – and far, far too soon. Our thoughts are with his wife Heather, his two daughters and the many friends he made in the toy community.

As well as the latest gossip (there are certainly a few things ‘bubbling’) and the state of business, the other big talking point of the week was the sudden, unexpected announcement that we have a general election to look forward to – and I use that term very loosely – in six weeks’ time. A few retailers were unhappy, as they feel it won’t help business in the short term. I take a slightly different view: we desperately need to move past the state of flux we’ve been in for some time. And a November or December election would have potentially been disastrous for festive trade: just when we want everyone feeling upbeat and positive, we would have found ourselves in the midst of what I suspect will be a vicious, negative election campaign. It really would have stretched the ‘goodwill to all men’ mantra to the limit, Now, we can see light at the end of the tunnel – I look at it as a case of short-term pain for mid-term gain. Hopefully we will get what football fans call ‘new manager bounce’ – a renewed sense that the worst is behind us, and we can look forward once again. The second half of the year – and especially the festive season – may just have received a very welcome boost. At least, I very much hope that is the way it turns out.

Thanks to everyone who made time to chat to the Toy World team in Harrogate and Vegas, and it’s on to Distoy next week – see you in London.