31/05/2026
Feeling defeated.
Unfortunately, I will not be at day 2 of the Ashbourne Art Trail today. The load in to St Oswald's Primary School yesterday morning was too much for me. After spending the day in pain, I made the difficult decision to pack down and leave.
I have psoriatic arthritis, alongside boring old osteoarthritis and joint hypermobility. I also had my first hip replacement aged 37 thanks to a delightful condition called synovial chondromatosis, so I'm not new to this chronic pain lark. However, in all my years of selling at markets, I have never previously had to leave early because of my health. (I did once cancel an event due to COVID, but that doesn't count). I'm the sort of stall holder that stays to the end, even when the market is dire, so leaving a busy and vibrant event was hard. My world shrinks ever smaller.
To be honest, I realised when I first arrived at the venue that the load in was beyond my capabilities and should have left before setting up but I didn't want to 'give in' to my conditions. Lesson learnt. (Or is it?) As a result, I will spend today lying in a darkened room, regretting my life decisions and trying to work out what I CAN actually do
I hope everyone going to Ashbourne today has a lovely day, sorry I won't be with you.
