The Truly Scrumptions Craft Fair is on at the Pavilion in The Winter Gardens between 10am and 5pm on 2nd and 3rd March.ย There will be over 100 stalls selling the North West’s finest gifts, clothes, toys, accessories, food, art, cards, homewares and much more. It will feature local crafts folk such as Colette Halstead, Pretty in Punk, Skull Punkery, Oven Angel, Charmed Soul, Flora Vice, Preesall Preserves, and Custom Converse.ย Among the live musicians are Baxter Rhodes, Bill Orrick, Laura Catlow and Ricky Hunter.ย This event will also be featuring vintage makeovers from Tigress Hair and Make-up for the first time. Expect street and belly dancing as well as traditional tea and cake, served on beautiful vintage china.ย 
Altblackpool interviewed organiser Dotty D Lightful to find out about the mind behind the event.
Vicky Ellis: Fight or flight?
Dotty D Lightful: Fight, everytime.ย No running away from me.
VE: Tell me about your childhood.
DDL: I grew up in North Shore with my mum and older sister.ย My mum remarried and I gained a step-sister who was ace.ย We had some great adventures. Our family wasn’t well off and for most of my childhood we had no TV, so I would read the TV guide in the shop so I could be in on the discussions at school with the other kids! I was bullied a lot because I was fat, ginger and wore glasses.ย It was worse when I wanted a bob hairstyle and my mum cut it but made me look like Richard III – not a good look!
I loved our garden and spent most of the summer holidays playing in it or at the Gynn. I used to go fishing a lot with my dad on the pier and met people like Stan Boardman off the TV.
VE: “There’s no need for humble tableware or woven hand-made rugs: there’s always a manufactured design alternative.” (Perry Grayson) How would you respond to this?
DDL: Words fail me.
VE: “Creativity makes a leap, then looks to see where it is.”ย (Mason Cooley) Do you leap often? If so, how far?
DDL: I leap as often as possible in my business and personal life, but if you’re talking actual leaping not very far. I’m not all that sporty!
VE:ย Owl or lark?
DDL: Both. I adore owls, they are beautiful and stunning. A lark’s song is so pretty
VE: Town or country?
DDL: I adore rambling in the countryside and yearn for a life of simplicity. I have chickens and have turned our garden into an allotment.ย We bake, I sew and try to live as lightly as I possibly can but my creativity and head are in the city, with the input of all the stimuli. The variety of social types and the passion in individual shops is brilliant.
VE: This question represents a pause into which you may raise any topic you choose. Or not.
DDL:ย I would like to rise the issue of chemicals in dog food and how it affects behaviour. A lot of people have angry/hyper/upset/snappy etc. dogs and blame it on the breed/behaviour when actually it could be the dog food they get fed. Our dog, who is now one, eats Lily’s Kitchen organic dog food.ย It only has good wholesome ingredients but because we can only buy it online in our area sometimes we run out and have to feed him ‘normal’ dog food; the stuff you would buy in the shop. When we do that his behaviour is awful. You can see the change in him massively, just like if a child had loads of e-numbers. I know some will blame it on an intolarence to an ingredient but I told my friend who has a ‘naughty dog’ and she changed his food to Lily’s too and within days her dog had calmed right down. I don’t work for Lily’s or get any money for promoting them. There are lots of other good dog food companies out there producing food without chemicals. I just want people to be made aware.ย If your dog isn’t calm, dont just shout at it, lock it outside or whatever you choose to do. Take a look at the dog food tin, research the ingredients, change the food for a good one and see the diference.
8. Inspire me.
Dotty D Lightful can be followed on Facebook.ย Her vintage shop, Penny Lane, is at 28b Cookson Street.
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