Sunday, July 29, 2007

Maker Sunshine more like Maker Rain.

Well I suppose with over 20 years of going to festivals it’s pretty good going that I went to my first completely wet weekend festival. It wasn’t looking good on Monday when my friend I was going with pulled out of going. She has lichen sclerosus (LS) see my article about her: http://www.lichensclerosus.org/sitemapandcontents.html. Unfortunately, this year her LS flared up again so with the amount of care it needs it was just not practical for her to come.

Luckily another friend (Alexis) who I hadn’t caught up with for ages was up for it and took the ticket. As I drove over on Thursday morning to pick her up from St Austell, there was torrential rain and floods on the roads. It didn’t bode well. Driving on the site was scary due to the car slipping and sliding on the mud. However as we were setting up the tents it stopped raining and we had a dry evening.

With all the organisation and driving I was absolutely shattered. So we saw a few bands and then I went back to the tent and listened to Babyhead playing on the main stage who were really good (some of their songs reminded me a bit of Chumba Whamba). I was really cold and couldn’t get warm despite having two sleeping bags and being fully dressed with a fleecy on.

As the sun hit the tent, Friday morning, I shed some layers and went back to sleep. Friday it more or less rained all day, we shopped a bit watched a few bands but spent a lot of the time in the tents. I started reading ‘The Dubliners’ by James Joyce, which is a selection of stories about Dubliners in the 1920’s (I think). By 8.30 I was ready to party and went down to see the 3daft monkeys (http://www.myspace.com/3daftmonkeys). As I walked in I saw some friends I hadn’t seen since beautiful days last year. Beautiful people I wish I saw more of. We all went onto see Obedient bone (www.myspace.com/obedientbone) who were absolutely brilliant. They were on at the 2nd stage and there was a lot more room to dance. We then went onto the bunkers, where the party happens after the bands, and danced to some rather un-banging dance music.

After a dance we sat in the café and apparently I was being chatted up but didn’t realise it. I had drunk lots of Gin and Tonic, and as I went to go somewhere (can’t remember where) I said to the bloke “you can keep chatting my friend up I’m just going ……..”(still can’t remember where). Anyway she told me in the morning it was me he was chatting up, which is very flattering as he was probably late twenties and I’m forty one.

Saturday was the same, dry for a bit in the morning until the rain set in for the day. We stayed down in the main area for a few hours and I caught up with some other good friends I hadn’t seen for ages. I have a fair few beautiful friends living near Callington and near Lostwithiel, and while I’ve been doing my course, I’ve not gone to any get togethers as they are normally full on party’s you need a couple of days to get over, and I’ve needed to stay focused. Hence this year it was so lovely to catch up with them again.

Then as the rain started and got worse we headed for the tent and stayed there till the evening. Whenever we went down to the main area the mud had got worse, and it was difficult to walk without falling over even if you were completely sober/straight, which lets face it not too many people are at a festival. However we did manage a bit of shopping again, the stalls there were filled with delights. I was very good, I didn’t spend too much. I brought a couple of gifts for my friends who lent us an extra tent, I brought Ian a bangle, I got Rachel (Megs friend whose birthday it was and was at the festival with us) a bracelet and I also got a voodoo doll t-shirt for a fiver.

The only thing I was really looking for was a crystal pendant and I had looked at a lovely amethyst pendant on Friday. It was £15 but as we approached the stall again Alexis said she would pay half as a thank you for inviting her to the festival and the driving. So I got it.

At about nine Megs started feeling sick and tucked herself up in the car. She had two friends with her who wandered off and kept coming back to check up on her. I sat in the car with her and we had a really good chat. The clock in the car was wrong, as I said I would stay until Alabama3 started playing, and we were still chatting away when I heard “Put you hands together for Alabama3”. I got down there before they finished their first song.

I was a little bit disappointed they were not as energetic as they normally are. In fact I’d go as far as saying they were laid back and more suitable for an early evening or early morning slot. But I still enjoyed their set. It was fancy dress night and I had made an outfit, which I wore. I was a tree. I had sewn and drawn leaves onto a little green dress, and a hat. Only about 5% of the people dressed up but the people who made an effort really did make an effort. There were some amazing outfits to see, including aliens, the mask, the clangers, ladybirds, and lots of fairies.

Sunday morning as my friends woke up early, who had come over for the Saturday, so did I. I managed to get 3tents taken down and packed up by 10.30. They were taking a load of my stuff back for me so I could fit Alexis and three fourteen year olds in my car. Although the sun had come out I’ve normally had enough by the Sunday, and we left about twelve. I had been so panicky about driving over the mud, and a friend drove the car until the hard standing for me, for which I was so grateful, I still hyperventilated as we were driving through it.

Despite the rain, it was a great weekend I saw lovely people who are close to my heart, saw some good bands, chilled when I wanted to and partied when I wanted to.

While I’ve been writing this post I’ve been listening to Feist http://www.listentofeist.com/ Check them out.

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