******* Big Smiley **********
This one was a laugh, and also a time warp.... festivals used to be like this before organisation came to them. ...
As Andy has already stated we were operating as the Bass man resuce vehicle again... Rob, as a family man with morgage to support, had to work on Friday and could not leave before 4pm, so I had arranged to swing by and pick him up on the way... It also made sense to add Andy to the list and help global warming while we were at it.
While we were on route, the supersonic pathfinding unit, radioed back that the most expeditious route was up from the South. Did we believe him .... ohh no .... the route planner showed the route in from the East - was not till we go there that it turned out to be a single track road (closed for snow ion the winter), over the long myndd. Nice views, pretty scenery, glad we got off before dark
On the other side, the route planner showed the festival site at a Tee junction. No festival, so left or right? we chose wrong and went right .... after a couple of miles down a single track lane, we voluenteered Andy to go and ask a local farmer. The banjoes were playing, and I think the only thing Andy picked up between the cake and booze was we had the wrong road
About turn and up the other way .... more by good luck than judgement, we turned up the right road and could see the tents linign the hill opposite. The entrance was down another single track road, and after a element of chicken with a small car - reversed all the way back up the track, rather than pull into the side to let us and several other assorted vans and cars past. The gate security may well have been on the booze since 9am, but there was a tank in the field next door, just in case of trouble
We arrived just in time for the hard work to begin - building the kit. The edge of the stage was always a bit daunting (see andy's photos above) and caused a few bottle necks getting across to the far side. But all was completed quickly.
Before too long we were under way, the stage turned and a quick line check and we were in full flow. the area in front of the stage was packed with people and behind the sound desk was a whole covered area with people chilling out. this is the first time that I have seen an arrangement of separate covered area for the fans ... normally it is either one big sweaty tent or open air .... this was great.
All too soon and were were finished ...... Rob was busy sellign the merchandise like mad at his "al fresco" stall - the hole in the fence - and the big clean down and pack into van job starts.... This was all done by midnight, adn we retired to the bar for a pint (or two).
We (andy, I and the girls) left at 2am for the drive back - we were staying at a campsite in the Gower for the weekend. The first coffe stop was where we picked up andy at Ross on Wye, but I also needed one just outside Cardiff, and 3 1/2 hours after leaving the site, I crawled into my pit, dead to the world...
I cant have ben that tired becasue at 8:30am I was awakened by the tent next door singing nursery rhymes and screaming loudly... time for the beach ..... a good widn break (for verilly it doth low fearcely in the Gower), a bit of shade and fast asleep. Waking up in the middle of the afternoon, and time to retreat back for food.
