Glastonbury 2017

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Glastonbury 2017 was greeted with great expectations.  There had been a long period of dry weather during the build up to the festival.  The few days before there had been a heat wave with temperatures in the 30s. The weather forecast predicted no more than a couple of millimetres of rain. I set off early on Wednesday, did some Tesco shopping for drinks and arrived at Love Fields with hardly a car on the way.  

Collected my Glastonbury EPO wrist band (Easy Pass Out) from Love Fields and made my way into the festival.  The EPO wrist band means you do not need to show a ticket and re-entry pass when you go in or out.  It is fast as it also bypasses the queues.  Most volunteers get these bands.  The other neat thing I found with the EPO was that it enabled me to enter some of the back stage bars when I was accompanied by my friends who were working at the festival.  I was also helped by my Love Fields band which matched the colour of their bands. 

Wednesday

The Wednesday was hot, and you heard cheers from the crowds when a fleeting cloud covered the sun for a few moments.  Wednesday was a getting-acclimatised-day. I met up with Ed, Bob and Mary for a pint on the Park area just after sunset. and we all watched the fireworks.  We then made our way to Avalon, going through the closed barriers where the one way system had just been started (EPO band working) and had a few cocktails in the Avalon backstage bar (EPO band and Lovefields band).  Really quiet oasis from the madding crowds around us. Cocktails were good as well.

Thursday

Thankfully it was cooler from now on, with the occasional very light drizzle.  Today spent most of the day exploring in the circus /theatre/acoustic/Green Fields area.  Also spent an hour trying to Salsa at Glasto Latino.   Not a success, but fun.  The evening was spent in the South East corner where I saw Napalm Death play, and Son Yambu.

Friday

The first full day of Glastonbury.  I saw Confidence Man at Williams Green, then watched Lucy Kitt at the Acoustic Stage, apparently Ed Balls was in the crowd.  The crowd was small so I am surprised I did not see him.  Spent some time looking at and filming the people and acts in the Theatre and Circus area.  Then on to The Other Stage.   Late evening spent some time in Shangri-La, The Common, Block G, Unfairground and Glasto Latino, so missing out on Radiohead.  Just before dawn, I walked over to The Park and had a beer at the bar.  Watched the sun rising.  Not a spectacular event, there was a very light drizzle and the night just got slowly lighter. Amazed at the number of people who asked when the sun was going to rise, it had already risen an hour before.  Maybe that is the result of living in cities.

Saturday

Walked over to The Wood.  Never been there before, an oasis of ponds, trees and paths.  There were some Moorhens being aggressive to their chicks.  Rushed back to the acoustic stage to meet Ed and Mary.  Later Jeremy Corbyn was on at The Pyramid Stage, and then came over to The Left Field stage where he spoke for an hour.   I listened to his longer speech at the Left Field.  Then spent the rest of the afternoon and evening watching the headliners on The Pyramid Stage, finished with an excellent set from the Foo Fighters

Sunday

More band watching finishing with Ed Sheeran on the main stage.  Ed and Mary had been let off their stewarding duties, so I met them at The Wood bar.  Arrived just as it closed.  They thought of trying the John Peel back stage bar as it had some good reports.  We arrived and entered easily.   There was music there, including the organiser of the John Peel tent area playing and singing.   We then moved on to the Silver Hayes bar where we stayed until 6ish.  I walked back to Love fields, getting there at 7.00. for some recovery time.  

Monday

It was peculiar watching people leaving the Glastonbury site for home site at 5 am in the morning, they were in total silence.  They all must have been feeling sad because they were leaving after a dry and superb Glastonbury .

 

 

Jeremy Corbyn at the Left Field

On the 24th June 2017 Jeremy Corbyn spoke first at the Pyramid Stage and then at the Left Field stage. This is his full speech at the Left Field stage. Sound only.

The South East Corner (aka the Naughty Corner)

Glastonbury 2017 #Glastonbury2017 #Glasto2017 The naughty corner, the south east corner, shangri-la, block 9, the common, the unfair ground. Napalm Death, STEVE IGNORANT’S SLICE OF LIFE

Circus, Theatre and Cabaret

Starting with a view of the circus field from Love Fields above pedestrian gate C. I quick amble through the theatre and circus field sees all sorts of entertainment.

Napalm Death at the Truth Stage

Napalm Death playing at Glastonbury 2017 on the Truth stage, Thursday afternoon.

Glasto Latino with Son Yambu

Son Yambu playing at Glasto Latino on Thursday evening

Confidence Man

Confidence Man played Williams Green on Friday

Lucy Kitt

Glastonbury 2017 Lucy Kitt at the Acoustic Stage. Apparently Ed Balls was here as well.

Halsey

Halsey playing the Other stage at Glastonbury 2017. Loved the inflatable balls at the end.

John Peel backstage and in the wood

Various cuts from the glade, the park, the wood and finally backstage at the John Peel stage. Jim Fox the organiser of the John Peel stage singing on the Sunday night.

 

The end

Visit to Eaton Socon, Grimes Graves & Norwich

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We visited Ann, Liz & Bob in Norwich and stayed a couple of nights.  On the drive over we stopped at Eaton Socon and had a coffee in a pub called The Rivermill.  This was a converted mill building on The Great Ouze. They were quite happy to serve coffee, In fact they seemed to have a morning coffee and-cake special running.  Rosemary was quite taken with some flats overlooking the river. Nothing was as we remembered it. We then drove past are old house, 183 Great North Road, which was still standing as was the Leylandii Hedge that I planted in the front in the late ’70s.

We stopped in the park by the river in St Neots and ate our picnic lunch before heading on to Norwich.  As we had plenty of time we stopped off at Grimes Graves.  These are prehistoric flint mines in the Brecklands.  I last visited then in the ’60s and Rosemary had never seen them.  You can still go down one of the mines.  There are a couple of others which have been excavated.  The landscape outside is Breckland grass, but here there are lots of round dips caused by the pits.  There are many pits which all apparently inter-join below ground. 

On to Norwich where we all went to the theatre to watch The Play that Goes Wrong.  A comedy about a play that goes wrong from beginning to end.  This had been recommended to us. Amazing timing by the actors as scenery fell down around them. An audience member got to the stage of laughing where they just squeaked intermittently. 

The next day, we raced off to my favourite online camera shop. I’d never seen the bricks & mortar shop. Later, we accompanied Bob on a walk to the local Waitrose via the club where he plays golf. Lovely scenery and very edible wild cherries. Expanding our local geography even further, In the afternoon, we took a walk in Eaton Park, where Liz jogs.  A huge park in Norwich which was created after the First World war.  It has a large boating pond, and tracks for miniature railways. Despite going to school in Norwich, I had never been to either place.

On the Saturday we returned via Cambridge for the Caius benefactors May week garden party where we met up with Richard and Andrea. (And yes, it was June, but that’s Cambridge for you.)

Ludgershall Village Fete

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Visited the Ludgershall Village fete held at the Old Rectory.  The weather turned out reasonable, so I was able to site outside and eat my promised cream tea.  We spent quite a time there, exploring the gardens and woods which back on to the Marylebone / Birmingham Snow Hill line.  The vegetable garden is pristine, no weeds, neatly tilled and presumably no rabbits.  There were also a number of vintage cars and vintage tractors.  Jim was doing tractor rides around the gardens.

 

Southwold Camping

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Oyster Catcher and chick at Southwold harbour

Oyster Catcher and chick at Southwold harbour

Oyster Catcher at Southwold harbour

Oyster Catcher at Southwold harbour

Monday we set off in Van the Van, .to Southwold for a camping trip with Robin and Tessa  We drove a round about route as I wanted to stop off at Norwich Camping and Leisure store in Blofield.  This was a large camping shop, garden centre and farm shop.  I was incredulous at the size of the gas fired BBQs they stocked.  The designs were also fabulous with one which looked like an engine from a motor car.  We searched around and found a Kampa Air Pod canopy.  It allowed all the sides to be removed  for when the sun is out and the weather is hot.  It was a little bigger than the canopy Rosemary envisaged. We purchased this along with a collapsible table with integral cupboard which will be used for storage and cooking in the pod.

Off we set again onward to Great Yarmouth to purchase some fuel and goodies, We ate a picnic overlooking the grey North Sea at Gorleston-on-Sea. Back in Van the Van, we headed to Southwold.  Alas one of the crossings at Oulton Broad was closed, forcing us to redirect  to Lowestoft where we were caught in a traffic snarl-up for a longtime.  We arrived at Southwold long after Robin and Tessa.  Parked and then proceeded to erect the canopy.  I wasn’t sure it was a good idea, the wind was strong, but peer pressure and help from Robin soon had it installed and pegged down.  

Southwold Harbour

That night we ate in Robin and Tessa’s van, a lovely fish stew with fish locally sourced at the harbour.  

That night the wind blew, the rain tipped it down and the canopy generally thrashed around, keeping me awake. Finally, it came off the rail connecting it to the van,  First job in the morning was to take it down and pack it away before the rain set in. Rosemary muttered on about how the whole point of a campervan was No More Soggy Tents. I ignored her.

The rest of the day was wet, very wet & windy, too.  We all walked along to the harbour eventually succumbing to the elements by sheltering in a cafe from where we sent Robin back to the campsite to get their car.  The harbour was really pleasant. No doubt, even better in sunshine. We drove the short distance to Southwold town which was absolutely drenched in rain, but I still managed to purchase a limited edition Fat Face top to add to my collection. Rosemary came away with two large silver-plated tablespoons for Van the Van. Supper eventually ended up as lunch in the Sail Loft, with asparagus & Tessa’s own artichokes for a post-snooze supper . Somehow we managed to have a preprandial drink at the Harbour Inn.

A short visit to Southwold, but we will definitely be back this year, hopefully with less inclement weather.  The harbour area looked interesting, and I must also do a brewery/distillery tour. These were sold out when we were there.

 

Fawley Hill Museum

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The Berkshire Cambridge Society visited Fawley Hill Museum on an open day on the 4th June 2017 on one of the four annual slots available for community groups to visit and ride on Sir William McAlpine’s private railway on his estate at Fawley, Oxfordshire.  A life-long railway buff, Sir William has over the years amassed an extraordinary collection of redundant railway artefacts and memorabilia and now has his own station, engines (steam and diesel), rolling stock and 1.25 miles of track. There are about 12 trips a day and each trip takes about 15 minutes. Visitors are free to travel as often as they wish. There is also a magnificent carousel, which was working, a museum, a model railway and an animal sanctuary. 

We rode the Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0ST No.31 and the Class 03 0-6-0 diesel locomotive, no D2120, on its first official passenger outing. All great stuff.

 

 

It’s gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright) Sun-Shiny day

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Sun-Shiny day

Today was forecast as a brilliant day, and so it was.  The sun shone into the van at an early hour, but we were awake, the peacock had seen to that.  We left early picking up the bread and pain au chocolat as we left the campsite for the 9.11 bus into St Peter Port.  This arrived on time and we were whisked to our destination via the hospital.  Today we were catching the 10.30 ferry to Herm.  It should be a lovely day there.  Seems many others thought the same, as the ferry filled up.

The tide was low and we arrived at the steps and not the harbour.  More steps and we were on our counter clockwise walk around the island.  The first part is on the cliffs where bracken grows rather too profusely, smothering most other vegetation.  Various flowers were spotted and photographed as we walked around, although I did not photo the brromrape.

We stopped for tea at a Kiosk on a small beach where we had seen people swimming in late October. Today despite the warm sun, there was only one intrepid elderly couple dipping their toes into the sea.  Umbrellas and sun worshippers were in evidence. 

We continued to Shell Beach where we ate lunch.  Rosemary started her shell hunt.  As one couple said, the shells and sand urchins were small.  I ventured out onto the rocks and took a few photographs around the area.  A few other photographers were in evidence, one keen woman with a professional Canon lens.  It was always interesting to try and see what she had been photographing.   Many times, I was mystified.

We walked the rest of Shell Beach to the furthest point from the landing steps, when Rosemary announced we were to catch the 3.35 home, and we had 35 minutes to walk back.  We did make it in plenty of time, and thankfully our hurry meant we did not have to spend time in the shop.

Back to the camp site on the 81 bus.  I said we were going to Candie Road, was perplexed when the driver said, that’s just up the hill. He was soon stopping and telling us we had arrived.  No I said, the other Candie Road, just before the Little Chapple.  OK the road was named Rue du Candie, so technically I was wrong.

More cider was drunk at the campsite, and then we discovered someone new had arrived and they were parked in their VW next to us.☹

Some good photo opportunities as the sun set on the campsite, missed most of those.

 

I’m a honeybee, breaking your heart, broke mine enough to kill me

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Cobo Bay, Guernsey

Cobo Bay, Guernsey

We had planned to go to Herm Island today.  The weather, though dry, was not sunny.  Thursday according to the weather gurus was likely to be better.  So, instead we lounged around the campsite reading books, drinking tea and making lunch. We went for a short walk around the campsite looking at the sheep, chickens, turkeys, pigs and ducks.  The turkeys had chicks, the very protective mother was most concerned as we stood by.  They were protected in a cage on the field because if they weren’t, the gulls would come in for a quick meal.  The pigs were all rare breeds with a couple of Old Spot (and others I have no idea of now).  We missed two piglets but we saw them later when we came back from our afternoon walk.

Enough lounging about was enough, so off we went for a walk to Cobo Bay trying to keep to green lanes and the ruettes tranquilles.  We arrived and had tea at one of the famous Guernsey Kiosks, the Cobo Bay one, with me further treating myself to a Classic Magnum as we left. 

The walk back took us a different, slightly shorter route which passed two Island fortifications we have never seen before.  Both were not marked on our Guernsey maps.  Maybe we should update to a newer version. They are obviously proud of these fortifications with the new signs and historical notes.

Guernsey Honeybees

Guernsey Honey Bees

Guernsey Honeybee keeper

Guernsey Honeybee keeper

Arrived back at the campsite to what looked like a swarm of midges which must have been awakened by the warmth and sunshine appearing during our walk.  We decided on a bottle of cold, local cider (6%) brewed not more than a few hundred yards from away.   Nope they were not midges, they were  Guernsey Honeybees doing their swarming bit. (Perhaps from the apple orchard making our cider?)  The owner of the orchard was contacted and arrived, donned his kit and captured the honeybees, placing them in a box.  Quite exciting.  One of the campsite’s two young Border Collies managed to get a bee entangled in her tail and was quite subdued & anxious until the insect was found and removed.

I’m waitin’, waitin’ on a sunny day, Gonna chase the clouds away

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The predicted cloudy day started off with sunshine, soon descending into cloud.  We had already made the decision not to go to Herm, but instead go for lunch at The Auberge.  The French children had already packed to go, one night at the campsite, what were they here for?

We caught the bus into town, making the mandatory pass through the hospital.  We changed to a second bus to Jerbourg where the restaurant is.  Again, making a trip through the hospital.  Yes, we went past the hospital four times today.   Most bus routes appear to go through the hospital now.  The car park at the hospital, and the connections to the rest of the island must make it one of the best places to park when commuting on Guernsey.  (Well, if you could find somewhere to park.)

At Jerbourg I started my mandatory run down the steps and path to the point, only to be stopped by path closed signs and a dug-up bridge leading to the lighthouse.  Back up the steps again to be greeted by Rosemary shaking her head (as to why I hadn’t made it all the way down), and a tour bus from the Norwegian Jade who was anchored off the coast.  I did wonder how many of the 2,700 passengers took tours of the island.  I somehow doubt there is much extra transport capacity on the island.  Is it expected that most passengers will mooch around St Peter Port? Guernsey is said to be the last duty free stop before returning to the UK. Cruise liners are not able to anchor off Jersey.

Short walk down the road to The Auberge where we ate lunch.  Cocktails while we ordered and then a lovely meal from the lunch time menu, and a bottle of wine.  Back on the buses through the hospital twice more and then on home to sit outside to read (R), snooze (me) and shiver (both) in the refreshing weather. 

The sun is promised for tomorrow, and hopefully the Internet is better now that the French kids have gone elsewhere and I can post this with one photo of me standing next to a large plant.

Victor Hugo

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This morning was lovely and warm for eating our breakfast outside.  The wind had died, and the sun was shining.  Even the night had been a lot warmer, and the fridge did not play up.

Victor Hugo Victor HugoToday we were off to see Victor Hugo’s house, where he lived for 15 years in exile from France.  This was our first visit.  We have been visiting Guernsey for 25 years and never visited his house; it was always closed.  This year our visit was in the early summer and it was open.  Next year (2018) it is closed for refurbishment, so we were lucky to find it open.  The house is owned by the City of Paris and run by the Parisian museums, it was gifted to them by Hugo’s granchildren in the 1920s.  The house is staffed by French staff who do guided tours.  Guided tours are the only way to visit the house.  Luckily the French staff don’t abide by French lunches and it is open continuously throughout the day.  We were also amazed by a group of French about to start on a tour at 1.30.  What has happened to the French lunch? If you are in Guernsey, try and visit the house.  It is quite remarkable with each room being decorated and furnished in different ways, from dark to light going up the storeys.

A pleasant lunch was spent eating our sandwiches on the quayside.  Unfortunately, we happened to sit where the Guernsey tourist road train set off from.

Bus over to Petit Bot Bay, where the Martello tower had been renovated and fairly newly opened to the public. The Petit Bot Bay café had been done up, though they advertised cream teas and Guernsey Gache, none were to be seen.  Tea now served in paper mugs.  Definitely gone down hill in the tea department, though lunches might have been good.

Long slog back up the hill to the Independent Grocery Shop for some replenishments for the rest of the week.  R asking me why I had bought Scottish Cheddar.

Back on the bus to the end of Candie Road.  As we set off in the bus, I looked at its route on the map and reckon we could have walked faster.  We took a very scenic route to Candie Road, passing the other side of the airport some 20 minutes after we set off from the south side.

Back at the campsite, having spotted the noisy peacock outside a local house, the peace has been further broken by a large group of French school children coming camping.  At least they are tented a long way from us. 

The wind is a little stronger this evening, so all dressed in fleeces while we drink our wine and prepare the beef stir fry purchased at the grocery.

Lazing on a Sunny Afternoon

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Vazon Bay

Vazon Bay

Vazon Bay

Vazon Bay

Today was predicted to be a sunny day with less wind, and a little warmer.  Thankfully we could relax, the fridge had been giving us some cause for concern overnight and had been running incessantly.  Couple of interventions during the night only made it stop running all together.  I think maybe it was too cold at night for the fridge, operating temperature should be 16C, less than that and it can be inefficient!  The instruction book says that. Sounds counter intuitive to me.  Seems to be working fine now it’s warmer. (Us humans are also working fine in the warmth.) Added to the fridge waking us, there was the peacock, whose idea of dawn needs to be modified.  As far as I could see, there was not a glimmer of light in the sky.  The cockerels did have the decency to hold off until you could see the sky line.

Today was Sunday, so off to Vazon Bay and La Grande Mare for Sunday lunch.  We arrived at the shore around 11.45 and saw the stragglers of the Guernsey Ultra Marathon pass by.  This was an around the island race on the coastal paths.  These paths included all the steps up and down around the cliffs on the south coast.  The run is 36 miles long, with a best time of a little under 5 hours.  The stragglers we saw were half way around and 5 hours in.  They would be hard pressed to make the 10-hour closing time.

Mallards in the La Grand Mare hot tubMallards in the La Grand Mare hot tub

Mallards in the La Grand Mare hot tub

Twinkle the Cat

Twinkle the Cat

At La Grande Mare, we sat by the outdoor pool and consumed our prepranidal drinks, Rosemary had a G&T while I drank a pint of beer.  It was lovely and warm, while we watched a pair of Mallards take to the swimming pool and hot tub for a spruce up.  Lunch was ordered which we ate in the restaurant itself, then sat outside again for coffee.  Oh we saw Twinkle, the cat who used to visit us in the self-catering flat years ago.  She must be getting on in years now.

After lunch, we walked along the beach towards Fort Hommet Headland.  It was funny seeing the beach with people building sandcastles and going swimming.  Rather different to October!  After a pleasant walk along the beach we walked back to the campsite for a well-deserved beer on the sunset veranda. Now sitting outside Van the Van in the still warm sunshine sipping our drinks.  So much more pleasant when the wind is not blowing.  Forecast for the rest of the week is good.  (On several peoples’ authorities and not just Google’s.)