The Nerd Herd…

Now a new regular event for a few of us is the Essen Spiel, an enormous gaming convention in Germany with now six halls full of board/card/dice/role-playing games, live action materials, collectables and all manner or related items. It is one of the largest (if not the largest) event of its kind in the world, which for the most part is about selling you your next favourite game. Naturally it focusses on the European market and style of Euro games, but there are still a few AmeriTrash games and several exotic flavours from other parts of the world.

We continue to stay a little way out from Essen at the Handelshof in Mulheim an du Ruhr in what has become a family home away from home, where they provide us with a space to play our games.

The only game I bought this year was called Ishtar, a simple ‘gateway’ style of game. One of the reasons is that I need to reorganise my game storage as I have run out of space.

In addition to the gaming our little sub-group of gamers also enjoy a good meal and social interaction over a glass of wine or two. And this is usually catered for by the Mausefalle restaurant nearby, where we usually all go for the Pork Knuckle and the Apple Strudel, and this year was no different.

However, we also found another restaurant nearby called Ratskeller that also had some very lovely food.

As our party included English, South African and New Zealanders, we were drawn into watching the World Cup Rugby, unfortunately as is the case with these competitions, there were winners and losers.

It was however entertaining to be part of the buzz in what seemed to be the start of a joke (an Englishman, South African and a Kiwi walk into an Irish bar in Germany…) the bar in question being amusingly named Fritzpatricks.

Some of the older regulars were absent from the hotel this year but we hope that we can encourage some younger folk to join us in the future.

New England in the Fall…

Our big holiday this year was to Eastern Canada and the USA to see the autumn colours in the trees. We went with Sue’s sister Debbie, flying out from Heathrow to Toronto and returning from Boston.

Toronto

We arrived late into Toronto airport and took a cab to where we were staying in an AirBnb high in a tower block downtown (next to the Scotiabank Arena).

Early next morning we walked over to the St Lawrence Market for breakfast (where we partook of local delicacy the Peameal Bacon on a Bun). On the way, we saw some fun street artwork, including a dog fountain (water comes out of the mouths of the dogs), a mural of a pealing façade and a collection of bronze ice hockey players outside the stadium. After breakfast we went up the iconic CN Tower for a panoramic view of the city and lake. It was turning into a bright clear day with a cool breeze as we walked down to the waterfront, past the old train roundhouse (now a museum and brewery), and caught the ferry across to the islands and back for the views. Afterwards we wondered uptown to the Rex Hotel to catch some music and have some lunch. From there we walked around looking at the sights (Historic buildings, statues, the Toronto sign, the theatre district etc.). That evening was the first match in the new ice hockey season at the stadium next to our apartment, so we joined in and experienced some of the hype in the sports bar as the Toronto Maple Leafs took on the Montreal Canadians.

Niagara on the Lake

After breakfast, we picked up a car and drove on towards our next destination, stopping for some wine tasting and a fabulous lunch at the Trius Winery in Niagara on the Lake.

Niagara Falls

After arriving at Niagara Falls we walked from our hotel to the funicular railway that took us down the cliff to the waters edge and our boat ride, wearing our fetching red ponchos that protected us a bit from the incredible spray coming off the amazing waterfalls. In the evening, we ventured up the Skylon Tower for an elevated view of the falls (lit up at night) and a cocktail, and then we walked down and went into the quiet Queen Victoria Place Restaurant for nibbles and another drink (I had a beer flight) where we had a great view of the fireworks. As we walked back through the neon flashing, bass thumping streets, we stopped to have a ride on the SkyWheel before turning in for the evening.

Ottawa

We had an early start today as it was a long drive today to get to the Canadian capital of Ottawa, which we found to be a very attractive city with some lovely buildings and public sculptures. We ate at the ByWard Market area in the lovely Fish Market restaurant, where I had a flight of beers and the girls enjoyed some good seafood. We had a nightcap in the lounge of our lovely hotel, The Metcalfe, and turned in for the night.

Montreal

We dropped off the car when we got to Montreal and checked into our small, quaint hotel, Auberge Le Pomerol, with its very helpful concierge. He recommended a delightful BYO restaurant nearby for dinner. In the meantime, we wandered down to the old town and soaked up some of the historical sights and we made enquiries about taking a train up to Quebec the next day – it turned out to be prohibitively expensive so we gave it a miss. The recommended restaurant was called O’Thym and had a very inventive and delicious menu in its small and intimate venue. We enjoyed it immensely.

The next day we went up to the delightful market at Little Italy for breakfast, explored the lovely streets and park, had a few drinks at a nearby Dieu du Ciel! brewery (all good apart from Deb being stung on the backside). We had lunch at an interesting restaurant called the Caribou Gourmand and walked up Mont Royal to the Chalet to get a panoramic view across town. That evening we went out to the House of Jazz for dinner and listened to some fabulous music played by some very talented musicians going by the name of Snooksta and the Gangstas.

Burlington

We had planned not to take a car across the border as it seemed to be an expensive option so we booked tickets on the Greyhound bus from Montreal to Burlington airport where we picked up a new rental car for the USA.

Stowe

On our way to our destination of Stowe we stopped for an ice cream at the Ben & Jerry’s factory (they started out in Burlington). At Stowe, we took a short walk up a hill to get a view of the pretty town, drove up into the mountains to see the Von Trapp resort, and had a couple flights of beer at their brewery. We started to see the fabulous autumnal colours in the trees that make this area such an attraction for the ‘leaf peepers’. We checked into our cabin in the woods at the Golden Eagle Resort, and walked back into town for a meal at Plate and then to listen to Jacob Green playing at the Tap 25 bar.

Jackson Falls

The next morning after our breakfast at Black Cap in Stowe we drove through the beautiful countryside, stopping at little towns and at spectacular viewpoints along the way to Jackson in the White Mountains National Park. We found a fun bar (the Wildcat Inn at Jackson) for lunch and had an explore of the nearby covered ‘Honeymoon’ bridge and the delightful Jackson Falls themselves. We ended up at our old time grand Eagle Mountain hotel where we watched the sun come down over the green, yellow and red countryside from rocking chairs on the veranda with a cocktail in hand. We later returned to the Wildcat Inn for dinner that evening.

Bar Harbor

Our journey now took us to the northern coast of Maine and the island of Bar Harbor where we had another AirBnb. A couple of Americans had told us of a bar here called the Tap & Barrel (whilst we were in the queue at the Rum and Gin festival at the Oval), so we went there and had a great time sampling the local brews and talking to people at the bar.

We spent our time the next day exploring this pretty island and the Arcadia National Park from seashore to mountain top. That evening we ate at the local Atlantic Brewing Midtown venue, washing down our food with a flight of beers each.

Portland

We had a small, unimpressive, (but cheap) AirBnb place to stay in at Portland (Maine not Oregon), but as it was we were pretty tanked up by the end of the night so it hardly mattered. Earlier on we had a walk along the water front we stopped at the Shipyard Brewing Company to sample their beers (it turns out Portland is well known for its breweries), the staff their recommended a fish restaurant to try. J’s Oysters was on one of the piers and was a fun place, at the bar we got talking to many people from near and far and we recommended a few other places to visit. The first was a micro-brewery called Gritty McDuffs and the second a bar called Novare Res with an amazing selection of beers (and a competition with an engraved cup held in a safe for people who managed to drink all their beers in a year). Then we ended up at quirky restaurant called The North Point for dinner before staggering back to our apartment.

Cape Cod

Next day we drove on to Hyannis in Cape Cod, had lunch at Spanky’s Clam Shack and bought tickets for the ferry to Martha’s Vineyard for the next day. Later that day we travelled to the farthest point where Provincetown (the landing place of the Mayflower) is situated. A quaint, hippy-like place. Further down the coast, as I took photos of the sun setting over the sea, the girls had a drink in the Bookstore. We returned to our accommodation (a nice AirBnb basement flat in a quiet road near the sea) and we had a lovely meal out in town at the Downtown Bistro.

We spent most of our time the next day over on the picturesque Martha’s Vineyard, though it was very quiet as it had started to shut up for the season. Amongst looking at the quaint towns on the island we had breakfast at Linda Jean’s and a snack at the Black Dog Tavern (quite a brand on the island) before returning on the afternoon sailing. We had an unimpressive meal at a nearby tavern and turned in as the weather was getting worse as a storm rolled in, knocking down nearby trees, and taking out the power for a while during the night.

Boston

On our way from Cape Cod to Boston we stopped at the Plimoth Plantation, a living museum that attempted to represent a replica of an early Pilgrim village and Native Settlement with people dressed in period costume to explain things to you. It was very interesting. At Boston we dropped our car off at the airport as our final AirBnb was nearby. There was some confusion about the apartment which resulted in us initially entering the wrong flat and having to return home a bit earlier than we wanted to as we had been relocated. We took the T up to Harvard and walked through the historic grounds on to where we had pre-booked our most expensive dinner at the Tasting Counter nearby. Next door was a brewery called the Aeronaut where we had a quick drink before going into the eating experience. All the guests sat around the kitchen and watched the chefs work their magic as we were served dish after dish with accompanying wine. Afterwards we returned to the Aeronaut where they had jazz music playing for a while (Adam Janjigan Quartet) until we had to go back to the correct apartment (a mistake about what the first floor means to Americans and Europeans, and the wrong door code).

We spent the day walking around taking in the sights of Boston (including the Faneuil Hall Market, some of the historic trail, the park, Cheers, past the Tea Party Ships, and drinks as the sun came down at the Lookout balcony bar atop the Envoy hotel. That evening we enjoyed a great Italian meal at Bencotto in Little Italy and later the girls indulged themselves in a cigar in the Stanza dei Sigari smoking bar. After that we caught some lively music at a Hennessy’s Bar

The final day we took it easy and strolled around the town a bit more, getting breakfast at the popular Pauli’s, picking up some cakes at the iconic Mike’s Pastry, getting a coffee at the Caffe dello Sport and another at Tatte Bakery & Cafe, until we had to leave for our long journey home.

We saw some lovely countryside and were very lucky with the weather, ate and drank some fabulous produce, and met some interesting people along the way. All in all, a great holiday.

Booze Cruise…

Recently we took advantage of a deal being done by the Majestic France wine store where by if you pre-order a certain value of wine they will provide either an additional discount or free travel on a ferry or the train to get you to their store. And since the price of the wines is about half that of the same wine in the UK, we decided to nip across the channel for a day trip. We were very lucky with the weather as it was a beautiful day with temperatures around the 28C mark. At Sangatte, a short distance from Coquelles on the coast, the long, sandy, beach was almost empty and we could stroll along in peace and quiet watching the ferries sailing between France and the UK. He two were tall cliffs that mirrored those we could see at Dover in the distance. It was at Sangatte that we had booked into Le Blanc Nez restaurant for lovely lunch. We then stocked up on our goodies and trundled back home. If things change with regards to the impact of Brexit we might not be able to do this again so easily, or so cheaply.

Local History…

The Heritage Open Days scheme provides access to historical buildings and we took advantage of it to visit a few in the nearby villages of Effingham and Little Bookham. These included:

·        St Lawrence’s Church, Effingham – where Sir Barnes Wallis (Dambusters) is buried.
·         Manor Farm Tithe Barn and Barnes Wallis Anniversary – a Grade 2 listed tithe barn (one of the largest in Surrey) that held a comprehensive exhibition about Sir Barnes Wallis to mark the 40^th anniversary of his death.
·         Effingham Methodist Church – a quaint church with a small exhibition about local people including Ada Lovelace (Analytical Engine – early computer program), Charles Howard (Lord of the Admiralty who defeated the Spanish Armada), and dinosaurs.  
·         Manor House School
·         All Saints Church, Little Bookham – believed to have originated from about 1100 and containing a Vulgate Bible.
·         Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church

After such a cultural tour, we ended up at the King William IV, a quaint pub with a view across to Ranmore.

Sipping in the Park…

The sun was out for the Pippfest in Dorking and we went along with friends to soak some of it up, along with a few pints of local ale.

The quoted aim of the festival is:

‘Pippfest is an annual festival of music, art, crafts, food & lots more at Pippbrook House. Fun for the whole family and a fantastic opportunity to raise awareness (and fundraise!) for the CHiP project, a community campaign to save this beautiful building for community use.’

Some of the wonderful local bands we watched included:

·         Lifes Circus;
·         Easy Skanking Band;
·         Eclectix;
·         Stephanie Davies & The Super Dynamics;
·         Objayda.

Just for Laughs…

Along with a couple of neighbours/friends we went to see Jimmy Carr perform at the Dorking Halls. To be expected he was very rude, using the audience as part of his act, which did make me feel somewhat vulnerable sitting in the second row, but luckily a vegan gold star lesbian marketing software optimiser took the flack for the rest of us in the hall.

St Albans and Surrounds…

We visited Uncle Terry and Katherine at her home in St Albans and wandered around the town stopping at the Assembly Hall Museum and Gallery where the old Court Room had been converted into a café we also saw the cells in the basement and an exhibition space with Cornish artist Barbara Hepworth’s sculptures and drawings on show. We also spent some time in the lovely Cathedral with an informative guide and also listening to the choir practicing. The following day we visited Wheathampstead (where Katharine and her family come from) and the National Trust property (Bernard) Shaw’s Corner (the house containing many personal items such as his Nobel prize and Oscar statue for Pygmalion).

More of Wot I Have Read…

Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths

This was one of the books on Sue’s Kindle and as I had finished my last physical book I went virtual. I found this to be written in a way that made me think of it like a crime drama serial on TV. It was gentle and uncomplicated without too many surprises and washed over me quite well.

‘Dr Ruth Galloway is called in when a child’s bones are discovered near the site of a pre-historic henge on the north Norfolk salt marshes. Are they the remains of a local girl who disappeared ten years earlier – or are the bones much older?

DCI Harry Nelson refuses to give up the hunt for the missing girl. Since she vanished, someone has been sending him bizarre anonymous notes about ritual sacrifice, quoting Shakespeare and the Bible. He knows that Ruth’s expertise and experience could help him finally to put this case to rest.

But when a second child goes missing, Ruth finds herself in danger from a killer who knows she’s getting ever closer to the truth…’

Festival of Booze…

We have been going to a Gin Festival for several years but last year it failed as a business and the Gin & Rum Festival appeared. As I am not a huge fan of gin, but do like a drop of rum, I was thrilled by the change. Our regular drinking gang joined us (Deb, and the Whittenburys) and we bumped into several other friends at its new venue at the Oval cricket ground. In the line, I also got talking to a lovely American couple who were holidaying in town (turned out he had lived in NZ and had tips on places to visit during an upcoming US holiday).

Unusually for a Bank holiday the weather was hot and sticky so we struggled a bit amongst the crowds in the poorly air-conditioned tasting hall.  But overall, we had a good time and went on to a lovely bar called Mother Kelly’s to sample few beers from their extensive selection before Sue, Deb and I went to Clapham Junction and had a bite to eat (and anther drink) at a quirky bar called Vagabond (you can buy the wine with a card from dispensers, like they do in Vinopolis).

Late Summer Sun…

It was another glorious summer weekend when we visited RHS Wisely gardens with Marc, seeing the new entrance and ongoing expansion work and a sculpture exhibition throughout the grounds. We had lunch at the lovely Withies Inn, and that evening Marc and I were beaten at board games by Sue.

More of Wot I Have Read…

This How You Lose the Time War by Amal-El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

This book has an unusual format to it, alternating between the two main characters and the letters they exchange the narrative slowly reveals elements of them both, their worlds and the conflict between their respective groups. Much is left to the reader’s imagination, which I think is good as it is a complex setting that would only get in the way of the building relationship between the two foes.

‘Among the ashes of a dying world, an agent of the Commandant finds a letter. It reads: Burn before reading. Thus begins an unlikely correspondence between two rival agents hellbent on securing the best possible future for their warring factions. Now, what began as a taunt, a battlefield boast, grows into something more. Something epic. Something romantic. Something that could change the past and the future. Except the discovery of their bond would mean death for each of them. There’s still a war going on, after all. And someone has to win that war. That’s how war works. Right?’

Rain Stops Play…

Recently we visited the Oval with the family as part of a birthday present to Sue’s sport mad brother Chris. The game of cricket was the Gloucestershire vs Surrey T20 Blast. Gloucestershire were first into bat and later, part way through the Surrey innings, the rain stopped play. Surrey lost by the DLS method (not to be confused with the pop group).

Getting a Man in…

Work has been done on the house (the exterior painted, roof repaired, kitchen lights replaced, taps and shower cubicle replaced) and as I am not a proficient DIYer we employed some of Sue’s Brother’s guys to do the work. They had to struggle through some challenging weather (heatwave and then thunderstorms on different days), but the work has been done. Sue subsequently partially repainted the bathroom to freshen it up and it all looks very smart now.

Sitting in a Field…

Sue, Deb and I enjoyed another Wickham Music Festival (we visited a couple of years ago). This is a lovely small event with only two main tents and several smaller stages scattered around one field. There were several big names from days gone by performing (Gilbert O’Sullivan, Level 42, Judy Collins, Ralph McTell, Graham Nash etc.) and many lesser known acts.

We were lucky for the weather for the most part as it was dry and not too hot during the weekend, the only notable rain started on the morning we started to pack up, resulting in us having to dry out the tent in the garden later when we got home, before packing it away completely for another year.

Among the many acts that we saw performing during the weekend were the following (in no particular order):

• -          Matthews Southern Comfort
• -          Graham Nash (he still has it)
• -          Skinny Lister (a great act that style themselves shanty-punk)
• -          The Proclaimers (we saw them here before and they were very good)
• -          National Youth Folk Ensemble (an impressive collective of young artists)
• -          The Outside Track
• -          The Bar Steward Sons of Val Doonican (a very funny novelty act)
• -          The Spooky Mens Chorale (their usual fabulous selves)
• -          Le Vent Du Nord
• -          Baka Beyond (a very interesting fusion of sounds)
• -          Dreadzone (a foot-stomping good reggae act)
• -          Stanley Jordan (for a short time – a virtuoso guitar performance, but not what we were after)
• -          Level 42 (short time – not quite what they used to be)
• -          Siobhan Miller
• -          Will Pound & Eddy Jay
• -          Cara Dillon
• -          Dervish
• -          The Men They Couldn’t Hang (some)
• -          Frank Turner & the Sleeping Souls (some – not overly impressed)
• -          Afro Celt Sound System (great lively performance)
• -          Winters Hill,
• -          Sam Kelly & the Lost Boys
• -          Jamie Smith’s Mabon
• -          Ross Ainslie & Ali Hutton’s Symbiosis
• -          Blazin’ Fiddles (some)
• -          Treacherous Orchestra
• -          The Kiefer Sutherland Band (suitably impressed)
• -          Alabama 3 (a very moving performance after the loss recently of one of the founder members)

There were also a few dance groups (we saw our local Boxhill Bedlam side), and many wandering acts such as the Dinosaur Group, a tall Scotsman and his rude dog, the Sniffer Dog Patrol, a large tortoise etc.

Cultural Day Out…

We visited the Watts Gallery located between Guildford and Godalming near the A3. It was the creation of George Frederic Watts and his wife Mary, both very accomplished artists working in the influence of the Arts and Crafts movement. At the gallery, along with paintings and sculptures by Watts, was an exhibition of some of John Frederick Lewis’s works, and we were very impressed with these and his ability to capture the light and character in his subjects.  

Also at this site they have an artist village where you can take part on courses of a variety of artistic techniques. You can visit their home, Limnerslease, decorated by Mary and containing a reproduction of George’s studio. A short walk down the road you can also visit the remarkable Watts Chapel and its breath-taking interior decorations. We spent a very enjoyable time explore all there was on offer and afterwards went for a drink at the nearby Withies Inn before heading home.

50 Year Tour…

In celebration of their 50^th year the Aldbury Morris Men went for their annual weekend away to Winchester with the Hemlock Morris and we tagged along too.

It happened to be the Hat Fair in town (nothing to do with making hats – the term refers to street performers handing out the hat for donations), and they were scheduled to make a few appearances on the Saturday.

Sue an I arrived early on the Friday and explored the town including the Cathedral, The Great Hall (with Arthur’s Round Table), Wolvesey Castle ruins (the Old Bishop’s Palace) and the working old city mill. We had a lovely lunch at the River Cottage Kitchen, sitting on the terrace and watching the opening parade to the festivities. That evening we caught up with Terry and Katharine for dinner and then joined a few others for a musical jam at a nearby pub.

The next day we followed the sides around as they danced in town and went with them on an outing to The Royal Oak in Fritham, New Forrest, where we met Marc and his Aunt.

We stayed at the Winchester Royal while we were in town.

More of Wot I have Read…

Praetorian by Simon Scarrow

Apparently, this is the 11^th book in the Eagles of the Empire series following the adventures of Roman soldiers Cato and Marco. It is an easy read the rolls along at a comfortable pace without offering too many challenges to the reader.

‘The city of Rome in AD 50 is a dangerous place. Treachery lurks on every corner, and a shadowy Republican movement, ‘the Liberators’, has spread its tentacles wide. It is feared that the heart of the latest plot lies in the ranks of the Praetorian Guard. Uncertain of whom he can trust, the Imperial Secretary Narcissus summons to Rome two courageous men guaranteed to be loyal to the grave: army veterans Prefect Cato and Centurion Macro.

Tasked with infiltrating the Guard, Cato and Macro face a daunting test to win the trust of their fellow soldiers. No sooner have they begun to unearth the details of the Liberators’ devious plan than disaster strikes: an old enemy who could identify them, with deadly consequences, makes an unexpected appearance. Now they face a race against time to save their own lives before they can unmask the mastermind behind the Liberators…’

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

a Booker Prize award winning novel that has a unique style to it, presented as quotes as if it was an interview of the characters within the story or references as part of research. It results in a strange, otherworldly and oddly engaging narrative.

‘The American Civil War rages while President Lincoln's beloved eleven-year-old son lies gravely ill. In a matter of days, Willie dies and is laid to rest in a Georgetown cemetery. Newspapers report that a grief-stricken Lincoln returns to the crypt several times alone to hold his boy's body.

From this seed of historical truth, George Saunders spins an unforgettable story of familial love and loss that breaks free of realism, entering a thrilling, supernatural domain both hilarious and terrifying. Willie Lincoln finds himself trapped in a transitional realm - called, in Tibetan tradition, the bardo - and as ghosts mingle, squabble, gripe and commiserate, and stony tendrils creep towards the boy, a monumental struggle erupts over young Willie's soul.’

Sun, Sea and Champagne…

For Sue’s birthday, this year we rented a cottage in the small seaside town of Whitstable on the north Kent coast looking out across the Thames estuary. It is a fishing town with a thriving oyster industry, famous since Roman times for the Native Oyster beds.

The town was also known for one of the earliest passenger railway services, nicknamed the Crab & Winkle line. The old steam engine, Invicta, has been restored and returned to the town museum.

The diving helmet was an invention of the area that was used in salvage work in deep waters.

Out in the estuary are several sea forts (also known as Maunsell forts), large military installations that served as protection against ships and planes during WWII. Now they share the waters with a large wind turbine array that provides power to the country. We took a stimulating boat trip out to the Red Sands installation (once later used as a pirate radio station) that took us right through the edge of the wind farm. Further up the coast is another installation that has declared itself the independent Principality of Sealand.

Naturally we enjoyed many various seafood dishes, eating at the Whitstable Oyster Company restaurant, the oldest restaurant in town – Wheelers, and picking up bits in the market next to the harbour. We did mix it up with Mexican inspired street food at the fun Dirties bar and restaurant in town. As is our way the food was washed down with liberal application of alcoholic beverages.

The weather was unusually hot, reaching well into the 30’s on Saturday, and we were out early wandering around town, up to the ‘castle’, down along Tankerton beach (ice cream in hand), back to the harbour (a fortifying drink in The Harbour Garden Café) before venturing out onto the water to visit the forts and windfarm (at least it was cooler out on the water). When we returned, we had lunch and further explored the town. Watching the sunset whilst sitting on the beach was very memorable.

On Sunday, we had a leisurely breakfast and then drove off to visit the lovely Ightham Mote historical house and gardens as they were having a display from a local sculpture group and we had not been back here for a while.

We picked up some provisions and returned home to relax in the sunshine some more. A very good weekend away. 

More of Wot I have Heard…

We returned to the Isle of Wight Festival this year as a treat for our eldest godson Tom. Sue’s sister Deb also joined us and we stayed at the Silver Glades Caravan Park in the same van we had a few years previously with my mum. We travelled after work on Friday (after Tom’s final exam) and took the ferry from Southampton to East Cowes, then across the floating bridge to West Cowes and on to the caravan park. We went into Yarmouth for dinner at the Blue Crab before having an evening stroll along the pier. While there we saw several black RIBs powering up the Solent without any lights on, they turned towards the harbour and switch on the lights as they cruised in – not sure who they were (we speculated that they might be military, Deb thought they might be delivering her some Milk Tray chocolates).

After breakfast, we drove to a parking spot near the festival site (I volunteered to drive as getting a taxi could have been a bit of an issue later). We were at the gates when they opened at 11am and exploring the site not long after.

It was clear that the weather was not going to be great (some reports of previous days told of a tornado and torrential rain), so we came prepared. As it was the rain was light and patchy and eventually cleared up completely at sunset.

I was wearing my festival top hat (complete with goggles) and my oilskin duster coat, looking a bit like a steampunk cowboy, which got a few comments – positive ones too – from strangers, even an invitation to join a Steampunk Festival the following weekend.

We started at one of the smaller tents and watched a couple of lesser known bands: Floodhounds and The Dead Freights.

At the Big Top we saw Stitch, who impressed us all very much.

After that we moved to set up a place in front of the main stage and as we arrived Andrew Roachford was just finishing. Here we watched KT Tunstall sing her hits, Anne-Marie played up to her pop princess image, Sundara Karma were unknowns who surprised us (the lead singer had a David Bowie’esque sound on some songs), Rick Astley was enthusiastic and fun (he also played the drums on an AC/DC cover), Bastille were just fantastic (they also had a cameo from Rick Astley on the drums for one song), George Ezra had damaged his foot and sat down through his performance which was very polished (he did talk a lot, explaining each song) that culminated in fireworks, and finally, the headliner for Saturday, Fatboy Slim, who put on a particularly impressive show with exciting video images, smoke cannons, laser displays and a thumping sound.

It all finished at about midnight.

The next day we headed off to catch the return ferry at 12:30 and drove back to the Whittenburry’s for a Father’s Day meal as we joined their family.

Sue and I were back home in bed early, still tired from the night before, thankful we only went for the one day.

Green Fingers…

As penance for our excesses we spent the weekend working in our garden getting it tidy (fixing down a deck plank where a wasp nest was evicted from underneath, jet washing the said deck, cutting and trimming and pruning and weeding the greenery until it was all spic and span. We do need to do a few more chores such as paint the fences and wooden furniture, but it is looking much better now.

Afterwards we went to visit 7 local gardens as part of the Pip Brook Open Gardens event in the village that aims to raise funds for a Peace Garden in the St Johns church yard. An excuse for a good nose around other peoples back gardens.