Author Archives: Rosemary

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

Butterfly Days

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Despite the recent bad weather, we seem to have had some lovely butterflies in the last few sunny days, so Steve took their portraits and has posted an album of them –

http://www.blasdale.com/blog/picture-albums/blasdale-picture-gallery-2009/2009butterflies/

We have yet to add their names – Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Red Admirals (is one just faded into that “Orange” Admiral?), Comma, Painted Lady.

Another Sadgits Reunion 7-9 August 2009

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The weekend of 7th-9th August saw us meeting up in Essex with friends from Steve’s university days.

This year from our base in a quiet country village courtesy of our hosts, Richard & Andrea, we visited Frinton-on-Sea and honed our sandcastle building techniques before a visit to Beth Chatto’s Gardens.  Richard & Andrea had done their usual brilliant organization, including a Community mini-bus, and had topped it all with wonderful sunny weather.

Rather a lot of talking, drinking & eating was done, but it made a splendid weekend and photos can be found at https://www.blasdale.com/blog/picture-albums/blasdale-picture-gallery-2009/sadgits/ The leading lady is Andrea and the house, in Frinton, is where Richard’s grandparents had lived and hence his knowledge of that quintessentially English seaside town.

Cast in Feathers Buzzard

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Rosemary was doing an ad hoc check of the field, when she spied some odd activity and so got the binoculars out.    It looked like a large bird of prey was eating a late breakfast.

A few minutes later, large bird had gone but something remained….. the breakfast?  Surely not a lamb?  Rosemary went out to investigate and found, amidst some feathers, a buzzard, lying on his back, looking near death but with his stomach still going up & down.  His eyes were open but his head looked at an odd angle and a bit bloody.  He didn’t respond to her shadow over him.  Fearing the worst, she went back to phone the RSPCA for advice.  Several phone calls later, she awaited a call from them and went to check up  on the patient.  This time he looked brighter and moved his head and opened his beak.  She assured him help was on its way and went back to the house wondering how to pick him up (to take him to the vet) without hurting him and without making contact with his beak.

But wait, Miles & his mum were in  the pick-up in the field checking on their sheep.  They paused by the bird.  Rosemary shot out.  “I dispatched him,” said Miles.  Oh goodness, thought R.  “He’d got himself cast, so we righted him with my stick,” said his mum, Annie. Ah! breathed R with relief.  “I didn’t realize that could happen to a large bird,” she babbled to Miles.  “Well how do you get up if you’re stuck on your back?” asked Miles.  He had a very good point.  Everyone decided the buzzard probably flew into a nearby powerline and stunned himself on impact.  

R phoned the RSPCA to tell them to cancel the call and the lady on their helpline was also surprised to hear buzzards can get themselves cast. 

So now we all know it’s not just sheep that need righting, keep your eyes open and binoculars & stick handy.

Robin’s 50th

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Saturday 30th August saw us complete with tent at a party to celebrate Robin’s 50th birthday. 

How he and Tessa managed to pick the one decent summer’s day & evening, just shows the calibre of people they are.  We could write it up, but John has already done so – http://www.curdhome.co.uk/2008/hog-roast-blues/ – but at least Steve got to take one or two piccies – https://www.blasdale.com/blog/picture-albums/2008-picture-gallery/2008-robins-50th-birthday/.

We woke early Sunday to a lovely view over a misty field which Steve rather ruined with his mutterings about “damn birds are all tweating too loudly” (no double glazing in a tent), but at least he cooked bacon rolls & fried eggs.  

Now just about everyone must know that Robin has reached his half century.

How can they top that one for his 60th?  We’ll report back in 2018.

New Lamb

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During one of Rosemary’s ad hoc, but frequent, sheep counts of the field flock, a discrepancy was noted.  One extra.  More stringent stocktaking showed the reason – a tiny, newborn lamb.  It is June, isn’t it?

A day in London & a night in “The Mousetrap”

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On Friday morning, after gasping at the price of rail tickets and underground tickets (& giving up trying to work out cheap deals) we arrive in London.  We go first via a walk along by the Thames to The Tate Modern and admire their crack (https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/salcedo-shibboleth-ii-p20335).  We decide on an early lunch in the museum Café 2 where we, from indoors, smugly watch everyone walking around outside getting sodden.  They have amazingly tall metal vases topped off with Singapore orchids on the bar, which look very classy.   We have fried broad beans and bread with olive oil as snackrell-type starters and I opt for a quiche while Steve opts for a mezze plate for mains. 

Then to our Radisson hotel near the BM.  This strikes me as disappointing; I know it’s London but why can’t it be a larger, nicer room for all those points?  And the lift is so slow, too, and the breakfast not included but £16 each extra.   

Amazingly, Steve has spotted a Jessops nearby and we end up in there and he gets a discount off a Tamron 18-250 lens and is exceedingly smug and announces he can sell two of his existing ones. 

We visit the close-by British Museum and admire the wonderful hall, which always impresses.  We have cake & tea and watch the visitors. But we are here To See Things not just Eat Things, so we visit the Lewis chessmen (having seen the Edinburgh based ones we feel we should complete the set) and I end up drooling over the jewellery.  However, one piece of pure Victoriana is so frightful it makes me squeak out loud – a necklace made of the mounted heads of hummingbirds.   

In the evening we finally see “The Mousetrap” in a minute theatre with many empty seats near us (which was just as well cos I swapped at the interval so I could see the whole of the stage).  Very mannered and of its times and I guessed The Murderer, but an experience. 

For some reason, as we walk back, Steve wants more food, so we eat in an Italian place (although The Ivy was opposite!) and both decided we cook better than at home, but the staff are more pleasant.

Joys of Online Booking Systems

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We have a Pepys themed walked with the Berkshire branch of the Cambridge Society in London for Saturday 29th March.  I’ve always wanted to see “The Mousetrap”, so after much dithering (& gasping at ticket prices) we decide yes & I try to book tickets for the evening performance on Saturday. 

The website I use has several points during the booking process when it warns you it will time out if you do not complete the “form” within so many minutes. I struggle through and am not timed out.  Finally, the stupid website announces it needs my Verification details, ie not the PIN nor the three digits on the back of the card, but some other stupid number.  I’ve never set one up with the bank, but Steve, unbeknown to me, has.  Website times out, so Steve says out of the way and he’ll do it on his card.  Much hissing and panicking as Steve logs into the site but it still demands he types in all his details.  He gets the tickets.  Curiously they are not the ones it offered me.  Never get the same twice running, he says.  I look more closely.  Why did you book for Friday 28th, I ask?  Much screaming ensues.  What to do?  Go up two days running?  Sell them on ebay? 

 

Inspiration strikes me and I ask if Steve has any points from his hotel stays left over?  Result – we’re going up Friday morning & will stay overnight on Friday and we’re even getting lifts to and from the station.

Oxford – Brasserie Blanc

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Decided we’d not been to Oxford for a while and there were a couple of shops R wanted to look in.  We found ourselves looking around the Museum of the History of Science which was very good as well as parts of the Bodleian Library.

R got what she wanted (amazing) including pheasants from the covered market and we finished by going to Brasserie Blanc for lunch.  We seem to always have this as a treat in November.  It’s £11.50 for two courses (we had the three for £14.50) including a glass of wine.  Brilliant prices & food (R had eggs Florentine, risotto with roasted autumn veg & pear, choc sauce & hazelnut ice cream; Steve had pork rillet; grilled fillet of mackerel, creme caramel) and lovely ambiance.

The Great Man, Raymond Blanc, came in!  He shook hands with some customers (including us!! (R’s exclamation marks)) after introducing himself, which R thought very endearing.  She was pleased to note his hair had been cut since the TV series of The Restaurant & she was even more pleased to note how he looked very dishy, French & suave.

 

Greys Court

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Saturday afternoon thought it about time to use NT cards, but where to go?  Chose Greys Court in Oxfordshire; slight en route diversion due to someone shifting signage around (seems to happen a lot lately).

On arrival were told it was unusual for the house to be open on a Saturday (later surreptitious inspection of guide book showed this to be true, but R opted for convenient silence on subject). Decided to view house, ice-house, grounds, tower & tea shop followed by donkey & horse wheels in that order. House a picture of Tudor elegance from the outside. Only part of ground floor is viewable. Some amazing plasterwork ceilings greet you from the hall onwards. R worried over cracks in one room, but outside inspection didn’t show them (and R always worried over cracks in houses). Delightful rooms which speak of it still being a well-loved lived in house, (although the tv seemed a tad too casual). The kitchen was interesting – a strange mixture of Tudor panels, huge Aga in correspondingly huge inglenook and modern units, but a lovely tiny wall-mounted bee-hive ornamented bookshelf with an Elizabeth David amongst the cookbooks.

Ice-house was thatched and hence unlike any other we’d seen. Nearby (R thought) were signs of v old fortifications (wonder if the house guide book mentions them?). Gardens good, especially the wisteria walled garden where the plant forms the roof. Good views from the tower and we were told May was a good time to re-visit and look down on the wisteria and bluebells. Must make a Google calendar note and also note to bring camera next time. Donkey wheel a bit sad thinking of the poor animals bringing up the water from the well. S thought it over engineered. Still looked as though it could be used today.