Sunday

We were down to our last few pennies now, so were faced with a choice between food or cider... While OH falters, I don’t hesitate to make the difficult decision and buy two pints for the very reasonable price of £6. At most festivals that will buy you one pint. Not here. It’s just yet one of the things that makes this festival the best one in the country.
So after breakfast, we head for the Big Top to see the Fabulous Good Time party boys – an ensemble of great musicians who today are dressed like extras from Thriller (which they do actually play towards the end of the set!).

There’s a guest appearance from the devil himself here doing a jaw-dropping version of the Devil went down to Georgia - looking delighted at his brilliant costume!: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCRopzu5p28

We then wander around the site, gawping at the fish that nibble the dead skin off your feet. I persuade OH to do this (he has the most ticklish feet in the world) and he agrees, and that’s when I realise he has only done so because we haven’t got any money!
The heavens open just in time for the annual children v Levellers football match which was hilarious and good natured. I think it was a draw in the end but am so excited about having my photo taken with various members of the lovely Levellers that I can’t remember!
We then watch the Destroyers - a hilarious East European band starring about 30 people! After that, we’re told that there’s a severe weather warning out and OH decides that we are leaving TONGHT boo. SO we take the tent down and then head to the merchandise tent where we get to meet the band again and get our new copy of Weapon Called the Word (I think this is my 6th or 7th – including a couple of tapes that wore out in the very early 90s) – now signed by the band and complete with a documentary on their 1990 tour. What a lovely gang they are. Sigh.
We check out African Head Charge and The Popes and then the brilliant Dreadzone who deliver a storming set, despite the lead singer being confirmed to a chair.

THEN, with mixed emotions, we watch the brilliant Levellers take to the stage. Emotional because I know it will be amazing and passionate – they seem to enjoy it as much as the crowd does. And also sad, because it signals the end of the festival. We are absolutely drenched as they come out to England My Home. They then perform a bunch of great hits, from memory; 100 Years of Solitude, Carry Me, Exodus, Too Real, One Way, Three Friends (I think!), The Boatman, Come On and What a Beautiful Day and Riverflow. Ironically, I got kicked in the head to Dirty Davey, as I was on the fringe of a very scary mosh!
And so that’s it for another year. Steam rises from all the people heading back to the campsite and we drive home, very, very happy...

Saturday

Started the day with a lovely, if expensive, mackerel burger from the River Cottage canteen (think it was £6, making our breakfast a whopping £13!). Then, at my insistence (remember I am a massive Midsomer Murders fan), we watched a theremin workshop which was brilliant, and fascinating. It was ably demonstrated by a lady called Miss Hypnotique who delivered some brilliant haunting melodies, which floated all the way to the main stage and to the campsite to the astonishment of people who wondered where the noise was coming from! I’ve always wanted to have a go at this incredible instrument which was invented in the 1920s in Russia and is the only instrument you play without touching, by holding the right hand up to control the pitch and the left for the volume. Unfortunately, about 100 other people had the same idea, and as most of them were children, I didn’t get to have a go at making either a scary warbling noise or recreating the Doctor Who theme!

We then went to see the Last Republic on the main stage having been impressed with them when they supported the Levellers back in April. They’re a passionate Welsh rock band whose album I am very much looking forward to – their soaring guitar riffs and catchy songs are great and I think they have a really rosy future ahead – they’ve already not only supported the Levellers, but Bon Jovi as well!!

My OH was attracted to the next band purely because they had a wonderful name Tankus the Henge – who were very energetic! They all met working on the fairground and their band is STEAM powered!

We then forwent the pleasure of seeing the Wurzels and instead watched an interview between John Robb from Goldblade and Mark Chadwick which was insightful, and for me, quite emotional.....

Once again, I had to wipe away a tear just thinking about how the Levellers have changed my life. I remember hearing them for the first time in about 1991, aged 14, just thinking, this music is nothing like anything I’ve heard before and nothing like the dredge that is served up by Radio 1 and the top 40. His talk really brought that back as he talked about his heroes such as Roy Harper and Joe Strummer. And to have come all the way to a wonderful festival is an incredible achievement. As I chatted to familiar faces and enjoyed a cider with our festy friends, I realised how a shared love of the band had brought us all together. As Mark went off stage, the crowd was asked if anyone wanted to do a Levellers cover and a tiny person popped up on stage and delivered a jaw dropping version of Another Man’s Cause to rapturous appreciation. Cue more tears from me!

Then Seth Lakeman! WOW!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5y8PMkm7Dio

We then went to see the end of the Alarm, although I might have fallen asleep (no reflection on them at all)....I did wake up though to catch the end of the set of the Show of Hands set which was blimming brilliant! Then the end of the fantastic Babylon Circus – a 10 piece ska and reggae group followed by 3 Daft Monkeys which was one of the highlights of the weekend.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7VcSdm1ayM

For one night only, they actually became 4 Daft Monkeys, bringing back former member Rich Mulryne who was great and added and extra dimension to the brilliant monkeys. Their set was 50 minutes, but was amazing and went by so quickly it felt like 5 minutes! If there was any justice in the world, or indeed the music industry, then this band and Lady Gaga would swap places.....

This is just one of the many new songs they did. How it's possible for them to keep writing relentlessy catchy songs, I just don't know! This is Perfect Stranger which had some cool visuals to match: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wj4Qo1Dy254

Run, run, run to see New Model Army along with a whole tentful of fellow Monkey fans and missed the first song, which I suspect was Green and Grey. Their set was brooding, yet passionate, complete with a fullish moon and an empassioned set that included High, Here comes the war, No Rest, Vagabonds and many of their hits from the last 30 (yes, THIRTY years).


They were followed by James –a totally different, yet no less-talented band. It’s never very cool to say this in polite society (even though there’s not one person who dislikes their amazing number 2 single Sit Down), but I LOVE JAMES.

Tim Booth is one of the best frontmen ever and tonight is no different. I was quite taken with his jacket and what appeared to be golfing trousers combo, combined with a turquoise top, but then of course, he starts his unique dancing and the clothes pale into insignificance.

The band kicks off with the brilliant song Sound. There’s a couple of new songs in there, but a crowd-pleasing array of old songs including a couple that you don’t hear that often; Stutter and Johnny Yen.

There’s the brilliant Born of Frustration: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkJ7GreAE8I

Then the wonderful Sometimes, which Tim encourages the crowd to sing, admiring the sound and appearing to take it all in. For Laid, some of the crowd make it up onto the stage, and then the band obliges and finishes with the anthemic Sit Down.

Awesome.

Friday

Down to Beautiful Days with a fully laden car and a sense of happiness and expectation! After pitching the tent, getting our first ciders in and seeing lots of festy friends, we head to the Big Top for the Levellers to kick proceedings off with a brilliant set including the wonderful Just the One, Forgotten Ground and Haven't Made It (which I last heard live in 1995 in Leicester!!!). A great set with a reminder from Jon not to "peak too early"! I ended up ignoring this and fell asleep, missing Ned's Atomic Dustbin but that's much later in the evening!

Our first new band of the day were brilliant, called Uiscedwr (pronounced "ish-ka-dooer" apparently!).

Then the Hobos on the MAIN STAGE!! I thought this was one of the best performances I'd ever seen from them actually, and possibly the biggest crowd!

There then followed a bit of a haze of cider and sleep (like I said, I peaked too early), but I did half see Easy Star All-Stars, Newton Faulkner and The Wailers before we headed to the Bimble Inn to see the magnificent Roots Union. OH was VERY impressed with them, and there was a young man behind us who looked very much like Mr Mark Chadwick who seemed equally impressed.....

This isn't the same gig, but a flavour of this great band: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWm6CcCkIkY

Thursday

New thing was a camping shop, lots of antique shops and the Wetherspoons in Ross on Wye as well as a peek into the Man of Ross Pub.

Wednesday

New thing today was a really stunning hotel in Sutton Coldfield called the New Hall. An amazing setting with a MOAT and everything!

Tuesday

Dandelion beer. (Embarrassed face). Twas delicious though....

Friday

Cheese and chilli Pringles!

Saturday

New thing was the Harvester in Crawley (packed!) and then a sports and social club for a birthday for one of Mr SthgNew's family.

Sunday

New thing was a container (like the one in which someone died in Taggart - I'll always remember that particular episode!). I only spent two minutes in there as Taggart has traumatised me for life!

Monday
As if by magic a shop appeared when I was looking for something new!: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVFcIJWe0zE

A furniture shop which appeared in the local shopping centre just as I was despairing of finding something new to do!

Thursday

A newsagent that I'd not been in before. I was going to buy a local paper but found I was 5p short so when I left the shop without buying anything, the owner followed me out and watched me get into my car....

Wednesday

Topps Tiles! Then thanks to Mr Sthgnew, we watched Mr Smith goes to Washington, a brilliant Capra film from 1939 with the wonderful (and young!) James Stewart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sm9qaEJ3MBc

Look out for the cast member called "Baby Dumpling"....

Tuesday

Had a trial run of my hair and make up for wedding, so new thing was the stylist's flat in Islington, after of course, I had trawled the vintage clothes shops in the rain!

Monday

Topps Tiles.

Sunday

Caramel coffee. Must do better....

Saturday

Mr SthgNew kindly got Local Hero out on DVD. This film was made in 1982! How can I not have seen it before?! I really enjoyed it, although Mr SthgNew absolutely loved it!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98nllsnasek
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOe2qckPh2k

Friday

Petrol station I'd not been to before.

Thursday

Ben Heath furniture shop which, sadly, is closing down.

Wednesday

A bed shop in town to try out mattresses. A lot more satisfying than trying on shoes!

Tuesday

Needed to visit a school in the town. Interesting experience in the staff room watching a member of staff dole out complete rudeness to two pupils, then when they'd left, told her colleagues that she thought they were rude!

Monday

After my incredible exercise class, I needed to post some eBay parcels, so stopped off in Kintbury where I also took the opportunity to visit the wedding cake shop there.

Sunday

We went to church today and in bright sunshine, the final part of the mass took place outside at the Ladywell where the yearly blessing took place. We were told that the church was actually placed to be close to the well, meaning that it's been there for centuries and centuries.

Saturday

New thing was going down a one way street when we walked back from the pub. But not satisfied with that, we watched a great film called Dead of Night from 1945 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-h87StFquI
It's a portmanteau film about a man who goes to a house and meets a group of people. He has a strong feeling of de ja vu. He tells the group that he has dreamt of their meeting before, and that it culminates in horror. Each one of them tells a story of how they've all undergone a strange, ghostly experience. Great stuff.

Friday

I timed my swim to coincide with an aqua aerobics class so that the exertions of the ladies on the other side of the pool made the water on my side feel like the sea! My new thing was then going into the sauna at the pool!