Thursday, June 29, 2006
Footloose and Fancy Free
Eh ' Up duck! (Maddie and I actually heard two ladies at the supermarket say that to one another!)
So, already time has gotten away on me again and so will try and remember all I've been up to to fill you in.. big news is of course, I have finished work and are now on summer holidays!
But first things first huh..
Had a great little trip up to Manchester a month back to visit Maddie for the first time, and Welly mate Juliet, now also living in London, was there too. We were housesitting at Mad's Uncle and Aunts place outside the city a bit, nice place, and got to spoil ourselves with nice food and major catch up sessions! Lovely to see Mads again and like a whole year never happened.
We went into the city for a look see, found some funky places and a free music festie thing, and also a day out to her Grans in Cheshire, complete with May Bank Holiday fayre (I didn't win anything from tombola). Then all too soon it was back on the megabus (super cheap nasty bus company) and home to the big smog... however Mads was following close behind anyways for a NZ music double billing, ka pai!
Went to see the Phonenix Foundation (after all-you-can-eat three pound curry) who were totally rocktastic, very impressed n had a great shimmy shimmy. Next night it was a mission down to Brixton Academy (one of Londons big band venues) to queue and queue and be squashed in to see the wonderful Fat Freddies Drop (yup, third time over here!).. they were as always a class act but gotta say the huge crowds of kiwis and loosing friends kinda took the specialness out of it, as did the two hour trek to get home (stupid big London with its crap night buses). Next night a big bunch of NZ lasses had a picinic in Hyde Park - one of those moments when you go, wholely heck I'm living in London and its rather nice!
Other cool thing Mads and I did was go and see a play at the Globe Theatre. Totally rebuilt as close to the orignial as technology and finances allowed, we even brought the cheap plebe tickets and stood in the circle for the entire THREE hour show! The play was Coriolanus, not one of the more well known numbers but fantastically acted and much to our surprise even had the bulter from 'Fresh Price of Bel Air' in it! Great expreience but think I will upgrade to a seat next time.
Last few weeks of work were cool, not just cos the Boss was away on holiday! made me realise how nice it was to work there, enjoyed chatting to the regulars and having fun with the other two aussies who worked there, it was quite sad to say goodbye (but not after a few drinks!) but who knows, might go back for the odd shift over summer if things work out.
Also over that time I was helping to organise two big events for London Rising Tide, lesser so the hosting of 'Art Not Oil' (www.artnotoil.org.uk) to counter and challenge the BP sponsored National Portrait Awards, which included a fantastic exhibition and launch party. I was more involved preparing for 50 odd people to come to London for the monthly gathering to plan the Camp for Climate Action (www.climatecamp.org.uk) - which happened to be at my humble abode, St Matts. So lots of running around organising food, cleaning, sleeping etc and managed to attend a few meetings myself.. it is shaping up to be a massive event (happening this aug/sept), with lots and lots of work and effort behind it.
Anyways, after a busy few weeks, I had my last day at work and then up and left for the first festival of the summer - Sunrise Solstise Celebration. Went with Renee and on theway met another cool chickadee, Lusea. It was down south near Yeovil, Somerset, first ever one and quite an undertaking. Designed with permaculture and sustainable princibles there was a great recycling system, site wide organic policy, compost loos (see picture!) and lots of renewable energy. Awesome entertainment - truely amazing musicans from singer songwriters to funky fiddlers and medieval kneesups.. lots of different stages and it was a beautiful space to just wander round and see what you would stumble upon. The three of us had some great dances and cool chillouts, met some wicked people.. funny too cos half my house was there so like a big squat camping trip! One downside was my extreme hayfever, grrrh. And was often sleepy thus didn't stay up for the solstise itself.. here are some pictures I found on the internet:
The Bimble Inn, massive tee-pee that sold yummy cider and had giant board games - jenga was a favourite!
OK, now the compuer isn't letting me download any more so will try on a separate post..
Anyways, we ended up spending a week there (did I mention that we stewarded at it? three shifts of six hours to get a free ticket) then scored a ride back to London with a truck full of Portugese, a night at mine to re-group then Renee and I were straight off to the next one! This time a very small, local festival near Peterborough called the Grassroots Gathering, heard about it through Rising Tide and was very inspiring. Lots of young folks that had decided to put on their own festival to showcase all the amazing talent from their hometown (and beyond). Great site on a hill and very small and friendly, everyone pitched in to help out. Only thing was my hayfever got even worse and was feeling a tad miserable and sorry for myeslf! Saw more great music and a chilled out time by the bonfire. From there got another great lift, this time right to the door of Maddies next housesitting venture in Nottingham!
So that pretty much brings you all up to date - been having a swell time in another beautiful home just eating well and doing fun stuff with Mads (including the Guardian Crossword over coffee). Funny cos it was a year (YES! A year!) ago I was living here so kinda gone full circle, we walked around my old haunt Forest Fields yesterday and going for a drink at the Sumac Centre (where I volunteered at the bar) tonight.
Then its back to London tomorrow, a week there to sort things out and relax and have fun before the next festival! This time a bigger, more 'mainstream' one near Oxford. Will report back when I can but the rest of the summer is going to be travelling round and popping in and out of London, and then in August its road trip with the folks!!
Oh, and further to the comment about flags and the World Cup, it has now reached extreme levels of tackiness - St George flags are everywhere, you cannot walk a couple of metres down the road without seeing one and every second car flies them from their windows, on the up side when an English game is one its lovely and quiet out on the streets!
hugs to you all and keep warm with all that snow ya'll
xxx
So, already time has gotten away on me again and so will try and remember all I've been up to to fill you in.. big news is of course, I have finished work and are now on summer holidays!
But first things first huh..
Had a great little trip up to Manchester a month back to visit Maddie for the first time, and Welly mate Juliet, now also living in London, was there too. We were housesitting at Mad's Uncle and Aunts place outside the city a bit, nice place, and got to spoil ourselves with nice food and major catch up sessions! Lovely to see Mads again and like a whole year never happened.
We went into the city for a look see, found some funky places and a free music festie thing, and also a day out to her Grans in Cheshire, complete with May Bank Holiday fayre (I didn't win anything from tombola). Then all too soon it was back on the megabus (super cheap nasty bus company) and home to the big smog... however Mads was following close behind anyways for a NZ music double billing, ka pai!
Went to see the Phonenix Foundation (after all-you-can-eat three pound curry) who were totally rocktastic, very impressed n had a great shimmy shimmy. Next night it was a mission down to Brixton Academy (one of Londons big band venues) to queue and queue and be squashed in to see the wonderful Fat Freddies Drop (yup, third time over here!).. they were as always a class act but gotta say the huge crowds of kiwis and loosing friends kinda took the specialness out of it, as did the two hour trek to get home (stupid big London with its crap night buses). Next night a big bunch of NZ lasses had a picinic in Hyde Park - one of those moments when you go, wholely heck I'm living in London and its rather nice!
Other cool thing Mads and I did was go and see a play at the Globe Theatre. Totally rebuilt as close to the orignial as technology and finances allowed, we even brought the cheap plebe tickets and stood in the circle for the entire THREE hour show! The play was Coriolanus, not one of the more well known numbers but fantastically acted and much to our surprise even had the bulter from 'Fresh Price of Bel Air' in it! Great expreience but think I will upgrade to a seat next time.
Last few weeks of work were cool, not just cos the Boss was away on holiday! made me realise how nice it was to work there, enjoyed chatting to the regulars and having fun with the other two aussies who worked there, it was quite sad to say goodbye (but not after a few drinks!) but who knows, might go back for the odd shift over summer if things work out.
Also over that time I was helping to organise two big events for London Rising Tide, lesser so the hosting of 'Art Not Oil' (www.artnotoil.org.uk) to counter and challenge the BP sponsored National Portrait Awards, which included a fantastic exhibition and launch party. I was more involved preparing for 50 odd people to come to London for the monthly gathering to plan the Camp for Climate Action (www.climatecamp.org.uk) - which happened to be at my humble abode, St Matts. So lots of running around organising food, cleaning, sleeping etc and managed to attend a few meetings myself.. it is shaping up to be a massive event (happening this aug/sept), with lots and lots of work and effort behind it.
Anyways, after a busy few weeks, I had my last day at work and then up and left for the first festival of the summer - Sunrise Solstise Celebration. Went with Renee and on theway met another cool chickadee, Lusea. It was down south near Yeovil, Somerset, first ever one and quite an undertaking. Designed with permaculture and sustainable princibles there was a great recycling system, site wide organic policy, compost loos (see picture!) and lots of renewable energy. Awesome entertainment - truely amazing musicans from singer songwriters to funky fiddlers and medieval kneesups.. lots of different stages and it was a beautiful space to just wander round and see what you would stumble upon. The three of us had some great dances and cool chillouts, met some wicked people.. funny too cos half my house was there so like a big squat camping trip! One downside was my extreme hayfever, grrrh. And was often sleepy thus didn't stay up for the solstise itself.. here are some pictures I found on the internet:
The Bimble Inn, massive tee-pee that sold yummy cider and had giant board games - jenga was a favourite!
OK, now the compuer isn't letting me download any more so will try on a separate post..
Anyways, we ended up spending a week there (did I mention that we stewarded at it? three shifts of six hours to get a free ticket) then scored a ride back to London with a truck full of Portugese, a night at mine to re-group then Renee and I were straight off to the next one! This time a very small, local festival near Peterborough called the Grassroots Gathering, heard about it through Rising Tide and was very inspiring. Lots of young folks that had decided to put on their own festival to showcase all the amazing talent from their hometown (and beyond). Great site on a hill and very small and friendly, everyone pitched in to help out. Only thing was my hayfever got even worse and was feeling a tad miserable and sorry for myeslf! Saw more great music and a chilled out time by the bonfire. From there got another great lift, this time right to the door of Maddies next housesitting venture in Nottingham!
So that pretty much brings you all up to date - been having a swell time in another beautiful home just eating well and doing fun stuff with Mads (including the Guardian Crossword over coffee). Funny cos it was a year (YES! A year!) ago I was living here so kinda gone full circle, we walked around my old haunt Forest Fields yesterday and going for a drink at the Sumac Centre (where I volunteered at the bar) tonight.
Then its back to London tomorrow, a week there to sort things out and relax and have fun before the next festival! This time a bigger, more 'mainstream' one near Oxford. Will report back when I can but the rest of the summer is going to be travelling round and popping in and out of London, and then in August its road trip with the folks!!
Oh, and further to the comment about flags and the World Cup, it has now reached extreme levels of tackiness - St George flags are everywhere, you cannot walk a couple of metres down the road without seeing one and every second car flies them from their windows, on the up side when an English game is one its lovely and quiet out on the streets!
hugs to you all and keep warm with all that snow ya'll
xxx
# posted by claire @ 2:47 AM 
