Thursday
As per usual it's an early start on the Thursday. It's
mainly about avoiding the traffic, but there are also people to see before the
42nd Cambridge Folk Festival kicks off.
It's a scorcher of a day. The
thunderstorm last night has done little to clear the humidity, the roads are
relatively quiet and I get to Cambridge in good time.
As I drive past Cherry
Hinton Hall to drop my stuff off where I'm staying (Thanks Andy) The site is
already busy with activity. Festival goers already there with loads more making
their way along the road with all sorts of tents and other equipment under arms,
on backs and even on a child's pushchair.
I drop my kit off and catch up with
what's been happening locally before heading off to one of the local pubs to
meet up with one of the FATEA crew, Phil and sort him out with his ticket and start
confirming whose covering what.
It's not just the booked acts that we're
going to be looking at. A lot of bands that are hoping to play the Club Tent
have been in touch so between us we're going to spend more time there this
year.
Phil has been delayed in traffic, but there are lots of places worse
than a pub to wait for someone. It's a hot day so a nice cold drink slides down
all too easily.
Phil shows up and there's still time to order food, result.
The choice of food is Tai. There's a lot to catch up on and it's a really
enjoyable lunch.
It's starting to cloud over and the humidity is high. By the
time we reach the site it's started showering, it just makes all the camping
activity that much more frantic. Fortunately it's over almost before it starts.
By the time we've got our passes it's stopped, time to head into the site
proper.
Children are already playing. The circus skills area is up and
running. People with guitars seem to be looking for people with fiddles.
A
squealing balloon makes its way skyward.
Next stop is the media caravan to
see if there's any news updates and see who else has checked in.
The old crew
are there and it's starting to feel like Cambridge again. There are so many
familiar faces around.
I go and grab a programme. I get back in time to see
Nick and Cat arrive so the FATEA team are gathering and getting ready for the
off. There's also the first sighting of the non-FATEA pit ponies. So it looks
it's going to be a good year, if only the weather holds and it’s getting
decidedly dark.
Almost as soon as I've finished writing it decides to start
chucking it down. It doesn't make a lot of difference in the field. The Frisbee
game goes on unabated.
The sound of rain drubbing off the band gets in the
way of the conversation. Suddenly the Frisbee boys make a break for it as does
pretty much everyone else.The first crack of lightning ends the bravado
The
poor souls trapped in the beer tent are almost certainly going to have to buy an
additional drink or three.