Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Saturday

The rain threatened all weekend but held off till the end of Saturday evening as the festival ended with Fairport Convention (and it seemed like most of the other performers from the whole weekend) playing 'Meet on the Ledge'. We'd been bringing plastic bags and brollies and all kinds of stuff and hadn't needed them till the trek back to the campsite on Saturday night.
Then it rained alright. Wind howling and crowds trudging, and my goodness, finding the way through the campfield to the loos was a bit of fun!



Swarb's Lazarus were brilliant. The immortal Swarb, risen from the oxygen mask and wheelchair (seven years after reading his own obituary in the daily telegraph) and still playing the fiddle as though he was laughing at demons. He has a right to laugh at them.


It got quite cold and windy and Barney was persuaded that he should go and buy warm patchwork trousers (at a fiver, what person with cold legs could resist). he was deeply upset that they were now only reduced to a tenner. Well me and phriend told him he should have got them the day before. So we had warm, matching legs.





20 years ago I bought this rug at Cropredy for the huge sum of £30. I really just wanted the pleasure of bringing home those rich colours so it seemed like a wild extravagance. But it's still warm and thick and dense and the colours still glow.
Many times I've stood and listened to 'Meet on the Ledge' at the end of the festival, with it draped round me or the children. And hours and hours, lying on it, protected from the damp grass, reading or dozing while music filled the air. 30 quid's worth of warmth and good memories.

14 comments:

At 2:48 AM, Blogger Kata said...

Must..have..patchwork..pants....!

Is that child tethered to that rope? Hehehe...

Great shots Mig per usual..sounds like it was a blast!

 
At 3:18 AM, Blogger mig bardsley said...

Blast from the past but with new bits added Mangey.
Patchwork pants are wonderful (though to be honest I probably won't get them out again till the next festival....they add an awful lot of inches to the appearance of my already generous backside:)

 
At 5:42 AM, Blogger Mel said...

Oh how I enjoy a good fiddle player.
Absolutely amazing how they get transformed in the music.....

*sigh*
I need to get to a good bluegrass festival--or at the very least, an outside concert of SOME sort.
It's always better outside eh?

 
At 10:43 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

That rug looks gorgeous and what a lovely thing to have that holds so many good memories wrapped up in its warmth. Please Mig, remind me next year to get tickets for Cropredy, you brought back all the good memories I have of it and I hope they'll have rugs for sale too.

 
At 12:01 PM, Blogger mig bardsley said...

*it's always better outside* Mel, I so agree. What with the weather and the freedom to roam around and the hordes of people wearing silly clothes it's so out of the ordinary world.

I'll make a note now Thursday..maybe we could meet. Though perhaps more reliable than in the old days when it was 'at the bar on the half hour from 12.00 to 2.00.' (We don't drink that much any more for one thing.)

 
At 1:34 PM, Blogger starbender said...

ah mig, u go so many places! Good 4 U. Life is meant 2 B lived. Once again, the photos R great!
:)

 
At 1:34 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sounds good Mig - looking forward to it. Golly, this means I'm going to have to camp again ... *gasp*

 
At 3:51 PM, Blogger mig bardsley said...

Thank you Star. I'm so lucky my partner is a traveller at heart. Because I am too.

Two of the best things in the world Thursday. Setting up a little canvas play house in the middle of a field and feeling the fresh air trying to join you at every opportunity and packing it all up again to go home to your very own bed!

 
At 4:11 AM, Blogger Mel said...

Okay....I just have to say, with no guilt attached to it please, that I missed your posts.

*hanging head*
There.
I owned it.

 
At 2:38 PM, Blogger mig bardsley said...

Mel, I don't think you need to hang head :)
And how nice of you to say so.

 
At 5:54 PM, Blogger I, Like The View said...

I just have to say this, before I write my comment: the word is. . .

"dodgy"

I KID YOU NOT and will post it as soon as photoblogger cooperates (but this is not a reflection on my tastes, I'll have you know)

I'm with the mangey one:

gotta

have

a

pair

of

those

patchwork

pants


!!


and then will wrap rug around hips and secure with big kilt pin

(now, what could I find to go on top? I know! the jumper I knitted on holiday)

love the fiddler photos

well, how can I single any out from the rest?

love 'em all

 
At 7:54 PM, Blogger Sam said...

My mum will be delighted with those photos! Glad you had a lovely time :-)

 
At 10:42 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

faery is right - I love the photos! Mr ferretlegs and I are envious of the trousers too - we quite fancy ourselves in a pair of those (each naturally!).

 
At 12:09 AM, Blogger mig bardsley said...

Oh excellent, you're back I! I'll be right over :)

Thank you Faery, it was very good.

I can see that I'll need to be taking orders for trousers next year...they're very big though ferretlegs, might do two of you in one pair quite comfortably. (though I absolutely refuse to share trousers with Barney...what makes him look long and colourful makes me look short and potentially explosive)

 

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