What a line-up!.. and with perfect timing it would mean absence from Paleo over the dreaded Aug 15th holiday, so that is what we did!
Meticulous planning for cheapest travel and overnights plus minimal packing - and by Thursday lunchtime we were at Gatwick railway station. Network Rail were very helpful in re-issuing the tickets after the wallet theft and we had a smooth ride via Reading to Banbury, then the nice taxi man took us to a back entrance and we were able to pitch the kids' tent in a very convenient field that was theoretically full but OK with no vehicle - nice and easy to erect!
On the train we had received an SMS from NZ Mike and daughter Sophia saying they were already there. We saw them several times over the weekend , as well as Richard, Annie and Joel - that's all as in Cosmogonia strumming 2008 and Yanni's Place strumming earlier this summer, so Paleo was well-represented!
We saw about a half of these acts - plus Yusef Islam ("Cat Stevens") as guest star on the last night. Otherwise we were out and about in the village (see next/following blog)
There is a wonderful account from (sorry) The Telegraph! We will "spoil it" by enhancing her report o
n the Ade spoof of Steeleye Span's "All around my Hat""If anyone should ask me........ It's my ****ing business! It's my ****ing hat!"
Seth Lakeman and Dreadzone were new to us and we are now firm fans. Winwood disappointed some who had wanted more from the Traffic era - which he did deliver after they'd gone home. Richard Thompson was superb.
The "demographics" of the festival are very interesting! We decided the missing generation was that aged, say, 25 to 40. There were plenty
of people older than us - mostly equipped with very comfortable chairs, plenty of families and plenty of groups of "young people" ("Isn't Cat Stevens the one they put a death threat on?") Several members of the latter fell onto our tent at 3 in the morning!We had travelled very light thanks to Easyjet policies, so we were not blessed with chairs or even groundsheet, nor with catering kit. Fortunately although the dew was very heavy and the wind chilly we had only a tiny drop of rain. We found good places for "meals", and had a shower in the Cricket Pavillion. The loos were incredibly clean and well-maintained.
On Sunday morning we decamped and took the train back to East Croydon and the joys of a night in the Travelodge (32 sterling well spent!) We visited the Balham house and then went for a very nice Roast Beef at the (disastously renovated) Duke of Devonshire.
Next day we went to Brighton to help Chloe after her move into a 6-student shared house. We had a day of ringing the utilities, pushing trolleys of ex-storage stuff, B&Q purchases and Sainsbury's food up hills, followed by estate agent visit and fish and chips, and finally assembling flat-pack furniture. After that a night dossing at Gatwick airport was almost restful. (Fortunately Chloe is really happy with the place and her housemates - she just needs to find some part-time work which isn't easy!)
Finally we came back from Piraeus to Chania overnight. This time the boat was the Lato, so seats were in the huge open lounge. No prisoners this time (see June) - but "Mr Creosote" was next to Bob coughing and spluttering, so we await Swine Flu, and we are not having Air Type seats again - it's a cabin or the floor!
At Chania bus station a Brit came up to us and said "You must have been at Cropredy last weekend - wasn't it good?"
Small world or what?