Saturday 6th August 11, Helen and Jason's Wedding

A really lovely day.  We got all our gear ready to go in the taxi to Portscatho, or more accurately, Treloan Coastal Holidays Campsite, south of Gerrans.  The taxi chap had arranged to meet us up the hill where it wasn't quite so steep, at 10am.  He had had difficulty last time on the steep slope and it was easier for us to lug all our gear up to him than him drive down to us and risk getting stuck.

So, we took the taxi the 13 or so miles to the campsite... it took half an hour and cost £35... but this was much quicker than (and probably a similar cost to) getting a bus to St Austell, a train to Truro and a bus to Portscatho... and later, we realised there is no direct bus from Truro to Portscatho, you have to get off one and walk for a mile to catch the connecting bus between Veryan and Ruan High Lanes, which is a complete nonsense when it comes to accessible public transport.  So we were very happy to have a quick door-to-door service, and Carl the taxi man was nice.

We got to the campsite before 11am and our pitch was not yet vacated, so whilst the other campers were striking camp, I explored the site, and was surprised to find a poster featuring my friend Robin Harford, the wild food forager, who was running a short foraging workshop on the following Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.  I was pleased to see this but saddened as we were due to be going on the Monday morning, so I wouldn't be able to attend.

I erected the tent almost single-handedly.  As it was quite windy, I pegged it down before putting in the poles, which was sensible as it was at risk of blowing away once the poles were in. It took less than an hour to do it... this was just the second time I've put it up, and last time I had lots of help.

Soon after I'd done this, it was time to go and wait for the bus that Helen and Jay had organised, so I got changed into my smart clothes in the tent, as did the others, and we went to the campsite office.  There was already a well-dressed gent there, and we asked if he was going to the wedding, and yes... he was waiting for his family to join him too.

The bus came...it was a preserved vintage one from King Harry Coaches, really beautiful and special-looking, with a wedding ribbon on the front.  There were already quite a few people on it, and we picked up others along the way, including Linda, Gill's sister, and her daughter Nancy with her boys... all looking very smart and happy.

It didn't take long to get to St Just in Roseland Church, down a narrow leafy lane, looking almost tropical in its abundance.  The church is down some paths through gardens, and the church overlooks the sea... well, a wooded inlet which is really pretty.  All the guests milled around and chatted, and then after quite a wait, we filed in and as we were the Bride's family, we sat on the left of the church... which gave us a great view of the couple when they were going through the ceremony.

Helen was walked down the isle by Mike, her father, and she was smiling and giggling and obviously revelling in the moment.  The vicar who presided over the ceremony was a very humorous woman, just perfect for Helen, who is renowned for her sense of fun. Jason is slightly more sober and sensible and I'm sure helps balance Helen's giddy personality. 

After the ceremony, we all filed outside where a pair of photographers got all the different groups of people to line up for the official photos.  I took a few as well, these are my favourites:

From the church we all got back in the two old buses and we wound our way back to Portscatho and a field just beyond Treloan, where a large marquee had been put up.

This was a wonderful reception venue.  There was Pimms served and then a lovely meal, and the traditional speeches.  Children had straw bales to play on/with, and frisbees, footballs, cricket equipment and more.  I think it was the best reception party I've been to, and I really enjoyed meeting our new relatives, Jason's side of the family, as well as the relatives we already know and love.

The party continued til midnight... there was a brief rainstorm and a rainbow, and plenty of sunshine, fun, conversation, food and drink, and later, music and both Gill and I danced.

I dedicate today's blog post to Jason and Helen Kenneally. I hope they have a long and happy life together.

Thursday 14th July 11

A busy morning getting ready to go to Hampshire for the Little Green Gathering, where Professor Fiddlesticks and John the Composter are appearing.

I'll be back on Monday, and therefore there'll be a rare gap in the daily updates here.


I had a bit of a pile of compostables to put on a heap so I went down the garden in my dressing gown to do that, and as it was such a nice warm day, discarded the gown and worked naked in the privacy of our own garden for maybe an hour. I was taking stuff out of sacks and chopping it up with the big knife I've had had since I worked in an abattoir when I was 20, and taking plastic wrappers off, and making sure that there were plenty of layers of woodchips and shredded hedge in between the layers of putrescible carrot and melon.  I really enjoy the peace and quiet down the garden, and the way the robins come and check out what I'm doing, and if I get apples or grapes, that I can throw these a short distance away and blackbirds will come and feast on them.  This feels very close to nature and it is wonderful.  And of course, I'm processing stuff which would have gone to landfill otherwise, and turning it into a valuable resource which is good for the planet and its biosphere.   I don't often go naked in the garden, this was only the second time this year, but I like the feel of the air and sun on my skin, it's very sensual... not sexual or erotic though, as some people who haven't tried 'naturism' might think.

I came back in at 10 and got my rucksack sorted, chose enough circus stuff to do shows and freeplay workshops and a balloon activity on the final day, plus tent and airbed and sleeping bag, and an LED lamp Gill got as she worries about my using a candle in a jar as lighting.

I had a bath and hair wash, and then at about 1 I set off on the bike with my rather heavy rucksack, my juggle-kit bag, my unicycle and my diary and reading matter bag down to town, put in a pile of cheques to my building society and headed to the station.

I got the 1.55 to London and had a trouble-free and easy trip to Kings Cross, then the tube to Leicester Square and on to Waterloo, where I got an earlier train than expected, and sat in the First Class of the Petersfield train as my equipment was in the lobby of that carriage and the First Class had plenty of space.

I got to Petersfield at about 5.30 and waited for Serena to pick me up.  I got a call to say her little car had overheated in a traffic jam and she'd be late.  I didn't mind; I went to the nearby Tesco and got some bread and hommous, and a couple of bottles of perry, and had sandwiches sitting in the bus stop.  I had a nice conversation with an unusual woman who was travelling through the country using just her free pensioner bus pass.

Serena turned up, with her 2 year old son who I met on this year's World Naked Bike Ride.... not a naked rider though, too young to make that decision!

I only just managed to squeeze into the car and the satnav took us to the village of East Meon and on to The Sustainability Centre.

This is an ex-military site, with some ugly buildings and lots and lots of beautiful trees, some open glades, and a view of the sea in the far distance.  There's a small woodworking site, making green oak wooden frames and chestnut shingles for roofs. There's a natural burial site in amongst the woodland. They have a hostel where people can stay and self-cater, or school groups can stay to explore the area, or learn about sustainability.  There are some lived-in yurts and a couple of
tepees and yurts which can be hired to stay in.  And there's a wonderful outdoor classroom, built by Ben Law.  And a project called Rural Crafts which has people with learning difficulties doing gardening, and a cafe which anyone can visit.... it's a wonderful place!

We looked for someone on site to ask where to camp, and I rang the phone number I'd been given when I booked the extra days camping.  There was no answer.  We had a wander around and met some of the people who lived on site, in one of the yurts.  They showed us some camping areas, but because I snore I didn't want to inflict my noise on anyone else so I found a place in the woods and put my tent up there.

Later a few LGG people showed up and we agreed to help put the main stage up in the morning.

Tuesday 3rd August 10

Slept much better as there was no cockerel at 3am and again at 5. And my position on the edge of the inflatable mattress was better than being sandwiched between my sons too.

I got up at 8 and started getting stuff together to go home... with a coffee offered from Mary and a visit up the field to give out balloon models as promised last night to about half a dozen children.

Eventually my two were up and breakfasted and we got the tent sorted and into its bag. We got the 11.02 bus back... we were the first on and therefore got the top deck front seats, the best view and a real treat.

We got into York slightly late, at about 12.25, and there was a number 10 bus home at 12.54, so I gave the boys the bus fare and went to get my bike, and then waited til the bus came and they got on and got their tickets, I then cycled home, and of course got home well before them. Gill met them at the bus stop and they reported having had a good time, thank goodness!

I had lunch and a couple of hours dealing with emails and catching up with the blog... and then went out to see Richard at Country Fresh, and when I came back I had a peaceful hour in the garden dealing with the result of this visit.

I picked a courgette and took it round to Debbie but she wasn't in, but I left it for her. I found a load of electrical flex in a skip so I brought that home to recycle the copper.

Gill bought a pizza for tea and had some veggie sausages in the freezer which needed using so we had those plus potato salad with home grown cucumber.

I had a fairly sedentary evening, lit the stove so I could get freshened up for tomorrow as I'm working. I looked up bioluminescent wood and it is colloquially known as foxfire. It is indeed caused by growing mushroom mycelium, although it isn't known what purpose, if any, it serves.

Sunday 1st August 10

Up early to get ready for work and camping for a couple of days.

If all goes well, and there's no knowing that it will go well, Gill will bring the boys up to Pickering on the bus and we'll meet up after my gig, and I'll spend two nights under canvass with the boys.
It did all go well. I got the 9.52 bus to Pickering which got in soon after 11, and I made my way to the Memorial Hall where I suggested to Natalie, my handler, that I'd meet her prior to the 1pm start. However, on the way there I met the Treasurer of the event who introduced herself, so although Natalie didn't turn up, I think she knew I was around. She'd asked me to text her when I got in, but 3 buttons on Gill's phone weren't working so I couldn't input her number.

But I had lunch and got changed, leaving my clothes etc in the Memorial Hall and I made my way to the Market Street to find her and find where she wanted me to work. I'd been asked to do walkabout but she was happy for me to do my usual static show; I aid I'd do that for the first hour and then reassess what was to be done, whether walkabout was the right thing to do after that.

I found a good spot on a wide bit of pavement at the top of the street, and immediately got a good audience. But I had another 'first' today: I was doing a workshop with several children balancing sticks and a small family group started to walk in front of the kids, so I tried to stop them and asked that they go behind the audience. This in itself is not uncommon, there are some rude unthinking selfish people out there. However, this group pushed past me and to make the rude intrusion as entertaining as possible for the 100 or so people watching, I larked around behind the chap with the pushchair, making faces and holding my arms up over my head to look silly/scary... and the audience laughed, which was my intention.... but the guy suddenly threw his arm back at me and thumped me in the chest. I've never been punched before in my show. It wasn't a hard punch, but visible and shocking to the audience, so I went alongside the man and said "What you've just done is assault and if you don't get out of Pickering now, I'll call the police. People like you are not welcome in Pickering." He continued walking on... and I told the audience, mostly children, that they'd just seen an example of a rude and horrible person and I hoped that none of them would ever be as nasty as that. Over the next 20 minutes or so, several adults expressed their concern for me, and shock at what he did.

In the last half hour I did a long queue of balloon animals. I had an audience member called Shaun who had been watching the whole show and I chatted with him afterwards; he was a lovely guy. I find it odd that with some people, I just 'click' and I know I've got a friend. I hope we meet again, I think we will.

I finished soon after 3 and the Treasurer lady gave me my fee in an envelope. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive. I went to get changed and then walked back to the bus, and at 4.15 it came and Gill and the boys were on it.

Lovely to see them, some excitement about our little holiday. We were soon in Thornton Le Dale, and 4 minutes later at the Prospect Farm Campsite.

Paul showed us where to camp, right next to the trampoline, and together we set up the tent. We then walked Gilly back to the bus stop, had a brief explore of the village and put her on the bus back to York.

We met some other campers in a hired 'Commer' van, Mary and Mark, plus their two grandchildren and a cousin, all 16 and under, lovely people. I did a bit of balloon fun with them and the youngest had a go at making his own. Lots of fun, playing around, including with a frisbee.

We had a good evening... cold pasta and salad bits for tea, and when it was dark we went to explore the forest above the campsite... and whilst we were in there I suggested that the wind up torch should be switched off, and amazingly, there were glowing things all around us. These turned out to be ends of rotten logs, some kind of fungal mycelium giving off low level light. I'd read about this as a child (possibly in 'Swallowdale' by Arthur Ransome, can anyone confirm this?) but never seen it myself. Therefore I was really pleased to see it! I think the boys were pretty amazed too.

Had an uncomfortable night as I slept between the boys, one snuggled up and head on my shoulder, the other preferred to have his head in my armpit and my arm around him. I didn't sleep well and was awoken by the cock crowing at 2 or 3am, and again constantly at 5am. I got up and had a wee at 7 and then fell asleep for 2 hours til 9, when the warmth in the tent woke me. We'd all had a fairly disturbed night, the boys commenting on my snoring!