Amazing....

I'm in this totally amazing old stone cottage, in the village square of Wickham, the most gorgeous traditional English village, half an hour from Southampton..the shops round the square are olde worlde, and in between the butchers and the hairdressers is the old front door of Anchor Cottage, owned by the hotel just further up the street..they use it as an overfill..it is absolutely beautiful...large rooms, stone or wood floors, minimalistic, uncluttered, beautifully furnished..three double bedrooms, mine is en suite....one thing I did not expect was to get into bed, turn on the laptop and find an unsecured wireless connection through the 12" solid walls!!!

When Johnny arrived to pick me up, and we drove off down the road, a bit of me wanted to shout 'Stop, let me go home, I really don't want to do this...' it's bizarre, I hardly feel I know the guy although he's my cousin, and I'm going away for four days!!!!

Now we are here, and have walked down to the first evening of the festival....I was stunned...it is the first year of this festival, and it's tiny!!!! It's held partly in the village hall, and the mainstage is in the car park round the back..it's like being in a large school playground, with..I don't know, maybe 300 people sitting or standing around? I have counted three stewards, one security guy, (with radio) one guy in a yellow jacket, another guy in a suit, also with radio, he looks like 'Management'. We ate our dinner in the village hall, they are serving food all weekend, so we both had ham, egg and chips and a cup of tea in the main hall, sitting at a formica table....

I have also counted two blocks of portaloos, seven in one block, four in the other (inc one disabled). I have noted one temporary light which is leaning and looks a little unsteady...the side path round the side of the hall hasn't got enough lighting and there is a kerb, disabled access is crap..there are a few random bollards, which to give them their due, they have put stripy tiger tape on so no-one walks in to them...

I was worried when the main band came back on at 2 mins past 11 for an encore..what are their licence conditions???? As we were leaving, a single steward was standing in the dark at the side of the hall, pointing out the bollards and kerb, and cables (under rubber matting) and encouraging us to be safe and not trip. 'You need better lighting here,' I say, concerned, and she says, 'Yes, we know, we will have it tomorrow,' so I leave, happy, with the crowd of, oh at least 40 people at that point.....

Have I come to relax and enjoy the music? Sorry..I'll try.....