Categories: uncategorized
Date: 18 August 2008 09:12:39
Once upon a time there was a magazine called Buzz, (or whatever it had become by '88), and it contained an advert for a Christian arts festival. So 16 clumsy and shy but wanting to go off on an adventure I got a friend to go with and sent off for the tickets.
The day arrived and after popping in to school to get my GCSE results we headed off. It was at Castle Ashby then, & you could get in on the Thursday. That evening I headed off to find some music, and wandered into a big top to hear The Fat Band, (or something like that). I arrived back at the tent that evening with a slightly cut lip from some majorly aggressive slam dancing - (that's moshing in new money) and an understanding that this wasn't like any "Christian" event I'd ever come across before. Over the rest of the weekend a slightly wierd scene emerged as my very evangelical friend decided that the only things it was safe to go and listen to were Amy Grant and Cliff Richard, but me - I went exploring.
I can't remember what else I actually heard that year, but I do know some bloke pursuaded me to spend £5 on a bright red tape, Live at The Wonkey Donkey by Fat and Frantic, which was cool. As for speakers not sure who I heard if any, but I do know that I got confuddled about the mythical communion service. I headed out to the small church on the estate for communion and was most confused to only find a few people, when this had been billed as a central part of the experience. Later in the day I discovered "the real" communion service.
Oh and I do remember that Greenbelt was dry then and so we had to wander into the village. I did that sitting outside the pub with my half of cider thing, hoping nobody would come out and query my age.
The toilets were wooden drop pits, in what can cubicles which had a close resemblance to voting booths.
So it was that 20 years ago I started to fall in love with a festival called Greenbelt .