Festivals - Day 5

Festivals - Day 5

The Met Office said it would be a few scattered light showers - I wasn't worried... I was going to be telling at a PlayFest in a tipi in a quiet corner and had a special parking permit to let me park fairly near at hand.

Really! There was no parking space nearer than a good ten minute walk away. As I parked, the rain started. I packed everything neatly into my large, wheeled, wicker basket, put on a rain coat, gathered up the dogs and set off along the wet grass.

As I turned a corner onto rough ground, the wind got up and blew the cover off the basket and several of my soft toy/props scattered into a puddle.

After gathering them up and trying to make the basket secure, we struggled onto the playing field - despite the rain it was packed with children, stilt walkers, clowns, dancers etc amongst all the stalls - and amplified music everywhere.

No one knew where I was supposed to go... but I recognised the tipi at the far end of the field and made my way across. The entrance was so small, I had to get down on hands and knees and then try to drag the big basket inside without spilling everything again.

By now I was wet... the dogs were wet... my props were wet... and the tipi flaps were open, so the inside of the tipi was wet - and the amplified music was blasting out close by.

No matter - I set up and put out my sign and chalked the start time onto the little slate - and the rain washed it straight off again.

The rain never stopped all afternoon - a steady, drenching, wind-blown rain.

But soon the audience arrived, eager to get out of the rain - only to find it was raining inside the tipi. They all managed to find reasonably sheltered spots - I was the only one fully exposed to the elements.

Despite all this, the stories were warmly received and we managed to have some fun. Eventually someone came to close the tipi flaps,  I found a stall that could provide a cup of tea, and the damp storytelling continued. Everyone gave up eventually and the event closed down an hour early.

The forecast for tomorrow is a lot better.