Life after Hadlow
Yes there is! You can't imagine it, but it exists.
Hope you are all ok and settling into the new regime, which for me is currently a regime of sleeping, eating, standing around with cups of tea and generally being in a daze.
Had a brilliant weekend on the Isle of Wight - it was great fun. Such a good atmosphere, it's amazing that there were 60,000 people all in one place, most of whom were drunk, and there was no trouble and everyone was happy. I managed to spend the whole weekend outside in the baking sun and stayed exactly the same colour. I think when Procol Harum were singing "Whiter Shade of Pale" they were looking at my legs. Maybe I was a bit over-zealous with the Factor 30, but you can't be too careful, and let's face it, I haven't seen much of the outside world for the last 4 years so I thought I should be well protected!
On Friday night the final act was The Prodigy - they were just brilliant live. Everyone was dancing and jumping - there were some real old ravers there blowing whistles and waving their arms about. I tapped my foot a bit and hummed along. Didn't want to embarrass the kids.
On Saturday night my son and I were trying to force our way through the huge crowds to the front to watch the Foo Fighters when a voice behind him said, "don't you have homework to do?" Incredibly, it was his Chemistry teacher. I don't know who went more red, him or me, as I'd taken him out of school without a good reason! She didn't look anything like the chemistry teachers from my day, the old bloke who taught me had bouffant hair and a penchant for wearing womens blouses, but back in the 70s that was just seen as being a little eccentric. Amazing that out of all those people she happened to bump into us!
The Proclaimers played on Saturday afternoon - I thought they were really good too. Back in January Tim and I were invited to a Burns Supper and everyone had to prepare a little piece of entertainment for after supper. It was quite a well-to-do crowd down in Tyrells Wood and everyone was ra-ra ing and reading out bits of Burns poetry. Well I'd tried to find something I liked, but couldn't make head nor tail of most of it, so when it came to our turn I produced a Karaoke machine from the car and Tim and I gave a rather brilliant rendition of "500 Miles" by the Proclaimers (the most Scottish song I know). We handed out lyric sheets and everyone joined in. Needless to say, it lowered the tone of the evening by several notches and we haven't been invited back. Anyway, they played it on Saturday, and I knew all the words! Result.
Stephanie, my daughter, disappeared on Saturday afternoon because she wanted to get near to the front to see Dirty Pretty Things. When she reappeared she was attached to a long haired boy with a pierced lip. Didn't see much of her after that and apparently he's coming to stay next weekend.
Primal Scream were also on on Saturday - great band.
On Sunday Stephanie was missing in action, and Justin, exhausted from having to get up for breakfast (something he doesn't normally manage at weekends), slept on a rug under some trees all day, so I wandered round soaking up the atmosphere. What a great way to relax after such a traumatic few months. Stood watching Lou Reed with the sun beating down and it was just a Perfect Day (although he didn't sing that).
Wish I'd had my sketch book (not for sketching purposes) because there was so much happening and I wanted to write it down and then tell you all about it. There was more but I don't want to bore you!
Anyway, still waiting to feel like a real garden designer. When you are about to give birth and you are thinking "I don't feel like a mother" everyone says "it just comes naturally and when you've got the baby in your arms you know you're a real mum". Well that never really happened me, and similarly, even though I am the proud owner of a degree in Garden Design, I don't actually feel like a garden designer. Maybe it will dawn on me soon.
Hope you are all ok and settling into the new regime, which for me is currently a regime of sleeping, eating, standing around with cups of tea and generally being in a daze.
Had a brilliant weekend on the Isle of Wight - it was great fun. Such a good atmosphere, it's amazing that there were 60,000 people all in one place, most of whom were drunk, and there was no trouble and everyone was happy. I managed to spend the whole weekend outside in the baking sun and stayed exactly the same colour. I think when Procol Harum were singing "Whiter Shade of Pale" they were looking at my legs. Maybe I was a bit over-zealous with the Factor 30, but you can't be too careful, and let's face it, I haven't seen much of the outside world for the last 4 years so I thought I should be well protected!
On Friday night the final act was The Prodigy - they were just brilliant live. Everyone was dancing and jumping - there were some real old ravers there blowing whistles and waving their arms about. I tapped my foot a bit and hummed along. Didn't want to embarrass the kids.
On Saturday night my son and I were trying to force our way through the huge crowds to the front to watch the Foo Fighters when a voice behind him said, "don't you have homework to do?" Incredibly, it was his Chemistry teacher. I don't know who went more red, him or me, as I'd taken him out of school without a good reason! She didn't look anything like the chemistry teachers from my day, the old bloke who taught me had bouffant hair and a penchant for wearing womens blouses, but back in the 70s that was just seen as being a little eccentric. Amazing that out of all those people she happened to bump into us!
The Proclaimers played on Saturday afternoon - I thought they were really good too. Back in January Tim and I were invited to a Burns Supper and everyone had to prepare a little piece of entertainment for after supper. It was quite a well-to-do crowd down in Tyrells Wood and everyone was ra-ra ing and reading out bits of Burns poetry. Well I'd tried to find something I liked, but couldn't make head nor tail of most of it, so when it came to our turn I produced a Karaoke machine from the car and Tim and I gave a rather brilliant rendition of "500 Miles" by the Proclaimers (the most Scottish song I know). We handed out lyric sheets and everyone joined in. Needless to say, it lowered the tone of the evening by several notches and we haven't been invited back. Anyway, they played it on Saturday, and I knew all the words! Result.
Stephanie, my daughter, disappeared on Saturday afternoon because she wanted to get near to the front to see Dirty Pretty Things. When she reappeared she was attached to a long haired boy with a pierced lip. Didn't see much of her after that and apparently he's coming to stay next weekend.
Primal Scream were also on on Saturday - great band.
On Sunday Stephanie was missing in action, and Justin, exhausted from having to get up for breakfast (something he doesn't normally manage at weekends), slept on a rug under some trees all day, so I wandered round soaking up the atmosphere. What a great way to relax after such a traumatic few months. Stood watching Lou Reed with the sun beating down and it was just a Perfect Day (although he didn't sing that).
Wish I'd had my sketch book (not for sketching purposes) because there was so much happening and I wanted to write it down and then tell you all about it. There was more but I don't want to bore you!
Anyway, still waiting to feel like a real garden designer. When you are about to give birth and you are thinking "I don't feel like a mother" everyone says "it just comes naturally and when you've got the baby in your arms you know you're a real mum". Well that never really happened me, and similarly, even though I am the proud owner of a degree in Garden Design, I don't actually feel like a garden designer. Maybe it will dawn on me soon.
posted by Jackie Edwards at 11:10 am
1 Comments:
Glad you enjoyed the weekend at the festival - don't know how you found the energy for it! But it was a well-deserved break for you and your daughter and son, and really good timing - I'm sure it must have been a great way to wind down after the stresses of the last few months. Hope you're enjoying life as a garden designer! Yes, I'm trying to believe it too! Just need another few weeks to get sorted...
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