A very wet day ahead... the forecast was for continual rain, and it did rain all day. I was picked up by one of my facepainter friends Maggie just before 8am. She was a replacement for Lesley, who phoned last night saying she wasn't well, and that Maggie would pick me up.
I like Maggie... she's friendly good to chat with. She's a careful driver too, just as well in the conditions. We got to Beverley before 9 and found a free car park about 5 minutes from the town centre, which is totally taken up with stalls from the Food Festival. I found Helen and introduced her to Maggie, who's not done this event before, whereas this is my fifth, I think. Helen found Maggie a spare stall and after a quick walk around with Helen, i decided that I too would do best at this stall.
I was already in costume so I was ready to start work immediately. I made several balloon models as demonstration models or decoys... to draw in the punters... and it worked, with the added pull, directed to adults with children in tow, of 'Hello, do you know anybody who likes balloon animals?'.
So, I must have done about 50 models today. I looked after Maggie's stall whilst she was at lunch and when I went, she kept an eye on my stuff. During a part of the afternoon, when it was just drizzling, I had a request to run a unicycle workshop, so I did, with a small boy trying the four wheeler and two wheeler before the kids one wheeler. It provided a change for me.. which was good. It became less busy after 2.30 and I'd been asked to be in the main marquee for 3 to present a 10 minute piece on composting food waste. This went well, and there were some questions from the audience afterwards.
I bought a stick of Brussels sprouts on the way back to Maggie, who was packed and ready to go. We walked back to the car and in the pouring rain, drove carefully back to York. There was loads of standing water on the roads and the horse lorries were sending up fountains of spray, quite spectacular.
So, I was soon back at home, and took quite a while to warm up, but did loads more fruit and lots of writing.
Showing posts with label Beverley Food Festival. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Beverley Food Festival. Show all posts
Woke with Viking FM on the clock radio playing a weird version of some Fat Boy Slim. Nice!
I went down after a lovely shower to have breakfast... and was surprised to find the breakfast place shut and obviously not in use. I went for a walk to find Helen, my handler, and chatted about my times, and lack of breakfast.
I went back to the Cross Keys and asked one of the staff about the breakfast situation, and was told that when I booked, I'd have been told there wasn't breakfast this week as staff were away. But I didn't book... so I never heard.
I wandered round and found a hotel, the Beverley Arms, which was happy to give me a bowl of cereal and a coffee for £3 which was very reasonable. Got me started for the day... I do need a good breakfast.
Then I went back to my room and got changed and all my stuff packed up, and got myself sorted out in my usual performance venue at about 9.55, and was immediately doing a show with a good audience. This was constant for two hours, when I took a quick break, starting again 15 minutes later, til 2.15 when I was due to go to the main marquee and change my teeshirt to a York Rotters one, scoffed lunch, and did a 15 minute talk on composting food waste. This went well... I think I had about 50 people there and there were a couple of questions afterwards, one about flies, the other about ants.
I got changed again and did another hour and a half of Fiddlesticks activities before packing up at 4.15, gathering some spare Brussels sprouts and getting to the bus station in time. Nice chats to some women on the bus who were holidaying from the North East, and were fascinated by various aspects of my unusual lifestyle. They got off at Pocklington and I read my Garden Organic mag again until getting off at 5.30pm, happy to be so close to home. The bus stop is just 2 minutes walk from our house.
Gill had done some roast potatoes to go with cauliflower, baked beans and cold quiche. After this, there was just enough daylight left for me to do one barrow-load of compostables, loading up my new Compostumbler.
A busy evening catching up with Freecycle and various other computery things, and enjoyed The Sky at Night on BBC1 as usual.
I went down after a lovely shower to have breakfast... and was surprised to find the breakfast place shut and obviously not in use. I went for a walk to find Helen, my handler, and chatted about my times, and lack of breakfast.
I went back to the Cross Keys and asked one of the staff about the breakfast situation, and was told that when I booked, I'd have been told there wasn't breakfast this week as staff were away. But I didn't book... so I never heard.
I wandered round and found a hotel, the Beverley Arms, which was happy to give me a bowl of cereal and a coffee for £3 which was very reasonable. Got me started for the day... I do need a good breakfast.
Then I went back to my room and got changed and all my stuff packed up, and got myself sorted out in my usual performance venue at about 9.55, and was immediately doing a show with a good audience. This was constant for two hours, when I took a quick break, starting again 15 minutes later, til 2.15 when I was due to go to the main marquee and change my teeshirt to a York Rotters one, scoffed lunch, and did a 15 minute talk on composting food waste. This went well... I think I had about 50 people there and there were a couple of questions afterwards, one about flies, the other about ants.
I got changed again and did another hour and a half of Fiddlesticks activities before packing up at 4.15, gathering some spare Brussels sprouts and getting to the bus station in time. Nice chats to some women on the bus who were holidaying from the North East, and were fascinated by various aspects of my unusual lifestyle. They got off at Pocklington and I read my Garden Organic mag again until getting off at 5.30pm, happy to be so close to home. The bus stop is just 2 minutes walk from our house.
Gill had done some roast potatoes to go with cauliflower, baked beans and cold quiche. After this, there was just enough daylight left for me to do one barrow-load of compostables, loading up my new Compostumbler.
A busy evening catching up with Freecycle and various other computery things, and enjoyed The Sky at Night on BBC1 as usual.
Very busy day at Beverley Food Festival, did an announcement just before the opening ceremony and then started my Fiddlesticks stuff, did a 10am to 12.15 slot. I had a constant companion who did lots of activities and kept on coming back to do more. I don't usually name children in this blog but Celiene has asked to appear 'in print' as she was proud of her progress and perseverence, and so was I. I think she'll do well in the field of circus if she keeps up the practice. Her company made my day.
I did another Fiddlesticks hour after lunch and at 2pm made my way to the Market Cross to deliver a talk on composting to children... but the advertising hadn't been that good and no-one turned up. A group of Morris dancers came on and I did another composting talk after that, with 7 children who all knew quite a lot about recycling and composting which was good... I asked questions and they knew most of the answers! I went back to do another 30 mins devilstick workshops before going for my bus soon after 4pm.
Glad to get home!
I did another Fiddlesticks hour after lunch and at 2pm made my way to the Market Cross to deliver a talk on composting to children... but the advertising hadn't been that good and no-one turned up. A group of Morris dancers came on and I did another composting talk after that, with 7 children who all knew quite a lot about recycling and composting which was good... I asked questions and they knew most of the answers! I went back to do another 30 mins devilstick workshops before going for my bus soon after 4pm.
Glad to get home!
Very busy day, up early and made tracks for Bempton station where the 9am train was on time, changed at Seamer and got back to York in time for a bus which got me into the house for just after 11am. At 11.40, Mike the photographer came, as agreed, and took a load of pics to send to the Ecologist, to go with a profile that Sam the journalist has prepared.
Then a quick lunch and soon after 1pm, set out in Fiddlesticks costume on the bike (good to be back!) and arrived at St John's where Sibs was having a meeting and I was due to entertain the children. They are a great organisation, providing services for the siblings (brothers and sisters) of disabled children. I did a shortened show followed by a workshop which seemed to go well.
Back home for a brief tea and then caught the bus to Beverley so I could attend the Beverley Food Festival as Prof Fiddlesticks AND John the Rotter tomorrow. As there's no public transport on a Sunday morning, I have to go and spend the night in a pub, the Cross Keys,... not drinking the night away but in a room for £25 B+B. Did have a pint though, and read nearly a whole NewScientist!
Then a quick lunch and soon after 1pm, set out in Fiddlesticks costume on the bike (good to be back!) and arrived at St John's where Sibs was having a meeting and I was due to entertain the children. They are a great organisation, providing services for the siblings (brothers and sisters) of disabled children. I did a shortened show followed by a workshop which seemed to go well.
Back home for a brief tea and then caught the bus to Beverley so I could attend the Beverley Food Festival as Prof Fiddlesticks AND John the Rotter tomorrow. As there's no public transport on a Sunday morning, I have to go and spend the night in a pub, the Cross Keys,... not drinking the night away but in a room for £25 B+B. Did have a pint though, and read nearly a whole NewScientist!
