Big Green Gathering

[Mike N.]

Clare and I are fresh back from the Big Green Gathering.

So did the “chocolate teapot” password work? You bet. Whispered it in the ear of the guy from Navitron and we were immediately ushered into the showers. Warm, not hot, and free eco soap to boot.

Day two and things improved further; not only ushered in immediately but soon joined by three naked ladies who on being informed that they could avoid the queue on the ladies side by joining me decided that I was the lesser evil. Never did get to buy the guy on the door a drink…

Picture at the end to prove we were there – not sure if the prize for a picture from Glasto carried over. The pole on the left of the rig seemed to have some sort of fan arrangement at the top, presumably for drying your hair, but wasn’t turning at the time as the batteries were flat apparently

So what else did you miss at the Big Green Gathering?

Meeting Ivan and his family,

Meeting other members of this forum,

Discovering that one of them wears a skirt (male, and not me),

Being with 20,000 other people, all individuals (and some just plain weird), and at no time feeling threatened,

Being appalled to find that a festival with no history of crime or violence was forced by the local council to spend £200,000 (a quarter of the entire budget) on unnecessary security in order to get a licence,

Seeing Teens without attitude,

Seeing kids who actually appeared to like their parents (and vice versa),

Seeing kids with disabilities and their own choice of dress and hairstyle, not their parents’,

Realising just how attractive people can still look without make-up and other artificial enhancements,

Realising just how individual dress can be, for males and females – don’t waste the opportunity to re-use that wedding  or bridesmaid dress, costume you made for the school play or bought for that odd fancy dress  party,

Being surprised at the amount of facial hair (mainly males),

Being surprised at the amount of body hair (mainly female),

Being impressed at just how many things you can power with a bike (lights, music, lathes, forges, drilling machines, band saws, grinders, polishers, washing machines, even wheels!),

Being impressed at how you can power a whole festival including lights, music, cinemas, cooking, saunas and showers without a single generator. The ticket warns that you will be frisked for generators – and we were,

Doing loads of stuff I’d never done (hurdle building, scythe sharpening. Making fire by rubbing two boy scouts pieces of wood together, Tai Chi, Chai Tea (clever little spoonerism there), meditation, laughter workshop, (watching) a Trance workshop, learning to juggle to the three ball level),

Hearing some amazingly talented bands and comics. Rodney Brannigan was awesome playing two guitars at once. The clip on Youtube doesn’t even begin to do him justice:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QluXiXUycA4

Talking to Brigit Strawbridge about her forthcoming project launch,

Being surprised at seeing not a single cigarette produced from a packet – every one was hand rolled, including many very loosely and with a distinctive smell,

Not feeling embarrased or a minority by asking for Veggie options - there were no meat options in any of the many outlets- Phillipino, Japanese, Mexican, Caribbean and others,

Being impressed that some very young kids were allow to do lots of things that they would never be allowed to do at school, or even home – using a draw knife, hand axe, Stanley knife, forge, stone carving and lots of others, though I did cringe at the group of 8 to 10 year old doing fire juggling,

Being cross that Justin Rowlatt, ethical man from Newsnight, failed to turn up for his workshop, allegedly because he was frightened we’d all have a go at him for flying to the Caribbean  at the end of his series,

Being impressed at the ability of the chap who filled 45 minutes hoping he’s still turn up for his slot,

Avoiding the Didgeridoo healing workshop as I wasn’t sure where they’d insert the didgeridoo.

And of course all the usual festival attractions, naked cyclists, nude mud wallowing, odd cakes for sale.

It was brilliant, we enjoyed it greatly, and we will go again next year.

Mike

[Ted]

Doh, got me all excited there. I thought the pic was going to be of the naked ladies!

[martin]

I think we've got a convert!
By the way, it was me wearing a sarong!
No charge was made for the shower, except for some forcible tin-rattling for Water Aid - I've got two tins choc solid with money, so will announce the results when I've drunk a couple of gallons of tea, and had a count up!
As for the diggeridoo healing, I wandered past the yurt while it was going on, and was seized with the desire to tickle the soles of all the feet protruding (but resisted)
It certainly shows that not only can we live a greener life - if the BGG is anything to go by, we can also live an infinitely BETTER life too!
-Roll on next year!

[paul]

Roll on..

Your making me homesick...

Never had so much fun as sitting in a muddy field with many thousands of other like minded individuals that don't look at you stupid when you start on your favourite topics.  Next year I'm coming back to the U.K. for Glasto and the B.G.G, for sure.

Paul

[Ivan]

Definitely a success! A grand job done by everyone involved. Special thanks extended to Martin and Mick, who spent their entire week looking after the shower units. The showers provided lots of warm water - rather more than at Glastonbury as we had better weather, although, as with Glastonbury demand exceeded supply (particularly, as we were not ideally pitched - losing sunshine around mid-afternoon.

Mike has nicely summed up the festival (thanks) - very much the impression I got from the event. I hadn't heard the story about the three naked ladies joining the lads' showers, but maybe that explains why Mike spent the last three days of the festival in the showers (only kidding). Certainly should help advertise the showers next year!

I took some photos whilst I was there - I'll upload some shortly onto the Navitron BGG webpage.


Ivan

[lightfoot]

I'm jealous 

[martin]

pending a recount, the Navitron shower unit has raised £200.67 for Water Aid too!
And I'd publicly like to thank Mick (and Mike) for their sterling, unstinting help and cheerfulness - two really nice blokes!
-now somewhere I've got some photos of those naked ladies..........

[martin]

were these they?

[lightfoot]

That's it .........rub salt in the wounds 

[Ivan]

Here's my photo-record. No naked people in it, so don't get your hopes up:

www.navitron.org.uk/biggreengathering.htm

[Dave Budd]

HI, I'm new here and I thought that this was a good place to jump in and get my feet wet! 

I was at the Big Green myself, I was the Iron Age blacksmith demonstrating in the Permaculture area  Most of the muddy naked people were from my area too (there had just been puddling the pond in the permenant garden) Aparently they all piled into some poor sods solar shower and then had a sauna together! 

I confess though that I didn't get the chance to look around very much during daylight hours  I did see the Navitron solar showers but I'm afraid I din't use them as the standpipe was much closer to my camp and it didn't have a que! I was hoing to chat to the folk there as I'm looking to power a workshop that I'm building soon, but I'll start a new thread on that later as I will need some expert advice 

I'm glad to see that you had fun at BGG, I only wish that I had been able to get out more. I saw most of the sight at night and throught eh bottom of a bottle of fine ale  I managed to get 2/3 of the craft field done in  nearly 3 hours one morning, then a quick visit to a coupl of the power people on sunday morning (nearly lunchtime!) before they opened 

[scarlethue]

I'm new here too - though I'd had a look round the forum to "mug up" on the shower malarkey before I went.

Mike N - you summed up all the best bits of the festrival (though I'm jealous of the amount you managed to do there - I was en famille, so we didn't get to nearly as many craft workshops, talking shops and gigs as we'd have liked). Particularly the attitudes of everyone I came across, from stallholders and punters to security staff (There was some weirdo in a sarong who kept banging on about solar showers whenever I saw him, but you can't have everything )
. I had heard tales about heavy handed security at festivals, but we came across them when they waded through the mud to carry the pushchair my sister was driving, rather than take the thin, dry route themselves.
Very impressed by the Navitron showers - no queue on Sunday afternoon so waltzed straight in. Think I might write to wateraid and ask for my money back though - hadn't realised that I was entitled to en suite naked ladies while taking my ablutions. Seriously, I had been warned that the showers were only "warm" on SUnday, but they were far more than that. Amazing that probably the best example of practical, affordable renewable energy use was hidden away from the bulk of the festival, rather than being the centrepiece of the renewables field (Not to mention being made to pont the wrong way - of all the festivals you'd think would understand...)
Anyway, home, surrounded by the noise of cars and neighbours, I'm miserable again. Roll on next August!

[martin]

I'd agree about the security - they were a really nice bunch - cheerful and friendly, and VERY unlike certain other security company's
psychotic neanderthals! - Full marks to ESG!

[Fiat]

Hi Guys what are the chances of haveing day tickets for next years BGG for Navitron members as i am sure like me many would like to part take in the event but lack of time and money prevents me from taking the time off as i think may be the case of many others
Regards Frank

[martin]

-loads of people ask that - as far as I know, they only do day tickets for people counted as "locals" - something about wanting people to "immerse themselves in the experience"............
Certainly, as many will attest, it's a smashing week's holiday for the whole family - kids love it too - and if you're a bit squeamish about festival loos, and the privations of tent living, take a caravan or motorhome! (I did!)