Sticky

This is a second spider story because I have to add a further comment to the previous story but don't want to spoil it. So you need to read this story before you come to the end of the following:

In Tawakoni State Park in Texas the rangers have found a web covering 180 metres. Before you call in Mulder and Scully however it was not one VERY VERY big spider. Instead it seems that the spiders have been getting together. Social co-operation on a grand scale. Makes you wonder what they are hoping to catch though.

And the reason this is a spoiler for the previous story - well, you need to look up the translation of voegel, then consider the type of spiders eating him.

Creepy Crawlie

[High warning rating for those scared of spiders]

If my warning about camels wasn't enough, the following will make your skin creep.

Mark Voegel, resident of Dortmund, was one of those people who just loved keeping the more exotic type of animal. He had a collection that would have done a zoo proud. Which would have been fine, except that his pet black widow spider, Bettina, bit him. Fatally.

Now Mark was a bit of a loner (possibly no surprise there then). So his body went undetected for two weeks. Over which time he was gradually consumed by his collection of over 200 spiders, a gecko (called Helmut), numerous snakes, and finally several thousand termites which escaped from their tank.

A police spokesman said "It was like a horror movie. Giant webs were draped over him - spiders were all over him. They were coming out of his nose and his mouth. Larger pieces of flesh torn off by the lizards were scooped up and taken back to the webs of tarantulas and other bird-eating spiders."

I have heard that people become like their pets. In this case he became part of his pets.

Missing

OK, I know that this won't be popular, but isn't there something strange about the fact that the moment they are under suspicion the McCanns have come home. A lot of things seem strange. For an hour and a half after the children were put to bed no-one checked on them, then they were checked three times in 20 minutes. Then the way the whole thing has evolved. No-one saw Maddy taken. The other children not able to give any clues. Was there really blood in a car that was still left in the drive?

I don't know the answer, no-one does. And I hope that I am just overly suspicious. But I think a lot of people are going to end up very angry.

White Settlers

Rant coming -

I have just seen a program called something like "Crisis at Jamies Farm". And it has so annoyed me. B...y amateurs trying to play at farming. And all they do is destroy the environment and lead to suffering of animals. Farming IS NOT easy. It is not something that you can just decide to do with no experience. Yes, try your hand at a smallholding. Take on a couple of animals. But don't try farming on a proper scale because it is a damn hard job. I have seen too many animals suffer needlessly because rank amateurs tried looking after them and "organic" believers thought it would be wrong to use medicines when their animals were suffering. If I have a lung infection then I want to be on antibiotics, why is it so wrong that our animals should expect the same?

Wales 42 Canada 17

So the good news is that Wales beat Canada. I would have liked it to be a bit more convincing however. Apart from a 25 minute spell in the second half when Wales scored most of their points it really was quite worrying. I could even see Wales going down at one point. Bringin on Gareth Thomas made the difference. I have never rated Kevin Morgan and today did nothing to change my mind. Gareth Thomas brings vision and power into the backs and lends a cohesiveness that is essential. Some will say it was Stephen Jones coming on to replace Hook that paved the way, but I believe it was Thomas.

Jocks

Great. This is a really sporty weekend.

Apparently there was some football but I don't know anything about that so we can gloss over it.

Then there is rugby. The start of a lot of rugby. A startling win by Argentina over France last night (with France being hosts not the start they wanted). It was a good match, and Argentina definitely deserved to win. Then today Australia thrashed Japan and New Zealand thrashed Italy, as expected. Only for England to struggle against America. Yes England won, but considering that America are made up of mainly amateurs the small margin is nothing to be proud of.

And the cricket. England thrashed India to win the one day series. It has been a strange series. Some games England have completely dominated then others India have had the ascendancy. Nothing could match the last game a couple of days ago that India won with two balls to go (and if Anderson hadn't been bowling England would have won). Consistency is the next thing to aim for. At times England can be so exciting to watch and at others I just want to hang my head in shame.

And a Grand Prix as well. Just so much to watch and listen to.

Oh Whoops

Please excuse the language but:

Hic and Double Hic

I heard the guy who runs Wetherspoons being interviewed on Radio 4 this morning. He was great to listen to, the voice just conjured up an ageing hippie. But the point he was making was that the underage drinking laws are being taken too seriously, it would be better to turn a blind eye.

It seems a difficult area. What age should we taste alcohol, what age can we start drinking. I admit to belonging to the camp that believes if you make something illegal then you also make it attractive. Tell a child that they can't drink then they will want to do so. From an early age let them try it then they will decide that there is nothing so "big" about it and it loses attraction.

But I thought about when I first had a drink. I can remember breaking out from school (boarding house). Well, I was smart, I didn't need to break out. I had the masters trust so I could walk out the front door. And walk back in that way as well as long as I wasn't spotted. But I am ashamed to say that for some reason "Pernod and black" seems to stick in the mind. I have a horrid feeling that I used to drink those.

Streetlife

Sitting at this table
Glass of wine
Book in hand
Untouched
Unread
Watching all
Thinking
Where you are
Bodies brushing past
Nudge here
Touching
Yet not
My world
Disconnected
My mind
Trying to find you

In Requiem

Pavarotti has died, age 71. He was a big man with a big voice, a great voice. He managed to bring opera to the masses, an amazing feat when opera is seen as being for the clique. But he was known when he wasn't even at his peak. You need to go back to the early 70's to hear his voice at its fullest, most expressive. He will be remembered for Nessun Dorma but he achieved a lot more.

Squish

This is a ridiculously addictive game. "Jelly Battle". I think it is the fact that you play against others. Anyway, simple premise for the game. You are a jelly baby jumping around on a keyboard. Keys can do diffferent things, such as give you powers or damage your opponents. Last one standing is the winner. There is a ranking system depending on how well you do.

And I normally don't like jelly babies.

Say Cheese

You see, it's alright to say that they are so cwute, but really they are little hooligans. For all the pretence, getting everyone to impersonate them by wriggling their noses and putting paws under their faces, meerkats have a criminal streak. It is simply irresponsible to go using other peoples cameras, especialy taking a top end model and just using it for family piccies. There's a reason why a group of meerkats is called a mob.

Big Brother..........

................is certainly trying to watch you. Lord Justice Sedley has suggested that we should all go on the DNA register, even people visiting the UK. The argument is that there are already a lot of people on, with an unfair proportion of ethnic minorities, and that other people who could be convicted by DNA are walking free. I am afraid I don't buy this idea. I ahve no problems with having ID cards, I have always said that why worry if you have nothing to hide. But keeping DNA records is invading privacy. It is one thing for me to carry proof of who I am, quite another for someone to have who I am on record.

If there is an imbalance that needs addressing then it should work the other way. Don't keep records indefinitely. The length of time they are kept should vary depending on the reason why it was taken in the first place. Or if there isn't a conviction then delete the records. But don't turn us into a country that Orwell or Huxley would have been pleased to write about.

Goodbyeee

I try to play down the "security" bit of what we do at Greenbelt. After all, Greenbelt is one of the safest festivals you can think about going to. But we do have to watch out for locals coming in without tickets. To be honest most of them wouldn't do any harm, it's simply that they are bored, but every year we have to evict a few off site. And eviction normally needs 4-6 of us to herd the person off, we don't touch anyone so it is sheer physical presence that steers them in the right direction.

One evening I was walking along when a group of approximately 10 lads came towards me. You get used to scanning them quickly with your eyes. They seemed OK, carrying water and soft drinks but that was all. Except one of them, who seemed to shift something to his off-hand and suddenly picked up speed slightly. Just enough to make me think something was wrong (I sometimes wonder how I ended up in charge of a team, but maybe that is why). I called him, he speeded up, so I caught up with him. He stopped and sure enough there was a can of beer in his hand. I explained that beer wasn't allowed out of the camp site or the pub. As he handed me the can I realised he didn't have a wrist band. I told him that without a wristband he would have to leave the site. I was ready to call in some back up, especially as I was expecting his 9 mates to come back. And my wingman had disappeared. I was feeling a bit exposed. But as we talked we walked towards the gates. And before I knew it I had escorted him off site. All rather strange as I had to radio it in to control after the event, normally we would inform them while it was happening. Possibly the easiest eviction I have ever known.

Hum

I am now going to steal a story.

One of the Venue steward managers thought he saw something unusual in a lift in the grandstand. He went over to the lift and pressed the call button. When the lift arrived the doors opened. And he was greeted by a four piece band in coat and tails. They explained that the theme of Greenbelt was "Heaven in Ordinary" and what could be more ordinary than a lift.

I love Greenbelt.

Twizzlers

Knee jerk policies. Always wrong. And that has been the problem of Labour. Knee jerk. Go for anything popular. So when good ol' Jamie complained about turkey twizzlers then good ol'Tony decided to have a policy. Which has completely backfired. Instead of increasing the number of children eating school dinners it has actually reduced the number. Way to go.

{Sorry about the picture, terrible pun}

Blindspot

I suppose many people don't think about golf buggy design. But Squeak has reminded me of something else. Golf buggies are not designed for late night driving. As you will see from the picture they have a notable omission in that there are no windscreen wipers. In addition they do not have air-con. By the time we had finished the sweep it was about 3 am. A mist had descended. There was distinct moisture in the air. And the windscreens had misted up. So driving down the hill entailed the driver and the wing-man on pillion to both hang out of the side of the buggy so that they could see where they were going. I somehow feel that the image so generated did not help what little street cred I may have.

Put Put

The Support Team are developing a reputation for being "in the know" and for getting the most exciting work. This is not something that I want to undermine, after all I want more people to apply to join us next year. But it can reach amusing levels.

One night Zippie and I were called to attend an issue as quickly as possible and to get some teams there. We were in the vicinity and we soon had four stewards there. The matter was resolved smoothly. But later we were approached by someone who had been listening in on the radio. He commented on how we had an exciting role. Then he asked us to explain the code words we used. We looked blankly and asked for further explanation. He said "well I heard you earlier, go on, tell me what "Steamboat" means". It was heart breaking to tell him that the call had been to attend the steamboat stall. {for those not in the know, the steamboat stall sells small boats made of tin that run on candle power by producing steam}

An Answer

"One Pedestrian" is certainly challenging our perception of Greenbelt in this post. And the comments from others seem to show that there is more than a grain of truth in what she has written. This is important because it means that there is an aspect of Greenbelt that we really need to consider and examine. There are certainly challenges to us as individuals and to Greenbelt as a whole.

On the individual issue, I honestly believe that, for the majority of people I know who do work at Greenbelt, it is not about wanting to be important or elitist. In fact, over the years, I think those who did see it that way have been wittled out. So the majority simply want to give something back to Greenbelt and to other people. And often it is simply that when a new job comes up some of us aren't very good at ducking quickly!

While it is true that the "team", the "work", and all that entails, is now my Greeneblt experience and it is what I love, it doesn't mean that I would feel that I didn't belong if I wasn't doing it. My first year (1982) at Greenbelt I was part of a group, the next two years I went by myself and had as good a time because I talked to new people. I started stewarding in my fourth year because I had gone to uni and couldn't afford the ticket but I still wanted to be at Greenbelt (stewards get in free). I continued stewarding because I found it rewarding to do something for the festival.

So, is Greenbelt a place for singletons? That is a difficult question because we are all different, some of us enjoy a time of being alone while some don't. Some enjoy being part of a group, some enjoy being alone but with people around them, while others just want to be alone. While it may seem trite, computer games are a good example. You can play a game on your own computer, completely unconnected to the rest of the world. Or you can go for a multi-player on-line game and join with others as you go on your raids. Or you may join the on-line game but "solo", enjoying working by yoourself but being surrounded by others.

But Greenbelt is possibly the one place where you can be sure that a complete stranger will be more than happy to share a cup of tea with you and discuss religion, politics or simply what is your favourite book. Say hello and you will be greeted with a smile.

There is, however, a certain amount of "as tick follows tock". Because if you go as a singleton and meet people then the following year you are likely to meet up with them and are no longer a "singleton".

Yes the strength may be in group participation. But a group can be made up of a number of single people. The atmosphere at a rock concert, or a sports match, isn't becuase everyone knows each other but because you have a group "want". That is what is behind Greenbelt, a group desire, the group being all 20000 people who are there. Small groups may have their own desires and their own objectives, but there is still an overwhelming desire that is Greenbelt.

That said, I think that some of us should make it our aim to improve the Greenbelt experience for singletons.

Yes You In The Back Row

As well as running the Support Team, Zippie and I run the on-site basic training for new stewards. This also acts as a refresher for those who have been stewarding for a while but want to come along. It is proper training, in that there is a lot of interaction, audience participation and role plays. We hope that people have a good time as well as learning something. In fact I think stewarding calls on life skills that everyone has, so it is really a case of helping them see that there is nothing scarey about stewarding so that they can go out and enjoy it.

We try to make sure the atmosphere is light-hearted. This does have a drawback in that we open ourselves up for a lot of heckling. Worst of all are the Support team when they come along. They were due to come to the Thursday session. On Wednesday night they were sitting up late and obviously thought I had gone to bed. Because I could overhear them plotting. They were trying to come up with long words for me to write on the flip-chart. They were quite surprised when I came out and said goodnight, adding "and I will sleep soundly because I know no-one is going to have long words at the training tomorrow". I am pleased to report that they failed to beat me on the day.

The role plays went well. Although most people hate the idea of them I really do believe that role plays can be a massive help. This year we kept the groups slightly larger and I think that helped people overcome their inhibitions. One group who were supposed to be discontented campers in a queue actually worked themselves up so much that it was frightening.