Download - The Censored Version

So I’ve arrived home. Mum has to call work to get extra time off as her daughter has suddenly appeared after nearly four years, from 8,000 miles away. She got her time off and then we have a good old natter. Not that there’s too much to catch up as we speak regularly.

It’s decided that as she has the time off, I will make use of the free Download festival tickets. So I utilise facebook, offering a free ticket in exchange for a lift to the festival. And lucky for me it’s the sister of a friend who decides to take me up on the offer.

Two days of sleeping on the sofa, waking to a child shouting, which in turn makes the parrot shout and the dog bark, and I feel like sleeping outside on the hard ground in a large tent with holes in it is a great idea.

So, Am and myself sort out some camping gear and buy the required food/booze/baby wipes and head off down to Donington.

 

 

When we arrive at Download, we miraculously find somewhere to park that’s within fairly easy walking distance of our campsite, which just so happens to be the family campsite…at least the portaloos were (supposedly) better than on the other campsites.

 

First things first, meet D & N, crack open a beer, get the gear out of the car and head to our little spot. There we set up camp, realise we have a huge hole in the back end of the tent so do a little duck-tape-DIY, then shove everything else under the central dome. A small Falkland Islands flag gets attached to our gazebo (high class camping this) and another beer is opened.

Rather than go on and on about the entire thing, I’ll sum it up for you:

 

Day 1 - Drink, wander, see live music, drink, wander buy useless crap, drink, wander, eat, buy flowers and put them in my hair, meet randomers, drink, more live music, move away from friend’s spontaneous mosh pit and resulting almost-fight. Wave Falkland flag, get told off for waving flag in front of stage, drink, wander, zombie hoard, head back to campsite, drink (uh-oh, shots) chat, show off epic poi skills, send one flying, climb muddy hill to get it, slide back down muddy hill, drink, bed.

 

 

Day 2 – Up, eat, laugh at Am & D’s embarrassing tales of attempting drunken use of a shewee, drink, head to stage area, wander, live music, drink, wander, meet crazy randomers, find a 50p glory hole, pose for photos (as you do), attach Falkland flag, go to car for extra drink, meet car buddies, wrap their car in toilet paper, wander, drink, photos of toilet writing, wander alone, but more useless stuff, live music, find friends, wander, drink, live music, drink, eat, live music, wander, fairground ride, drink, eat, back to campsite, more poi, more chat, realisation we’re ‘those people’ that keep people awake, drink and bed.

Day 3 – Get up, out in blue contact lenses for a change, try out the shewee (with more success), get up, eat, drink, chat, wander down to stage area, drink, go shopping, live music, back to campsite, pack up (leaving holey tent behind), load car, back to music arena, wander, buy last minute bits, say bye, back to car and head home.

 

Bands seen whilst at Download 2013:

 

Queens of the Stone Age

Slipknot

Motorhead

Enter Shikari

Iron Maiden (who are amazing) 

At home I dump my stuff and have a quick chat with mum. The house is empty so I use the time to go for a bath. A very much needed bath. The brother and his family return and while I’m in the bath there’s a knock on the door – “can I use the bathroom”….so much for my relaxing bath!

The Cheshire Cat, a Zoetrope and Henry Moore

I've just been looking through my notes from my holiday. I made notes throughout, of things I wanted to remember, and places I'd been, things I've seen.

One such note reminded me that when I was on the plane, heading into Ascension Island, I looked out the window and saw the moon. Just the dark sky and the moon. The moon was a crescent and reminded me of the smile of the Cheshire Cat. It was lovely looking out at the moon, thinking of a fictional, but mystical, being smiling down on me. Not least because up at Croft (otherwise known as Crofts-on-Tees), near were I'm from, there is a little church where Lewis Carroll, author of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, home of the Cheshire Cat, where Lewis Carroll's parents are buried and where the carvings inside the church apparently inspired the creation of the Cheshire Cat.

 

The moon, looking like it did flying to Ascension Island.

The good old Cheshire Cat.

I like little coincidences and connections like that.


Another note reminded me of when I was getting ready to re-board the plane for the continuing flight on to the UK. As I looked into the propeller I was reminded very strongly of a Zoetrope.

 

An olde-time Zoetrope, courtesy of Google.

 

 On the way up north we went past a truck with what seemed to be a sculpture on the back. Me and D discussed how it looked like Henry Moore sculpture…A quick Google at a later date confirmed our thoughts. I’m not sure exactly which sculpture it was, but it was definitely a Henry Moore.

Not quite sure which Moore piece it was, but it

looked very similar to this...all curves and aged green.