BUD and BLOSSOM

We have a festival nearly... To continue reading this post, please go to my website: Alan Whittaker is The Wizardmarra - Compère, Curator and Performer

WELL, MAYBE ONE MORE BEFORE I GO.

DIARY DATE 23rd of August 2006

1 DAY TO GO!!!

Until…

…THE SOLFEST OF LOVE!

Well this really is it, the last one. Sheer practicality of having from tomorrow to stay onsite means I cannot get to a PC! Apart from Constable Robinson, of course who will be on his bike from Silloth for a quick check to see if we are all OK at about half past nine... To continue reading this post, please go to my website: Alan Whittaker is The Wizardmarra - Compère, Curator and Performer

SIGNING OFF FOR NOW

DIARY DATE 22nd of August 2006

2 days to go.

I actually managed the briefest of lie ins today. Only about fifteen minutes, but it wasn’t half nice.

Karen had things to do about the town and we both had bits of the dreaded paperwork to do. All the stuff I had waiting since I’d done all that urgent and essential stuff. It’s now urgent and essential in its own right and I’ll be on with it again after I’ve posted this... To continue reading this post, please go to my website: Alan Whittaker is The Wizardmarra - Compère, Curator and Performer

THE WALL

DIARY DATE 21st of August 2006

3 days to go.

This may be a shorter blog than usual tonight because of my spare (and broken armed) glasses being sellotaped onto my forehead. I lost my others somewhere onsite just before we left tonight.

Nevertheless, I will endeavour to give as good and true account of today, for today’s the day when it really took off… To continue reading this post, please go to my website: Alan Whittaker is The Wizardmarra - Compère, Curator and Performer

Then suddenly sprout!

To continue reading this post, please go to my website: Alan Whittaker is The Wizardmarra - Compère, Curator and Performer

REDEMPTION

DIARY DATE 20th of August 2006

4 days to go.

After sleeping early and sleeping soundly through the night, I woke feeling just as bad as I had when I went to bed. Like I was about sink into that miserable place that’s black and horrible.
Karen did her best to rouse me from its unpleasantness, but to no avail... To continue reading this post, please go to my website: Alan Whittaker is The Wizardmarra - Compère, Curator and Performer

SPARKS!!!

DIARY DATE 19th of August 2006

5 days to go.

Well after all my fine talk of ego and how there was no room for Prima Donnas at Solfest I well and truly blew it; with several minor strops and a full on drama Queen exit!

More of that later as there’s plenty of good stuff before that... To continue reading this post, please go to my website: Alan Whittaker is The Wizardmarra - Compère, Curator and Performer

Little by little

Just wait until... To continue reading this post, please go to my website: Alan Whittaker is The Wizardmarra - Compère, Curator and Performer

BIRTHDAYS GALORE!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALISON!

You are
SOLFESTS MUM
and we love you... To continue reading this post, please go to my website: Alan Whittaker is The Wizardmarra - Compère, Curator and Performer

THE WIZARD

DIARY DATE 18th of August 2006

6 days to go.

It was cold and wet and so began a day that was the complete antithesis of yesterday.

Karen left early and the sound of fencers rang in the field.

“En Garde Chevalier Boutonnière!”
“ZO! Eet az come to zis Le Grande Duc du Fromage.”

No, no no no.

Sorry.

It was wet.
It got wetter.
And wetter... To continue reading this post, please go to my website: Alan Whittaker is The Wizardmarra - Compère, Curator and Performer

THINGS YOU DO THAT THAT YOU WOULDN’T DO IF YOU DIDN’T HAVE SOLFEST TO DO THEM FOR

Number 23

Sanding off the dead mouse that had dried onto the giant trowel.


Number 87

Carrying a car charger attached to a mobile phone up the top of the hill to the stone circle where you can get a signal... To continue reading this post, please go to my website: Alan Whittaker is The Wizardmarra - Compère, Curator and Performer

BIG CRANES!

This has been a looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong! Couple of days, so it’s taken its time to get done. It’s late now but from the Solfest message boards I see that people are reading this and Delores has even pointed you my way... To continue reading this post, please go to my website: Alan Whittaker is The Wizardmarra - Compère, Curator and Performer

SORRY FOR THE DELAY

This post has been delayed due to my being onsite and getting wet and pissed off... To continue reading this post, please go to my website: Alan Whittaker is The Wizardmarra - Compère, Curator and Performer

A COASTLINE IN THE SKY

DIARY DATE 16th of August 2006

8 days to go.

After a night where I just could not sleep mostly reading Pete McCarthy’s excellent McCarthy’s Bar and an amusing interlude where Karen suddenly shouted “MAM!” in her sleep the day dawned promising to be warm and sunny. So, I promptly fell asleep and woke again at about ten... To continue reading this post, please go to my website: Alan Whittaker is The Wizardmarra - Compère, Curator and Performer

GOBLINS!

DIARY DATE 15th of August 2006

9 days to go

Onsite by noon, cheerful as anything! How a good sleep sweeps away grumpiness and foul black dogs of depression.

With this revived spirit I set about cleaning up the caravan as it was in a bit of a state. That soon done I made myself a brew and sat down to figure out what I was going to do for the rest of the day... To continue reading this post, please go to my website: Alan Whittaker is The Wizardmarra - Compère, Curator and Performer

THIS IS ALL OF IT NOW

The Solfest site...



...is... To continue reading this post, please go to my website: Alan Whittaker is The Wizardmarra - Compère, Curator and Performer

AN OFF SOLFEST INTERVAL

DIARY DATE 14th of August 2006

10 days to go

I HAVE A DISEASE!

I knew it was going to be an interesting day! I’d had the hospital appointment lined up for some time, with the possibility of a minor op. So, the good news when I arrived (speedily delivered too, hardly any time to wait and watch the air ambulance take off) that no operation was required... To continue reading this post, please go to my website: Alan Whittaker is The Wizardmarra - Compère, Curator and Performer

BRANDY

WIZARDMARRAS’ S’LOG (SOLFEST LOG)
DIARY DATE 12th of August 2006

12 days to go.

More activity on the Drystone Stage today with its roof finished, all that remains now is the stage floor to be covered, roof tarped, pyramid walls clad, the Drystone wall built (first making sure a trench has been dug for the wiring under it) and all the other little bits and pieces... To continue reading this post, please go to my website: Alan Whittaker is The Wizardmarra - Compère, Curator and Performer

DRUNK!!!

DIARY DATE 11th of August 2006

Here I am again faced with the dilemma of how to make another boring day seem interesting. A particularly interesting task given the fact that I am quite drunk as I write.
But hey, it worked for Dylan Thomas and countless others as somehow the lady in the bottle become the muse Euterpe, or Calliope. Hopefully somewhere Thalia’s knocking around as well... To continue reading this post, please go to my website: Alan Whittaker is The Wizardmarra - Compère, Curator and Performer

AND ALL BECAUSE...

WIZARDMARRAS’ S’LOG (SOLFEST LOG)

DIARY DATE 10th of August 2006


We woke surprisingly late at 9.00 and after spending the morning writing about yesterday, and ordering my day so I knew what I had to do and when to do it. The terror of compiling the finished guest list for everyone occupied on and around the Drystone Stage, All Walkabout acts and Site Artists and sundry others who I am their point of contact... To continue reading this post, please go to my website: Alan Whittaker is The Wizardmarra - Compère, Curator and Performer

THE WICKER QUEENS

WIZARDMARRAS’ S’LOG (SOLFEST LOG)

DIARY DATE 9th of August 2006

Here I am sitting at home and at the keyboard a little earlier, Thursday hasn’t finished yet so I’ll write my account of Wednesday onsite now while it’s fresh and deal with Thursday when I’ve done the paperwork, for that is my lot until Saturday I fear... To continue reading this post, please go to my website: Alan Whittaker is The Wizardmarra - Compère, Curator and Performer

SHOWBIZ!

WIZARDMARRAS’ S’LOG (SOLFEST LOG)

DIARY DATE 8th of August 2006

How can one make today’s events sound as interesting as the previous entry?

Skipping from the sweetly scented chamber, I share with Karen, singing I came to the pcs. Switching on the first with a Jackie Chan like stab and then as I executed a perfect back flip my toe pointing Nureyev like touched the switch of the second... To continue reading this post, please go to my website: Alan Whittaker is The Wizardmarra - Compère, Curator and Performer

BUILDING A FESTIVAL

WIZARDMARRAS’ S’LOG (SOLFEST LOG)

DIARY DATE
Monday 7 August – 17 days to go.

Rewind two days.

Saturday 5th August

Two men in a field.

That is who we were and that was where we were standing. Adam and I, at 9:30 am soon to be joined by Alwyn, Tosh, Shaun and Peter... To continue reading this post, please go to my website: Alan Whittaker is The Wizardmarra - Compère, Curator and Performer

FOUR GIGS!

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE PEOPLE



1: THIMBLEBERRY FESTIVAL: Saturday 24 June.
After an early morning start, Karen and I were travelling east to Thimbleberry. Thimbleberry; a name that conjures images of bucolic English villages and rustic Mummers on the Green or an Enid Blyton pixie. The journey there took us through villages that could fit the first description at least... To continue reading this post, please go to my website: Alan Whittaker is The Wizardmarra - Compère, Curator and Performer