Another year, another Farmyard. Each year I look forward to this as been the midpoint of summer, and immediately thereafter I get depressed because the nights start to close in.
After a gorgeous sunny week the weatherman was forecasting rain for the weekend, thankfully he was wrong and everything remained dry throughout the weekend.
It had to happen eventually.
Someone tried to ride his Harley
through the pond. And failed.
Top entertainment.
Friday saw me dashing off on me lonesome to meet Lindsey in Helmsley,
although not dashing too fast cos plod are watching the Stokesley/Helmsley road
again. Got into a fun chase with a trike (briefly) and a couple of
streetfighters which kept me sane till I got there.
The ride onto the site
was the usual nightmare, the worst part been the access road to the site,
potholes and lose rocks everywhere.
Eventually we made it, got down the
far end of the site and pitched camp near the Idiot. Others soon joined us, Andy
and Jo, Dave, Sue, Jamie, Helen, John, Sandra, Glen, Shag, Gilly etc etc etc.
Beers are drunk until we are, then it's off down to look at the stalls, eat,
stumble about and then see the bands.
Yet another "tribute"
band, this time they thought they where Deep Purple. Very sad...
Jo and Andy, foreground.
Hilly showing the elegant behaviour with a
can of beer, background.
Saturday dawned cloudy but dry. Most people went on the now famous Farmyard
Tour and according to reports it was good fun. Lindsey and I had to go up to
Newcastle to do some chores and then had a fun ride back via various places.
Back on site the party continued.
Bev has managed to turn up. In the
car unfortunately because she is still not fully fit after the operation. Been
the Farmyard of course no cars are allowed on the site, so the marshals gave her
a lift down on a quad bike which pleased her no end. Easily pleased these older
women you see.
Despite extreme apathy on behalf of the Darlington
contingent I managed to nobble enough timber to have the obligatory farmyard
fire.
Saturday evenings bands where much better. "Glitter and
Twisted" played a whole bunch of 70's stuff without once getting a personal
identity crisis. In fact the only fault I will make about their set, and it is a
major one, is the lack of a Slade number. How anyone can do a set of 70's stuff
and not play "Goodbye to Jane" is beyond me. Unfortunately I don't
know what the rest of the night was like because I was overcome with a donut
attack and had to leave.
Sunday saw people staggering about, bleary eyed and generally getting ready for the off.
Yet again another good do at the Farmyard.