Up promptly, a swift full
English breakfast, tents down and away from the field by 11.30am.
We've never got packed away so early before. And we were home and
unpacked before 2pm. A wonderful weekend away with family and
friends; and a dry camp. I can't remember the last camp when we
didn't have torrential rain at some point. There's photos
of the event here.
With the Teston kite
festival done and dusted for another year I find myself wondering
about the event's future. A lot of us went this year expecting it to
be the last one. Will it be? There have been a lot of rumours and
third hand disinformation all to the effect that the council want the
festivals to stop. From what I think I gleaned this weekend the fact
of the matter is that the county council have made it clear that they
will support future kite festivals at Teston in every way except
financially. Someone else has got to stump up for the event.
What financial outlay is
there? The nice lady from the council says that the field hire will
be two hundred and fifty quid and that the liability insurance is
(apparently) about the order of fifty quid. Camping fees bring
in three hundred quid. So far the event is break-even. But I am
reliably assured that any such event must now have first aiders in
attendance.
Is this true? We've never
had them at astro club events.
Personally I have serious
issues with the entire concept of "first aiders"; so
much so that when my kids were smaller and went on various activities
I sent instructions that the do-gooding first aiders of my
acquaintance were not allowed near my offspring under any
circumstances. I've personally watched the blundering incompetence of
so-called first aiders, and have read that in serious emergences
first aiders have historically killed more than they have cured. But
if it is true that first aiders are needed for future kite festivals
then I am told that the going rate for first aiders is over two
hundred pounds. It seems odd that first aiders are a requirement for
a kite festival which for twenty six years has never had any, and has
a district general hospital less than five minutes away but what do I
know....
So it would seem that the
kite festival is under funded to the tune of a couple of hundred
quid. How can the deficit be addressed. We are told that there are
legal reasons why a burger van can't be brought along to rake in some
cash to subsidise the festival. There's already an ice cream van
there who has dibs on non-cooked food which might have given us an
income. Kite traders don't come to the event any more because it's
not profitable, so we can't sting them for a pitch fee.
But despite what looks
like a dire financial proposition the Kent Kite Fliers have taken on
the event, and seem confident that they can run the festival. Can
they? There are those who feel they don't understand what they have
taken on. That might be true. But I for one feel that I admire them
for having a go. They seem to be employing my personal outlook on
life that idiot enthusiasm can always triumph over common sense. It
usually does. And if I can do anything to help future festivals, I'm
only too happy to help.
Meanwhile back in reality
once we were home and had the gear packed away, "My Boy TM"
came to visit. He had a confession to make. During our absence Fudge
had been swimming in the Koi pond. I'm told no harm had been done. I
hope not.
Regular readers of this
drivel may recall that the "My Boy TM"-
mobile blew up a week or so ago. He was planning to acquire its
replacement this afternoon, and with insurance details sorted we
drove down to Folkestone with him to collect the vehicle. It seems a
good car, as cars go. He's happy with it, and I suppose that's all
that matters...
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