Hi Folks
It's me again, catching up on the years events and activities.
The other big event of my year was the Maldon Folk Festival, traditionally held on the weekend immediately preceding the Melbourne Cup.
 |
The Main Stage at the 2006 Maldon Festival
[Photograph: Miaow the Cat]
|
I have had a fairly good run over the years and have managed to get it from a weekend out to about 10 days made possible with 4 openings to dialyse at the Maryborough Hospital dialysis clinic.
It
was not to be so this year as the Festival fell in the first weekend in
November rather than the usual last weekend in October. This meant the
space made for me at the clinic was not available as the person who
went away to make it happen had still taken their break on the last week
of October.
I could dialyse on the Monday and Wednesday after the Festival, but no space was available in the week leading up to it.
So I decided to go up a day later, the Wednesday afternoon instead of the Tuesday morning, set up camp, get the feel of the place and come back on Thursday night to dialyse at home then come back for the weekend.
I was surprised to arrive at The Butts (Tarrengower Reserve) and find campers already there as often I have been the first there. The Butts is a wooded valley surrounded by outcrops of granite boulders about 2 kilometres from the Maldon Township.
Friends from previous camps, Tom and Jill, who normally don't get there until Friday night or Saturday morning were already there and, in the spot I had anticipated camping on!
Terry came up from his place in Maldon
and with his help we set the tents up. One for myself and one for
Zack. I would have liked to have waited to set Zack's tent up with him
when he came back with me on Friday, but I knew there would be no space
left if I had waited.
Parts were missing from Zack's tent, but with a bit of ingenuity from Tom and an old plastic drink bottle the problem was solved.
All settled and acquaintances renewed I cooked an early tea and settled down to enjoy the company of other early arrivals.
Andy and Margy from the Blues Club rolled up around midday the next day followed by a few others from the club and set up in the adjacent area usually taken up by them.
I was disappointed to leave and miss Thursday night's warm up concert in the Troubadour Wine Tent for the early campers. I was a very tired on the trip home to dialyse that night and I had to pull over a few times. It was late when I got home so I settled into the dialysis routine as soon as I got there.
Up Friday morning to collect a few items I had forgotten to take to camp then off to my usual yoga session seeing I was at home.
Lunch with Toosh then off to the school to pick up Zack.
My partner Toosh was very apprehensive about me taking Zack and was unsure whether the two of us would survive the long weekend away together. Well, there was only one way we were going to find out!
Several hours later Zack was with me back at Maldon. This time when we arrived we went to the Festival office and sorted our tickets out.
As Toosh could not come I had a spare ticket to sell and was glad to run into an acquaintance, Peter, that I knew from Jo's early choir days, and let him have it for the early price.
As I went back in to the office there was Dave Smith who I hadn't seen since Easter in Maldon almost 20 years earlier!
At this point I knew I was in for a good Festival.
There were many new arrivals at camp while I have been
away. Most of the usual crew from the Blues Club were there, Kelvin and
Deb with their boys, Kelvin and Robyn with their daughter Misty and her
new partner.
Parts were missing from Zack's tent, but with a bit of ingenuity from Tom and an old plastic drink bottle the problem was solved.
All settled and acquaintances renewed I cooked an early tea and settled down to enjoy the company of other early arrivals.
Andy and Margy from the Blues Club rolled up around midday the next day followed by a few others from the club and set up in the adjacent area usually taken up by them.
I was disappointed to leave and miss Thursday night's warm up concert in the Troubadour Wine Tent for the early campers. I was a very tired on the trip home to dialyse that night and I had to pull over a few times. It was late when I got home so I settled into the dialysis routine as soon as I got there.
Up Friday morning to collect a few items I had forgotten to take to camp then off to my usual yoga session seeing I was at home.
Lunch with Toosh then off to the school to pick up Zack.
My partner Toosh was very apprehensive about me taking Zack and was unsure whether the two of us would survive the long weekend away together. Well, there was only one way we were going to find out!
Several hours later Zack was with me back at Maldon. This time when we arrived we went to the Festival office and sorted our tickets out.
As Toosh could not come I had a spare ticket to sell and was glad to run into an acquaintance, Peter, that I knew from Jo's early choir days, and let him have it for the early price.
As I went back in to the office there was Dave Smith who I hadn't seen since Easter in Maldon almost 20 years earlier!
At this point I knew I was in for a good Festival.
 |
View from my camp to the adjacent Blues Club camp
[Photograph: Margy Rubans] |
Next to me Tom and Jill had been joined by Patrick & Heather. Patrick is an old stalwart from the days when "Fatty" Wilson ran the Festival and we all chucked in to give him a hand. It still seems like yesterday when he was here and he is still sadly missed.
All through the night other familiars faces are turning up.
Zack quickly made friends with Kelvin and Deb's young son Tom.
We were disappointed to find that camp fires, not even the ones normally preferred made from old washing machine drums, were permitted. But, we didn't even consider arguing as the fire season was already well upon us and the weather could get stinking hot.
Zack and myself settled in and made tea together over the butane stove.
 |
An Aged Street Jam at the 2006 Maldon Festival
[Photograph: Miaow the Cat]
|
It was the usual
good Friday night with the atmosphere building up with a concert in the
Troubadour Wine Tent, a big session in the Kangaroo Hotel, another one
in the street in front of The Grand Hotel, and the stage already running
at the Maldon Hotel.
Eventually we made our way back to the camp and turned in having a good night's rest despite the heat.
Back
to camp on Saturday arvo then around to Jo's for a shower. It was so
dry at Maldon. I got a sharp "3 minutes!" with instructions to stand in
a plastic wash trough so the water can be saved and put on her very
thirsty garden. 10 years of drought had really taken it's toll and the
water restrictions here were at the highest, far higher than what we
complain about.
With tea sorted out Zack went off and played with young Tom and his brother. It was good be amongst friends where all the children became part of a tribe. Deb made an good camp mother.
Saturday night was a bit of a wander down to the Wine tent, the Guinness Tent and down to the main street.
There was also a bit of an ongoing gathering at the Blues Club camp with people coming and going though out the night.
Once the concert had finished the action moved back to the Guinness Tent and continued until the early hours of the morning.
I got back to the camp around midnight to find my Esky stolen. When I told Jill she checked hers and it was gone too!
A quick scout around and we found hers basically in tact, but not mine. Haven't had much of this trouble for a few years so I think we had dropped our guard. The suspects would be kids looking for booze.
Up at the crack of dawn on Monday morning and off to dialysis. It is always good to catch up with Elaine and the other nurses and patients that I have got to know from previous years. Last year was sad though because I learned that Roy was no longer with us.
By the time I got back it was early afternoon and the camp was nearly deserted, but my Esky was back. I learned later that Kelvin had found it down the road that leads to The Butts with everything spilled out of it.
Terry had picked up Zack around breakfast time, as arranged, and taken him back to Jo's while I dialysed. I knew leaving him early would be OK as he was sharing his tent with young Tom and all the others would still be there.
Once I had picked up Zack, Terry came back with us and we broke camp. I had decided to sleep in Jo's bus so we could get away easily the next morning. I think after the Esky episode I had enough of camping for this Festival.
The main action of the day was at the Maldon Hotel with a bit of a wind down concert.
A lot of the out of towners have gone, it is good to catch up with locals who like to take advantage of having the place back to themselves to enjoy the concert.
I spoke to Zack about how he felt and he said he wanted to stay but he also wanted to go home. It was definitely the right time for him to go home! I rang Toosh who said she would come and pick him up.
We ended up on a table with Jo and a few other stragglers that we had got to know playing cards while the music played.
Michael the Balloonologist kept the kids, and the adults, amused with some pretty amazing animals and such creations.
Several hours later Toosh arrived and joined us for tea and caught the last 3 bands. She couldn't believe Zack and I had survived 4 days together. With all of this she made up her mind that she would try to come for the full week next year.
Midnight came, the show was finally over, so was the Festival. Back to Jo's bus for a well earned sleep. Toosh had to set off early with Zack to get back in time for work. She didn't realise how early it was until she was in the car! I had got confused and set the alarm way too early. Toosh made up for this by getting lost and taking the extra hour to get back!
I pottered around, had my obligatory ice cream at Cherry's, finally making my way to Elmhurst to my sister's for her Melbourne Cup gathering and a few days at my other sister's before going home.
Regards OgBear
For more photos go to:
http://picasaweb.google.com/OgBear/MaldonFolkFestival2006#
For a slideshow go to:
https://picasaweb.google.com/OgBear/MaldonFolkFestival2006#slideshow/
 |
| Saturday Morning Market at the 2006 Maldon Festival
[Photograph: Frans the Fiddler]
|
On Saturday morning we made ourselves breakfast and then went down
to catch the last of the morning's Vintage Verse in the Wine Tent.
Caught the bus down to Saturday morning's main activity, the market at the Maldon Primary School. Both of my sons, Merlin and Somerled had attended this school and it was an opportunity to catch up with old friends while checking the stalls out.
Zack joined in the circus skills workshop and spent most of the morning trying to juggle balls and toss unlit fire sticks.
I bought the bright red fisherman's pants that had caught my eye as soon as we arrived.
Had some nice locally made food then moved down to the main street of Maldon where people were still pouring in and many sessions and buskers playing on the streets.
I ran into an old girlfriend, Christine and we went for a coffee only to met Marj from yoga who just happened to know Christine! It got even weirder when we got home to find that Virginia and Julian from the TABOO dining group went up on Sunday and knew them too!
The thing I like about Maldon is that it is more of a social event than a music festival. You don't have to be in a place at a specific time queuing up to make sure you get in to see a particular act. It's more about meeting old friends, just cruising, staying where you are until you are ready to move on, it doesn't matter, the atmosphere is there, so is the music, it just comes to you.
Zack joined in the circus skills workshop and spent most of the morning trying to juggle balls and toss unlit fire sticks.
I bought the bright red fisherman's pants that had caught my eye as soon as we arrived.
Had some nice locally made food then moved down to the main street of Maldon where people were still pouring in and many sessions and buskers playing on the streets.
I ran into an old girlfriend, Christine and we went for a coffee only to met Marj from yoga who just happened to know Christine! It got even weirder when we got home to find that Virginia and Julian from the TABOO dining group went up on Sunday and knew them too!
The thing I like about Maldon is that it is more of a social event than a music festival. You don't have to be in a place at a specific time queuing up to make sure you get in to see a particular act. It's more about meeting old friends, just cruising, staying where you are until you are ready to move on, it doesn't matter, the atmosphere is there, so is the music, it just comes to you.
 |
OgBear and Zack sitting around the Blues Club camp
[Photograph: Margy Rubans]
|
With tea sorted out Zack went off and played with young Tom and his brother. It was good be amongst friends where all the children became part of a tribe. Deb made an good camp mother.
 |
Idle Diddlies at Troubadour at the 2006 Maldon Festival
[Photograph: Frans the Fiddler]
|
Saturday night was a bit of a wander down to the Wine tent, the Guinness Tent and down to the main street.
There was also a bit of an ongoing gathering at the Blues Club camp with people coming and going though out the night.
 |
| Jo with Odds and Sods at the 2006 Maldon Festival
[Photograph: Michael Schack]
|
On
Sunday morning, once fed, it was off to the Poets' breakfast, then I
caught the bus down to see Jo's choir, that she had organised, sing in
the Anglican Church.
It is a beautiful building with an unusual roof more reminiscent of the American style church roofs than our Australian ones.
It is a beautiful building with an unusual roof more reminiscent of the American style church roofs than our Australian ones.
But,
it also has amazing acoustics which have held many different
performances over the years. These are often remembered as out
favourites of the Festival amongst ourselves and friends.
A christening was the order of the day and it was quite interesting to observe the formality of it and how much bearing it had on the whole ceremony compared to the church I went to when I was young.
A christening was the order of the day and it was quite interesting to observe the formality of it and how much bearing it had on the whole ceremony compared to the church I went to when I was young.
 |
| Anglican Church where Jo's choir sang at the 2006 Maldon Festival
[Photograph: Frans the Fiddler]
|
A
friend of Jill's arrived with her daughter who had brought her cello
from school. Many people are musicians who even though they are not
officially on the bill, like to bring their instruments to play around
the camps and in the sessions down the street and in some of the hotels.
 |
| Friends Daughter at Camp, 2006 Maldon Festival
[Photograph: Frans the Fiddler]
|
The main stage had fired up for the Sunday concert. This is the
traditional part of the Festival. When I used to be on the committee,
the Festival basically comprised of leaving to come up after work on
arriving from Friday night through to early Saturday morning. No music
yet, accept around the camp fires, just a Friday night gathering at the
Kangaroo Hotel for those who arrived in time.
The official start was a Saturday afternoon concert, followed by a bush dance on the Saturday night to "pay" for the Festival with a main concert starting 10am at The Butts on the Sunday. It would finish around 5pm and every had gone home by 5:30pm!
A huge difference to today's Festival that goes from Thursday night through to Monday night with about 15 venues around the town and at The Butts. About 200 artists are featured and this does not include those who play around the camp or participate in sessions.
People start arriving on the Wednesday before and the stragglers go home on the following Tuesday.
The Wine Tent ran throughout the day as well as some venues in the town. The circus skills workshop had moved to The Butts and Zack was quick to join back in.
The official start was a Saturday afternoon concert, followed by a bush dance on the Saturday night to "pay" for the Festival with a main concert starting 10am at The Butts on the Sunday. It would finish around 5pm and every had gone home by 5:30pm!
A huge difference to today's Festival that goes from Thursday night through to Monday night with about 15 venues around the town and at The Butts. About 200 artists are featured and this does not include those who play around the camp or participate in sessions.
People start arriving on the Wednesday before and the stragglers go home on the following Tuesday.
The Wine Tent ran throughout the day as well as some venues in the town. The circus skills workshop had moved to The Butts and Zack was quick to join back in.
Once the concert had finished the action moved back to the Guinness Tent and continued until the early hours of the morning.
 |
| Food Stalls at the 2006 Maldon Festival
[Photograph: Frans the Fiddler]
|
 |
| Conundrum in Guinness Tent, 2006 Maldon Festival
[Photograph: Frans the Fiddler]
|
 |
| Inside Guinness Tent, 2006 Maldon Festival
[Photograph: Frans the Fiddler]
|
Lunch and tea were on the run. Maldon has an excellent selection of foods stalls at The Butts and good cafes etc in the town.
I got back to the camp around midnight to find my Esky stolen. When I told Jill she checked hers and it was gone too!
A quick scout around and we found hers basically in tact, but not mine. Haven't had much of this trouble for a few years so I think we had dropped our guard. The suspects would be kids looking for booze.
Up at the crack of dawn on Monday morning and off to dialysis. It is always good to catch up with Elaine and the other nurses and patients that I have got to know from previous years. Last year was sad though because I learned that Roy was no longer with us.
By the time I got back it was early afternoon and the camp was nearly deserted, but my Esky was back. I learned later that Kelvin had found it down the road that leads to The Butts with everything spilled out of it.
Terry had picked up Zack around breakfast time, as arranged, and taken him back to Jo's while I dialysed. I knew leaving him early would be OK as he was sharing his tent with young Tom and all the others would still be there.
Once I had picked up Zack, Terry came back with us and we broke camp. I had decided to sleep in Jo's bus so we could get away easily the next morning. I think after the Esky episode I had enough of camping for this Festival.
The main action of the day was at the Maldon Hotel with a bit of a wind down concert.
A lot of the out of towners have gone, it is good to catch up with locals who like to take advantage of having the place back to themselves to enjoy the concert.
I spoke to Zack about how he felt and he said he wanted to stay but he also wanted to go home. It was definitely the right time for him to go home! I rang Toosh who said she would come and pick him up.
We ended up on a table with Jo and a few other stragglers that we had got to know playing cards while the music played.
Michael the Balloonologist kept the kids, and the adults, amused with some pretty amazing animals and such creations.
Several hours later Toosh arrived and joined us for tea and caught the last 3 bands. She couldn't believe Zack and I had survived 4 days together. With all of this she made up her mind that she would try to come for the full week next year.
Midnight came, the show was finally over, so was the Festival. Back to Jo's bus for a well earned sleep. Toosh had to set off early with Zack to get back in time for work. She didn't realise how early it was until she was in the car! I had got confused and set the alarm way too early. Toosh made up for this by getting lost and taking the extra hour to get back!
I pottered around, had my obligatory ice cream at Cherry's, finally making my way to Elmhurst to my sister's for her Melbourne Cup gathering and a few days at my other sister's before going home.
Regards OgBear
For more photos go to:http://picasaweb.google.com/OgBear/MaldonFolkFestival2006#
For a slideshow go to:
https://picasaweb.google.com/OgBear/MaldonFolkFestival2006#slideshow/
No comments:
Post a Comment