Campervantastic: Greeeeeen Maaaaaaan

Having been hurried up to buy a ticket for The Green Man festival by Craig, Mysi and their friend Will I jumped on the www and snapped one up for me and Althea. It wasn't long before it was clear that I was the only one who had and that I was faced with the choice of going alone or trying to sell my ticket with one week to go. I decided I would go alone.

It took forever to get there thanks to the windiest hilliest roadworkiest road in Wales. The clutch pedal spring broke on the way down so I had to come up with a quick fix.

Getting there late meant I was positioned by the parking staff, in a prime spot on a corner near all the facilities and where Althea could be seen quite clearly and enjoy the attention. I set up camp, grabbed a programme and planned my weekend. I got chatting to my neighbours who turned out to be Martin Carr, one of the acts, and an ex Boo Radley.

Althea got plenty of attention from fellow festival goers. Here's one taking some snaps

A couple of passers by stop for a piccy

I wrote Greeeen Maaaan on the side of Althea which got changed to Greeeeen Vaaaan after a day. I saw Noah and the Whale who sounded just like Lloyd Cole and the Commotions, I saw The Woodenships who sounded a lot like Hawkwind and were brilliant. I saw Hawkwind who were brilliant. I saw Jarvis Cocker in the crowd and I think I made him a bit nervous by bounding up to him saying "Jarvis," a bit loudly as I did. "I just wanted to shake the hand of the man who wrote Common People," I said, and did so.

On the Sunday I found a man selling some very bizarre objects from Indonesia and bought a bag full including a thing for keeping cock fighting spurs in, some drinking glasses that look like they are made from melted bottles on a bonfire and a sort of wooden monkey with a Mohawk hair do and a face where his genitals should be. I also scrounged his personal supply of Badger Balm.

I seem to have rediscovered my talent for finding money. Over the past few weeks I have found over £35 and most of that at festivals. Green man was the most lucrative with £16 being found in the grass around the site.

The Green Man was a superb festival with a lovely atmosphere and I will certainly be going again. Much like the Big Chill the rain stopped as it started and started again as it ended. The mountains either side seemed to hold back the weather and the site is just the right size without too many hills. Food was good, loos were clean and security were friendly. I really enjoyed being there alone for most of it but it would have been nice to have been able to share some of it with someone too.