Col Ryder called by to pick me up at 2pm on the dot. I'd borrowed a sleeping bag and that was it. Col is one of those true friends who had thought of, planned, arranged and paid for me to attend the Summer Sunset Festival as a birthday treat. We would sleep in the field if necessary - it didn't matter as I had complete confidence in my friend's camping skills.
The drive to Aldermaston took under an hour and we stopped at the local to have a couple of old ales and catch-up properly. We also had to prepare ourselves ...or what Col describes is getting battle-ready.
We arrived at the estate which was a few miles from the village: the 'Summer Sunset Festival'. Immediately through the gates we came upon the cricket pitch. Not the most organised of teams and they were flaying around having been up most of the night celebrating at stag do. Having been introduced to a few people who'd had a very good lunch, I was roped in to umpire. Slightly nerve wracking after so many years, but really golly good fun. Great banter and good will on either team although Col Ryder (who'd agreed to be the other umpire) did give his oldest mate, Ben Christie, out as LBW but without anyone appealing! That was to become a subject that was to be revisited frequently - every time they came across each other over the next 18hrs!
The light and weather was sublime and continental. After the match we were badged-up and moved into the festival proper. There we went through the motions of errecting a tent before descending on the party proper.
Everyone had made an effort to dress as woodland creatures or something that had a sylvian theme. The effect of 300 people under the beech trees dancing their little feet off dressed like goblins or fairie princesses was certainly magical. The emphasis was on dancing, manically and going mental. A couple of people were administering laughing gas, this is the new thing in the all night woodland parties. Blair, the singer and song writer was a magnificant performer. The Vodka cocktails flowed. The setting was truly spectacular and dramatic...hundreds of elfs, pixxies, woodland fairies off their trollies. Laughing gas wasnt really required.
But 50 is too old for this. Not that I couldn't cope with the dancing and excitement...that was easy. What was hard was having to laugh off gracefully the occasional pat on the back or encouraging thumbs-up for the teenagers...'wicked and respect...' were the comments that followed. They looked like nymphs and I looked like Neptune.
Slept on a cow pat but was very comfortable as we had a ground sheet. The weather had held all night without a branch moving in the wind. The morning was warm and fresh and lunch an the way back in at High Road House in Chiswick was an inspired suggestion of Col.
But that ends the offical celebrations of the 50th birthday.....
The drive to Aldermaston took under an hour and we stopped at the local to have a couple of old ales and catch-up properly. We also had to prepare ourselves ...or what Col describes is getting battle-ready.
We arrived at the estate which was a few miles from the village: the 'Summer Sunset Festival'. Immediately through the gates we came upon the cricket pitch. Not the most organised of teams and they were flaying around having been up most of the night celebrating at stag do. Having been introduced to a few people who'd had a very good lunch, I was roped in to umpire. Slightly nerve wracking after so many years, but really golly good fun. Great banter and good will on either team although Col Ryder (who'd agreed to be the other umpire) did give his oldest mate, Ben Christie, out as LBW but without anyone appealing! That was to become a subject that was to be revisited frequently - every time they came across each other over the next 18hrs!
The light and weather was sublime and continental. After the match we were badged-up and moved into the festival proper. There we went through the motions of errecting a tent before descending on the party proper.
Everyone had made an effort to dress as woodland creatures or something that had a sylvian theme. The effect of 300 people under the beech trees dancing their little feet off dressed like goblins or fairie princesses was certainly magical. The emphasis was on dancing, manically and going mental. A couple of people were administering laughing gas, this is the new thing in the all night woodland parties. Blair, the singer and song writer was a magnificant performer. The Vodka cocktails flowed. The setting was truly spectacular and dramatic...hundreds of elfs, pixxies, woodland fairies off their trollies. Laughing gas wasnt really required.
But 50 is too old for this. Not that I couldn't cope with the dancing and excitement...that was easy. What was hard was having to laugh off gracefully the occasional pat on the back or encouraging thumbs-up for the teenagers...'wicked and respect...' were the comments that followed. They looked like nymphs and I looked like Neptune.
Slept on a cow pat but was very comfortable as we had a ground sheet. The weather had held all night without a branch moving in the wind. The morning was warm and fresh and lunch an the way back in at High Road House in Chiswick was an inspired suggestion of Col.
But that ends the offical celebrations of the 50th birthday.....