Once again I leave it a day or two then 3 weeks later it's a month on and still no blog update. Top of the deck of course is the news of my rather epic return to the home that is Glasgow. I got the call last week from my tutor that I was finishing off in Stornoway end of the week and returning home to work for Caledonia TV and with MNE on their feature on the Runrig Loch Ness concert at the Beat the Drum festival next month. But first things first. Lets not get too excited already.
T in the Park was unbelievable beyond explanation. Possibly the craziest week ever in preparation for it given I found out I was going (cheers Dale) 4 days prior to the event. Only way it worked out in the end was with a rather large thankyou to a ridiculous amount of people I used and abused (big thank you, you know who you are) to get me there in the end. It all sounded so easy of course. The flight down to Glasogw, taxi here, bus there and lets ge the party started. Of course I didnt take into account the fact the Airport had been car bombed a week prior. That the T shuttle bus stopped running an hour before my plane landed. That there was no special service to T just for me...not even Me guys. Could you believe it?
So my plane lands at 8.30 on the Friday night of T. The acts have already started (lilly Allen to be precise). I almost immediately hear of huge traffic jams en route to T and a few texts later find that almost everyone I know going is still stuck in that jam - many of those being people that have been travelling all day while I was still at work up in Stornoway - NOT a good sign! But I get a taxi anyway. Get in touch with Jo Banana's (my T partner in crime) to check she is well on her way to Buchanan). Our plan is either to taxi it (£55 if's clear roads all the way which is clearly not the case), or do get a bus to Edinburgh getting us closer to Balado. I meet my mum at Buchanan Bus station to exchange a small bag of valuables for 3 larger bags and of course a tent and wellies. Jo's bus is late but she stroles in casually just short of 40 seconds before the Edinburgh bus departs. Like the style.
Ruth's boyfriend Michael very kindly agrees to give us a lift from Edinburgh to as near to Balado as he can. Just as we start to see the big wheel and the main stage from a far we begin to debate how far away we actually are in this endless queue of traffic. Having not moved more than 10 inches in half an hour we decide to join a number of others and walk the remaining what was to be 5 miles (not 1. The big wheel ended up being very big and a lot further away than first anticipated...). I start to worry realising everyone else seems to have at least 3 or 4 large bags than us. I check at least 5 times within the space of 10 minutes that we have a tent - check / we have clothes - check / we have wellies - check. Im so glad of course that I decided not to buy that crate of beer as we'd never have been able to walk the distance or anywhere near it if I had!
It's now midnight and we arrive otside the T grounds where the mud is just starting to get interesting. I decide to change into wellies as im noticing more and more trainers that have been lost in the mud. Im expecting bodies next of poor little people who just werent prepared and were just too small to survive in this cruel cruel world. We get through the gates and collect our wristbands with ease and are told that White Red and Blue Campsites are full, Yellow and Green are flooded so.....aye best of luck!
We walk for another hour which seemed like 10 miles with all that mud up to our knees. I send round a multi text to everyone I know at T - half of whom still didnt make it there yet. I felt like we cheated or something having only travelled for less than half the time everyone else had. Decided to pitch up our tent in Purple 6 - in the dark. Some very kind people clearly noticed our immense struggle to pitch this tent - that wasnt even ours and had no instructions and offered to help us. Ended up being them who put it up as it's just been too many years since my Cubs/ Scouts days! We find out that we have missed all the Friday night acts - Arctic Monkeys, the Coral and Lilly Allen I wasnt too fussed about but sad to hear that we had missed Bloc Party.
The tent is up and we've heard from Ross Campbell - not seen him in like 2 years - and agree to meet him at the main gates. 2 hours later and he turns worse for wear shall we say but his usual self and full of comedy. We meet with his ex Sarah and go mud sledging. Walk around most of the campsite looking for a tent.....Ross's monkey?? and other such crazy things that still dont make any sense. Briefly met up with Morag also but think she was a little freaked out by Ross and his drawn-on-by-mud beard. Good to see her though! Entertaining as ever.
It's Saturday morning and we are just going to sleep in our rather impressive tent. Too bad the sleeping bag I had must have been toddler size as I failed miserably to fit in it! Or maybe im just getting fat? A few good cries and Zee's later and we are up again and ready for quite an eventful day - Arcade Fire, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Razorlight, James, James Morrison, The View, Albert Hammond Jr. Rufus Wainright and Brian Wilson and the special of them all - Amy MacDonald in the T-Break tent. Sure to be huge in the very near future. It was a little surreal choosing from so many good bands. Best band of that day though had to be Arcade Fire. Been dieing to see them live for years and they were just as good as I anticipated. Caught the last few songs by The Killers to end the night but can't say im their biggest fan. Had a bunch of Chav's who climbed the fence, keeping all of Purple Campsite awake all night. Talking absolute shite about the Germans invading, jumping on our tent and kicking a football at others. No idea how we managed to get to sleep with all their nonsense and the cold outside but by morning they were gone and the sun was shining.
Sunday arrives and we are set for another epic day of music - Snow Patrol, Scissor Sisters, Kings of Leon, The Fratellis, Paolo Nutini, Goo Goo Dolls, Editors, Badly Drawn Boy and even Avril Lavigne who's gig we turned up for early to get a good spot for Goo Goo Dolls on next on the main stage. We were a few rows from the front centre barrier before Goo Goo Dolls - lead singer singing passionately to a Blow-up Doll...guy standing beside me sang into the mic for Iris. I shook his hand. They played an amazing set. We remained at the front against the barrier for Paulo, Fratellis, the Kings - Jo caught a drumstick, ended up staying for the Scissor Sisters - missing the Editors, Queens of the Stone Age and Badly Drawn Boy. But we couldnt loose our place! Stayed there from midday to the end of the night! Exhausting but was worth it for a memorable hour and a half of Snowpatrol ending the night and the festival Who continued to run the show even with thousands of glowsticks / trainers / wellies being thrown at them and an entertaining negotiation between Gary Lightbody and the man in the Spiderman Suite to climb down from the ridiculously high speaker scaffolding in the middle of the crowd. He climbed down with plenty of police waiting at the bottom. The night ended with a lone piper without a mic but it didnt matter as the crowd sang it so loud you wouldnt have heard her play anything anyway. Fireworks were set off as Jo ran for the toilets after a 2 hour long must-have-been-painful wait.
We end the night by helping our new friends who helped pitch our tent finish off their alcohol so that they had less to carry home. We manage to leave the Campsite back of 9 for our bus home. Realise very quickly that ticket or no ticket we had to wait in a mile long queue. That plus endless traffic out of Balado resulted in me missing my plane back to Stornoway and my backshift at work that night. With my BA ticket being non-refundable and instantly cancelled in my failure to get there, had to buy a brand new one for a small fortune to fly back next morning to return on the 20th to Inverness for Eilidh's 21st.
My mum and my sister were up in Stornoway same week as the Heb Celt. Was filming at the Heb Celt on the Friday for a Rapal feature then caught the end of the Seth Lakeman set and walked out halfway through the Proclaimers set....sorry guys just not that fussed really. Had the car so went fishing with my sister catching some trout which impressed the granny and had a visit to Dal Mor, one of the nicest beaches on the Island. Mum and Sister left on the Saturday. Decided to make use of my Press Pass and headed down with Joanne to catch the Peatbog Fairies - an odd mixture of celtic music and dance. I was rather impressed actually. Then after meeting with Jane from MacTV and her friends went back to the flat for a few drinks and decided to blag my way into the Festival Club with a press pass. So funny since we were told a number of times we wouldnt get in. Yas. Only caught last 20 minutes of Skerryvore's set but was worth it. Met Janice Ann on her way out but she was so smashed I dont think she'll remember me saying anything to me. Can't say I was that impressed with Heb Celt Festival. May seem amazing for the Islanders but it's hard to appreciate any festival given I had only recently returned from T in the Park - the biggest and arguably the best in the country.
The news of me leaving Stornoway was hard for my gran to understand at first but I made time to get over there on the Thursday night after a nice lunch treat from the BBC that day at the Thai restaurant. Bought a bottle of wine for my gran and a bottle of Grouse for my Great Uncle. Alcohol is the answer for all of life's problems. Explained that its about my future. That other opportunities arise. Working at Cale TV in Glasgow was just one I couldnt say no to. Joanne asked me on the Thursday night if Stornoway changed me. Did it? Don't think I have the intelligence to answer that question but id like to think it did in a way. Certainly moving into a flat and fending for myself so far from home was far more challenging than if you compare to the initial plans of moving out into a flat with mates in Glasgow. Bit of a culture shock also but think I remained sane from my Air Discount Schemed fortnightly flights home. Expensive but worth it. Been quite the jetsetter over the last few months. So was rather gutted giving away our dream flat to Colette and Chris(straight swap with Joanne and I) but saves at least £750 of rent pay to the flat we no longer live in.
Jesus christ this blog is taking me FOREVER to right but I think im almost there. Friday was my last day in Stornoway. Half day at work was great. a brief handover with the Rapal team then off to the pub with Niall Iain in the Carlton Beer Garden. Free of any luggage. All 6 bags, 2 of Joanne's and my Big TV all Heb Haulaged set to arrive that night and Monday. Had a good few drinks with Niall Iain. Shame I didnt get to see more often in my time working here. Was almost persuaded to cancel flights and stay for the BBC Barbeque but I had Eilidh's 21st to attend to and 5 mintues to get to the Airport. On arrival at the Airport I quickly find out that my plane is delayed and join Calum and Seonag in the lounge. Next minute we're drinking Gin and continue to do so on the plane over. They very kindly give me a lift to the bus station and im sure to miss them along with other but will try my best to keep in touch in the days to come.
I catch my bus to Dingwall and drop off my bags at the B&B. Steven very kindly picks me up to take me to Oscars with the party's already started. Im greeted by the TV course upon arrival and hand Eilidh her bottle of Moet Rose and wish her a happy birthday. I go chat with the ever-entertaining Donald and help guard the Buffet. Next I know it im freestyling on he dancefloor to some mixture of Ceilidh music with Eilidh and Kirsty. As I fall asleep on the couch in Eilidh's house drinking someone elses beer I very quickly realise im not going to make this magical Megabus home that leaves in like 2 hours. But no matter as ive no rush to get home and dont intend to sleep anytime soon. I end up getting the 4pm bus from Inverness and arrive home back of 9. Steak for Dinner. Welcome home.
Begin to watch the Aviator with the family but halfway through im called out to a party by Ewan down at Devonshire Gardens. Shona's must-be-loaded sister asked her to look after her apartment with a TV bigger than my house and a grand hall longer than my street. Maroon carpets Chandeliers and all that comes with it. Few drinks and usual chat with Ewan Stu and others who's names ive already forgotten. It's good to be home. I dont intent to leave anytime soon. A week off which is already overbooked with absolute mayhem. Can't wait.
Roll on Glasgow
R x
No comments:
Post a Comment