Independent Knockholt Summa Wevva

Subject: RE: Independent Knockholt Summa Wevva
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 21 Jun 12 - 05:30 PM

There's a vicious rumour that someone listened to the shipping forecast and force 9 is promised. Now why there is a shipping forecast for the top on the highest hill in Kent is anybody's guess, but it bodes ill.

Subject: RE: Independent Knockholt Summa Wevva
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 22 Jun 12 - 03:33 AM

Well the general consensus seems mostly dry from about 7 tonight through to Sunday AM but possibly quite windy. Now I need to get my finger out and get some work finished pack up and go.

Subject: RE: Independent Knockholt Summa Wevva
From: GUEST,Mick Woods
Date: 22 Jun 12 - 06:29 AM

Now back home. I managed 2 nights and got completely soaked through . The grass in the field hasn't been cut or grazed and is up to 12" long so even when it stopped raining and the sun came out briefly your feet and legs got a soaking just walking a few yards. If you are tempted to brave the weather, It's more suitable for campervans and caravans. Tents should be very, very sturdy with a porch area and really tough strong pegs hammered well in. The wind is blowing like crazy and last night I was concerned for my safety the way the nearby trees were bending. My crappy little tent was not suitable for this I thought I was gonna take off! but being a fat bastard and the additional ballast from the small lake in the middle of the tent I survived! Oh yrs and bring WELLIES, several towels and plenty of changes of footwear/socks - I got through 6 soaked pairs yesterday! I'm aching all over ...

Subject: RE: Independent Knockholt Summa Wevva
From: Abdul The Bul Bul
Date: 22 Jun 12 - 07:11 AM

I think I'm too windy to brave it out in me tent given the location of the site. Cold, wet AND windy has put me orf.
Al

Subject: RE: Independent Knockholt Summa Wevva
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 22 Jun 12 - 07:49 AM

Well, it's nice here near the Isle of Grain and I'm on my way!

Subject: RE: Independent Knockholt Summa Wevva
From: Essex Girl
Date: 22 Jun 12 - 08:29 AM

I'm just waiting for the wind to die down a bit before I hitch up.

Subject: RE: Independent Knockholt Summa Wevva
From: Girl Friday
Date: 22 Jun 12 - 09:51 AM

Hope the marquee manages to stay up, and keeps you all dry. Judging by Woodsie's report, it doesn't sound too good up there. Know you'll make the best of it, but glad we aren't going.

Subject: RE: Independent Knockholt Summa Wevva
From: GUEST,Richard bridge at home for a recipe
Date: 23 Jun 12 - 07:31 AM

I'm only home and on the internet because I forgot the tagine recipe!

The marquee blew away twice and got bent and the safety elf condemned it.

What have you go t if you have more than one forecasting programme? A debate! predictions for the next 30 hours are not the same amongst any two of 6 web forecasting sites!

Going back armed tieh tagine makings and hoping.

Subject: RE: Independent Knockholt Summa Wevva
From: GUEST,Woodsie
Date: 23 Jun 12 - 03:40 PM

Weather has been good today. Not many here though. Grass is dry anyway.

Subject: RE: Independent Knockholt Summa Wevva
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 24 Jun 12 - 08:11 AM

It was better than all right.

More later.

Subject: RE: Independent Knockholt Summa Wevva
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 24 Jun 12 - 10:22 AM

Independent Knockholt was very good fun again - with quite a lot of hangovers but not including me! All logs were personhandleable - just.

There is some damage to the marquee which blew away twice - half a dozen joint pieces and some slightly bent poles. Mick will have a word with the makers to see what repair costs might be and I will be researching awning straps or lorry strops to tie it down with. It is a useful facility for the feast and/or singing if it rains.

Subject to marquee costs we covered costs (probably - not all figures are 100% certain yet) and everyone took their own rubbish away so saving the cost of a skip. Up to my time of leaving today there were no field entry/departure mishaps or disasters - it being slippery rather than deep mud.

A point raised was whether we should offer to lay a 1 tonne bag of shingle or gravel in the firepit - to make the safe-tea-elf less worried about people falling over into the fire. This is probably up to the farmer.

Subject to such expenses we broke even leaving a small surplus and enough money to defray Mick's petrol costs for taking the marquee away to storage. The funds collected over the winter by Linda and me are so far untouched, so I will now look into opening a post office account to put them in - possible applications being (1) marquee repairs (2) gravel (3) tough trestle table for feast (4) subsidy for September.

The working party will be considering whether, in the case of (4), what charges if any should be reduced. A delicate balancing act is how many loos to order for September particularly since a sun-drenched event is overdue!

Subject: RE: Independent Knockholt Summa Wevva
From: Girl Friday
Date: 24 Jun 12 - 10:32 AM

Mumblin' Len advises not to put gravel in the firepit. It has the potential to explode. He has set fires on pebbled beaches while fishing. What does the safety elf say. ?

Subject: RE: Independent Knockholt Summa Wevva
From: Royston
Date: 24 Jun 12 - 11:26 AM

Gravel does shatter when heated. An idiot will fall into the fire whether there is gravel under it or not.

Subject: RE: Independent Knockholt Summa Wevva
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 24 Jun 12 - 01:48 PM

Thanks for the info. So much for gravel pebble or shingle.

Subject: RE: Independent Knockholt Summa Wevva
From: Essex Girl
Date: 25 Jun 12 - 08:29 AM

Sorry I couldn't make it but the high winds put paid to me towing the van up there on Friday. We were intending to come down for the Saturday evening, but I'd been dancing all day and after reading Woodsies description of the field Alan was loath to take his car on the site. We'd prepared all the food and loaded up with chairs and tables etc.

Subject: RE: Independent Knockholt Summa Wevva
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 25 Jun 12 - 10:27 AM

Woodsie was exaggerating. And even Emily got her car on and offsite.

Subject: RE: Independent Knockholt Summa Wevva
From: GUEST,Woodsie
Date: 25 Jun 12 - 03:02 PM

I certainly was not exaggerating in my description of the two nights Weds & Thurs and I did not say that the ground was unsuitable for bringing cars onto the site. I DID say it was more suited to caravans and camper vans and that tents needed to be sturdy. When challenged about the grass being UP to 12" long I pulled a blade up right by my chair and it was 15". I and all my gear did get thoroughly soaked. Remember I was CAMPING in a tent not in a nice dry caravan.

Subject: RE: Independent Knockholt Summa Wevva
From: GUEST,Woodsie
Date: 26 Jun 12 - 12:45 PM

Anyway by average he lickl' fairy says it MUST be fairly decent wevva in Sept

Subject: RE: Independent Knockholt Summa Wevva
From: Abdul The Bul Bul
Date: 26 Jun 12 - 01:19 PM

I didn't think the rain was the main problem, it were the bleedin wind wot made it cold for me.
However.....I wasn't there Thursday!
Anyroad, I had a great time and Roll on September!!
Thanks to all the workers who make it happen.
Al