Strawberry Earth at Glastonbury Festival: Day 2!
GLASTONBURY - Glastonbury is the festival who cried wolf. Every year a rumour spreads around the camp that either The Queen, Elton John or Michael Jackson has died. “Yeah, right,” I thought as the fifth person told me the King of Pop was gone. “Like I’m gullible enough to believe that nonsense.” Still, I’m guessing “the Queen has got swine flu” rumour is just guff…right?
Before the Jackson news spread, we were watching a Greenpeace campaigner give a rousing speech in the backstage area. For added apocalyptic drama, those clever PR people had arranged for it to piss it down and for huge forks of lightning to streak across the sky at opportune moments. Very nice work.
Michael Eavis pointed out that the environment is now the most significant campaigning issue for Glasto. Eavis also mentioned an unlikely triumph of humankind: there is now far less urine in the Glasto streams. Okay, so it might not rank alongside finding a cure for malaria, but it’s been a persistent problem ever since the fest began.
It’s also a great example of how a combination of convincing campaigning and a little regulation can work wonders. The splendidly-attired Green Police patrol the brooks, looking for wayward willies. I like to think that they deliver a sharp knuckle-rap to any peeing penises that appear through the hedges, though I can’t confirm this to be true.
Over in the Greenpeace Field, it’s all about Heathrow and the 3rd runway. After a group of activists and celebrities bought a chunk of land slap bang in the middle of the development, things have got interesting.
The area they bought includes part of pretty little Sipson village. So, because this is Glasto and all, those ingenious Greenpeacers have recreated the village in miniature – complete with local post office, pub and village green.
You can sign up to own a chunk of Sipson and the runway plot here.
There really is an optimistic buzz around all of the green and environment areas here. I shall don my poncho once again, trudge through the puddles and find more inspiring people…
…And the music hasn’t even started yet.
