Updates to Come and Solstice Stuff

[akicif]

A hostage to fortune here - things I've not posted about that I meant to:

• Beltane
• Elephant herding (I've a post on rasseff, but I mean to post a fuller (no pun intended) version behind a friends-lock)
• Beach party
• Alloa Beer Festival (today, too late to plug, really) [I wonder - did Maclays ever, back in the day, produce a mild or 60/- called "Alloa Low" that they talked of on a brewery visit once?])
• Summer Solstice Stuff
• General Beltaney / Nightwatchy wittering
• Werk (possibly best left unwritten)

Actually, the solstice thing is pretty close to a screw-up. I got in touch with the folk I used to do the Stonehenge solstice stewarding thing with between 2000 and 2002 (FSVO "the folk" - I hadn't realised that the guy I used to be in touch with, a gentleman (in the real sense) called George Firsoff, had died a while back) to see if they still needed folk for the peace stewarding and the answer was positive, but more in the "yes, and you can bring some more folk with you" than in the "yes, please bring everyone you can" sort of way.

I've probably left it massively too late, and I don't know if they still do the training day the day before thing, or if it's just a matter of turning up and catching the right folk, but if anyone's interested, please let me know.

Alternatively, if I have screwed up on this, I have a plan B: Castlerigg stone circle near Keswick is about a morning's train and bus away from Edinburgh, and I've not been there since I went with feorag back in 1993 when we were at Bradford Uni. Again, if anyone else is interested in coming along on that one, please let me know.

Actually, now I come to think of it, I'm torn - Stonehenge could be great, but it will have about a Beltane and a half worth of people (2000 had 7k, 2001 had 14k, 2002 was almost 21k - I hope it's not been growing at that speed since), while Castlerigg gets numbers in the hundreds and is lots more relaxed....

Comments

[surliminal.livejournal.com]

I went to castlerigg years ago - no one there but us and I didn't know it ever got crowds..

[akicif.livejournal.com]

When would that have been? I suspect the numbers vary more or less randomly. Although looking on the web there seem to have been 100-150 in 1996 and 200-250 in 2003, many of whom arrived in the last few hours before sunrise.

[purplerabbits.livejournal.com]

Catslerig would be cool, Stonehenge is more of a maybe. BFS are hoping to run a club on the Thursday (or whenever they can get a venue) as a fundraiser for Lughnassadh, which I would prefer not to miss.

Does that mean you'll be in Alloa tonight and if so when can we meet and catch up?

[akicif.livejournal.com]

Sorry - I headed down to the station before you posted that, and never checked LJ until late this morning (was back from Alloa in time to go to Hoose to catch up with Amy and Micah, and then attempted to stay awake long enough to get to a party, but went for bus home instead - where I failed to fall asleep for far too long).

Am definitely leaning towards the Castlerigg plan.

[feorag.livejournal.com]

Even though I don't do the Pagan thing any more, I remember Castlerigg fondly. I'd love to go back there.

[wolfette]

Alternatively, if I have screwed up on this, I have a plan B: Castlerigg stone circle near Keswick is about a morning's train and bus away from Edinburgh, and I've not been there since I went with feorag back in 1993 when we were at Bradford Uni. Again, if anyone else is interested in coming along on that one, please let me know.

You know I can drive now and have my own car?

Which reminds me - are you going to Gytha's funeral in Kirkcaldy on Wednesday, and if so, would you like a lift?

[mquin.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the reminder about the ABF - just spend an entertaining few hours there :)

[akicif.livejournal.com]

We were there from about three until almost eight - not drinking for the full five hours, but with a couple of breaks (one of the Town Hall staff spotted us talking about the tiles and wrought iron and gave us a rather comprehensive tour of the building, and then we took a wander around Alloa town centre for a bit just to see what it was like).

Had some lovely beers, but I was surprised by the end of the day to discover I'd had more English than Scottish beers - I hope to reverse this in Edinburgh in a fortnight!

[mquin.livejournal.com]

Ah, that would explain why I didn't spot you - I didn't arrive until around 8.30.

[devilgate.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure I remember there being an Alloa 60/- around, back when I lived in Edinburgh (1982-86). But I don't remember it being called "Alloa Low".

[akicif.livejournal.com]

Alloa Low was something mentioned on a brewery visit - I never actually saw or tasted it.

Alloa 60 bob was from, iirc, the Ind Coope brewery - the same operation who turned out the revived Archibald Arrol's 80/- (oddly enough, Skol used to be "Graham's Golden Lager" and was first brewed in Alloa in the '20s - you can tell I've been distracted by Google). Maclays had a 60/70/80/90 range, but also did a collection of seasonals/one-offs, some of which became semi-regular (Kane's Amber, named after Dan Kane who used to run the Southsider, outlasted the brewery).

Hmmm. Thirsty now.

[pigeonhed.livejournal.com]

If you decide on Castlerigg let me know, I may be able to do pickups from penrith station.