Farnham Carnival 2015
It could not have been a better day for the Farnham Carnival, lovely warm and sunny, hazy sun, but not too hot.
I arrived a little later than I would have wished, as I diverted to Aldershot to have a coffee with a friend.
Saturday market in Aldershot, last week six stalls, few people on the street, today four stalls. The imbecile leader of the council claims the Saturday market a huge success.
I alighted from the bus and walked along the River Wey to Gostrey Meadow. A quick look around, then up Downing Street to butcher and greengrocer before they closed (that was Sunday dinner sorted).
I popped in Phyllis Tuckwell. This is by far their best shop, always interesting items on sale, and not rip off prices (unlike Oxfam or British Heart Foundation). I complimented them on the fact their shop peace and quiet. They thanked me. It is a sore point with Phyllis Tuckwell shops, they have been forced to install sound systems that blare out awful music, no one wants, but no one is listening. No consultation with the shops. Some cretin at head office to justify a waste of their salary and charitable funds, not only forced it on the shops, but a long term contract and they cannot get out of until at least April 2016.
The argument being it is cheaper than paying for the right to play music. Yes, if you have a shop not selling music, but do you have to pay if selling music? But even if you are forced to pay, put on what you like, have on display and it sells. It then pays for itself. Whereas, the system now, does not only not pay for itself, it annoys customers and drives them out of the shop, and creates it stressful and unpleasant working conditions for those working in the shops.
Whoever imposed this crass system on the shops should do the decent thing and resign.
Crap food at the Farnham Carnival, but good food too, for example Curries from Home.
If you have never eaten Curries from Home, you have never had a decent Indian meal.
I had butter chicken with rice. I asked, and they gave me a little from the other dishes too. It was excellent.
What was also good, served in a card box, wooden fork.
The organisers must set higher environmental standards (assuming they set any at all), other festivals do, so why not Farnham Carnival?
No polystyrene burger boxes. Everything must be recyclable. Different bins, compost, paper, glass, aluminium, other.
Whilst I was eating my excellent lunch from Curries from Home a flypast by the Red Arrows.
Curries from Home a must for Godalming Food Festival (next Saturday) and Staycation Live (sometime end of July or early August).
old Citroen van serving coffee
Coffee off, no idea, an unmarked battered old Citroen van. It was ok, better than Costa or Starbucks (which does not say a lot), but could have been much better. No cookies, no idea where the coffee was sourced from, coffee ground in advance. Cup was paper, but what was the lid? They did not know. If cellulose, plant-based plastic, can be composted. Lemonade served in plastic.
Is there a bad back epidemic in Farnham, or symptomatic of a national trend? Two chiropractors peddling their wares, and another man offering massage.
I learnt from one chiropractor I was lopsided, which can be fixed, for a fee.
Man on a tanoy was bloody irritating. He had nothing to say, but irritated everyone by saying it. During the parade, even worse, but luckily most of the time inaudible due to the music. Would someone please tell him to put a sock in it, or strangle him.
Music was ok but not great. I would have expected better from organisers of Weyfest. Maybe ask West End Centre next year. Far better than Aldershot Live Music Day (which is dire), but not in the same league as Staycation Live in Godalming.
Jewelia would have been ideal headline act.
Food, several good food stalls, but they need to be more selective and kick out the rubbish.
Find someone else to run the bar. When a bar serves Carling then not up to scratch. There is locally, small breweries, that is what should be on sale.
Why the dreaded Tony Fresco ice cream vans? And why the engines running all day? The exhaust is at the height of small children. Ideal for brain damage for formative brains. Invite Dylan’s Ice Cream for quality ice cream.
For coffee, invite HoBo Co or Jimmy Bean.
People selling what can only be described as tat. They have to have a licence. Do not issue the licence.
I decided to have a massage. It would have been better on a flat table. The massage chair was very uncomfortable after a few minutes. I was booked 20 minutes, but it seemed much longer. Afterwards I was given a bottle of water. Apparently it is important to rehydrate, good for the bone and muscles.
I stayed longer than I have in the past. Usually, a quick look round, watch the procession, shop in Waitrose, then pass through on the way to the station.
As it was a pleasant day and evening, I stayed until evening.
I do not know how many at Farnham Carnival.
On leaving I chatted to two police (strictly speaking one cop and a PCSO). Not a lot to do I said, no one to arrest. I mentioned the anti-austerity protests in London last weekend, 250,000 and not a single arrest.
As is should be they said. And I agreed. No excuse whatever for the antisocial behaviour that blights our town centres. People should be able to go out, have a nice time, in a pleasant environment.
With a few minutes to spare, I caught the train.
By the time I got home, I ached all over, as though hard work in the garden. Hard physical work exercises the muscles, but then so does massage.
Farnham Carnival put to shame VE Day 70. last month in Aldershot.
Next Farnham event: Parish Church Summer Fête, sometime in September.
Next Godalming events: Godalming Food Festival next Saturday (Saturday 4 July 2015) and Staycation Live (sometime end of July or early August).
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