The Ned Wood Archive

Sam

Before you know it, it’s break time. The work’s not been too bad and they’ve enjoyed watching the rain and channelling the Temptations. Anne’s channelling the Temptations. Sam and Karen are channelling Rod Stewart. I know to you it might sound strange, but I wish it would rain. Sam tells everyone that he loves Glastonbury in the rain. He loves Glastonbury full stop. Rain, shine, hail, or high wind. It’s always good. Someone starts up with some George Harrison wishful thinking, but that only prompts Sam to respond with a bit of John Lennon. If the rain comes, they run and hide their heads. They might as well be dead. It’s still raining. Make the most of it.

The morning has gone quickly. They’ve been sorting litter from the week before the festival started, so mostly rubbish from the traders and the folk doing the build. It tends to be a mix of stuff, only partially separated out, so it provides a regular, consistent flow and regular consistent work. Later on when you get the picked litter and the rubbish from the bins on site, you’re getting stuff that’s already been sorted a bit, so it’s a lot of the same type of rubbish that comes through: all cans or all plastic bottles and it can get a little boring. On the other hand, when it’s wet you can get some really horrible stuff. Everything soaked and caked in mud and mixed together. That slows the work down.

They leave the centre and cross to the workers’ tent for their break. It’s still raining and the basins for hand washing are outside. They all get wet before they can go in and grab a cuppa. Inside they line up for a drink then sit around chatting. There are a couple of faces Sam didn’t recognise on the crew. They turn out to be newbies who didn’t fancy being grouped with the other newcomers so had gate crashed Sam’s line. He starts chatting with them to see how they’re enjoying their first day.

“Not as bad as we thought it would be,” says one.

“Yeah, and everyone’s been very friendly,” says the other.

Sam has learned that they are called Lyn and Lex, but he hasn’t yet been able to remember which is which. They’ve both got short hair, both younger than Sam, but how old he couldn’t really say. Definitely older than 25. Maybe 30-35. Definitely not 50. Not only is it their first time on the crew, it’s their first ever Glastonbury. Wow, thinks Sam, so much to discover. So much to look forward to.

The others join in. Everyone has their own recommendation about where to go and what to see. But that’s the same regardless of who you’re talking to. Everyone has their own favourite part of Glastonbury. Everyone has their own favourite stage. Everyone has their own list of bands to see. Arguing about it is part of the fun. And arguing about it is what they’ll spend much of the remaining three and a half shifts doing. That and singing.

And I’m happy when it rains
And I’m happy when it rains
And I’m happy now
And I’m happy when it rains