Harmstock 2009

Today we celebrated Charlotte's twenty-eleventh birthday with a memorable (if somewhat damp) trip to Harmstock '09.

We started with champagne and birthday cake at Chez Hickerton. Apart from M & C and K and me, there was Pete & Ginny, Clint & Emma, Steve (but no Patricia as he had left her in the kitchen!), Jon, Lou & Dan, Nick & Amy, Becky & Dave and Maria & Dave (and a gaggle of neices and nephews). While we were there, we had the chance to look at some of Martin's photos from Kenya - they got amazingly close to some of the animals and he has some superb pictures to prove it.

The weather was looking decidedly "iffy" (meteorological term) so the original plan to walk from South Hykeham to Harmston was canned in favour of driving to Waddington and just walking the last bit. Some people had to duck out at this point so the walking party numbered eleven. After a bracing snifter in the Horse and Jockstrap we embarked on our trek. Then the rain came! By the time we were halfway to Harmston it was properly p155ing down and those people without waterproofs did very well to keep going without complaint.

We arrived at the Thorald Arms in Harmston to be met by a sea of umbrellas and goretex - everyone else seemed better prepared than us. Anyway, once we had a couple of halves of Sneck Lifter inside us things began to look a lot better. The weather did begin to slowly improve and somebody managed to purloin one of the pub parasols which provided a fair amount of shelter even it involved huddling in uncomfortable proximity. We had been joined at this point by Phil and Ted, Yvette, Neve & Isla; later on Suzie also turned up (having left Paul in charge of baby Phoebe).

The beer and the bands and the company and the laughs were all of top quality and I think Harmstock may become a regular fixture on our calendars.