The last revision to the forecast has moved a few sunny spells, and a few cloudy hours around, but I don't think much has changed for the worse, although only two hours are shown with full sunshine this evening. Once again the temperature should reach a pleasant 24° C. Tomorrow may end up with a bit more full sunshine, but in other respects I think we can expect it to be very similar to today.

   Yesterday, typically enough, was a good and bad day. Not being able to get a back stage pass for Chislehurst Rocks was the cause of the bad, and I shall moan endlessly about it today, and probably tomorrow as well ! There is not a lot to say about the morning. I did little more than check and pack my cameras ready to start out on a very tedious train and bus journey.

  I left home at 2.50pm to get the 3.10pm train from Catford station to St Mary Cray station. The train ride took 20 minutes, but over very familiar territory it was not terribly exciting. At St Mary Cray station it is a bit of walk up the stairs from the platform to the exit, and then a bit of a walk to the bus stop. I didn't time it, but I would estimate it took about 10 minutes. Fortunately the boring wait for a bus was only 5 or 6 minutes.

  I'm not sure how long the bus ride was. It felt like quite a time, maybe seeming like 20 minutes, although I did think that it seemed quicker going in the homeward direction. Finally I arrived at the entrance, or one of them, for Chislehurst Rocks. there was supposed to be an entrance for normal plebs, and a fast track entrance for "VIPs". I didn't even see the other entrance. In reply to an email sent to the organiser asking for a back stage pass, I was told the very best they could do was to allow me to use the fast track entrance.

  As far as i could see everybody was using the same entrance, and I was certainly not asked for my name - the way the email was written suggested I had been put on some sort of guest list. Like everybody, I had my bag, actually a rucksack searched for contraband - which as well as AK47s, bomb (conventional or nuclear), "zombie" knives, drugs and strong alcohol. included a humble bottle of plain water. I saw several people either turned away until they had drunk the water, or poured it away. My bottle of water was hidden in almost plain sight. It was in a sleeve with the name Nikon on it, but basically once the goon at the entrance saw my rucksack was full of cameras he just waved me through. He didn't even look in the other part of the rucksack where I had my drug stash (admittedly prescription tablets and vitamin tablets). I also had a small stash of ginger biscuits !

  I was aware that the venue had changed to a smaller nearby recreation field this year. It did seem considerably smaller, and even more stuff, like kiddie rights, plus the beer tent and food stalls, had all been crammed into it. Last year it was didn't seem so cramped, and there was room to breath. Yesterday, and in particular when Hell On Tap were playing, it got very crowded near the stage. Fortunately it was loud enough to make many keep some distance from the front barricades.

  Those barricades were my greatest hate. I was hoping that like at Petts Wood Calling, and Pettswoodstock before it, I would be able to work on the other side of those barricades. I had also hoped I would get access to the back stage where the bands kept their gear, and could relax between sets. I was allowed neither, and I felt very irritated about it. my irritation was much amplified by having to listen to at least 20 minutes of the band on before Hell On Tap. I expect they have their fans, although not many at Chislehurst Rocks, but I really didn't care for their synthed drum backing with disco beats.
  One of the things I wanted to do was to get a band photo of Hell On Tap. I did take several, but none really satisfied me. I had to take the pictures over the (waist high) barrier, and the only place the band could stand was not ideal for the position of the sun, and so near the PA speakers (blaring out some appalling music between bands - as it sadly normal) that communication with the band was almost impossible.
  This was the best of four band photos I took. It is sort of goodm and the band could possibly use it, but I was really aiming for a full length picture. I couldn't get all their feet in from the angle I was taking the photo, plus two faces are in part shadow.

  I have not even glanced at most of the pictures I took yesterday, and I'll probably be spending the next couple of days selecting and editing the best. I took very few pictures of the band who were on when I got there. They were called Little Talks, and I didn't like them. I took shed loads of pictures of Hell On Tap. I think I kept my eye on the viewfinder, and finger on the shutter button, rather than look at the crowds around me.

  I was approached by a member of the next band on. He knew me by name, and I think reputation, although we had never met before. He asked if I would be taking pictures of his band. I had heard they were good, and so I always intended to, but maybe after being asked I gritted my teeth and stayed snapping away for at least half their set before escaping from the venue.

  The entrance was all very random. I was standing halfway out hoping that there would be a a gap long enough in the incoming people to borrow a corner of the bag search table to make it easier to pack my camera stuff away. I only stood still for 60 seconds before a goon came up to me and demanded to search my rucksack before I could go in. I carefully explained that I had already been in, and was on my way home. I also mentioned I was hoping to use a bit of their table, but it was obviously too busy.

  I didn't want to bend over to pack all my stuff away in the racksack (which also involved changing the lens on one camera so it all fitted in nicely). I looked around for a park bench or something, but all I could see was a red bin for the disposal of contraband drugs. I took great delight in using that as my table, and the first thing I did was to get out my concealed water bottle, and my little container of my drugs, and took those drugs with a swig of water to wash them down.

  The walk to the bis stop was only 3 or 4 minutes, and I was lucky in that I only had a 5 or 6 minute wait for a bus. (The last I used that bus, the 273, I waited so long for one to arrive that I gave up and got another bus that at least went to Catford, but by the longest, most convoluted route possible). I took the bus back to St Mary Cray station, and as I mentioned above, it did seem faster in that direction.

  At the station I had a 20 minute wait for the train after missing one by 10 minutes (fortunately it was a half hourly service). While on the station I used the gents for a pee. It was probably better than a portaloo, but only by a very small margin. The toilets of the train were probably better. Eventually I was on my way back to Catford station, and from there it was a slow slog lasting almost 10 minutes before I arrived home.

  Once I had changed clothes, and washed my hands, I tucked in to my sort of preplanned dinner of two Scotch eggs. I followed them by a tub of my favourite low calorie/sugar ice cream. There was very little TV on to amuse me, but I did watch part of a documentary about Sid James, star of the Carry On films and many other films too, as well as TV shows. I also transferred all the pictures I had taken on both cameras to my PC. The last thing I did was to check a few random pictures, plus the Hell On Tap band photo attempts that I also edited.

  I don't remember much about going to sleep. I read the introduction to a book, but none of the stories from it before turning out the light. As fas as I can guess, I was asleep within minutes of turning out the light - probably around 9.30pm. I slept very soundly, and only got up to pee a couple of times until 5am when it seemed I would never get back to sleep again. I tried several positions in bed and I just couldn't seem to get to sleep. It was quite a surprise when I realised I had fallen asleep, and it was suddenly 6.30am. That seemed a fair time to get up.

  One large bowl of instant noodles, two Scotch eggs, and a tub of low calorie/sugar ice cream was not a lot to eat for a whole day, and I expected my blood glucose reading to be smaller than they were. They were both perfectly OK, 8.3mmol/l on the new meter, and 8.2mmol/l on the old meter, but I expected a reading starting 7.something. I was a feeling sweaty when I went to bed last night. It did cool down a bit in the night, but I think I might have got a bit dehydrated during the night. I did mean to check my blood glucose after drinking at least half a pint, but before I ate my breakfast, but I was feeling so hungry I ate my large portion of instant noodles without thinking.

  Today will be, or could be, very busy. One thing I have to do this morning so I can use the bath to have a shower, is to finish washing a fitted sheet that has been soaking in detergent since I finished my morning shower yesterday. I should be able to dry it on the washing line in today's sunshine. Once that is done I can have a shower. before or after that I need to do a bit of washing up, and get tonight's dinner slow cooking.

  From about (typically) 3.30pm I should be having a beer tasting session with Jodie. Michael has said he might possibly join us because today is one Sunday when he didn't think he would be called on to do other stuff. Between all these chores and pleasure I have several hundred pictures to sift through looking for the best, and editing them for best effect.