Didn't bring a djembe

The Gypsy in the Field festival 2012 took place on the weekend of the 22^nd and 23^rd of September, and although there were many things about the weekend that I thoroughly enjoyed, the failure on my behalf to bring a djembe is unlikely to be forgotten. The festival is best described in these terms: one field, one stage, one campfire, 200 campers, no djembe.

The festival is the brainchild of the organisers of a night called ‘Gypsy’, which runs in various venues across London. I once performed at one such night at The Alexandra in Clapham. The idea to create a festival under the ‘Gypsy’ banner was inspired, and the first Gypsy in the Field Festival was a resounding success. The weekend sustained a particular vibe with a various assortment of Gypsy regulars (including Joe Inman himself) performing on the main stage. Other entertainment included a tent which played host to spoken word and stand up comedy.

The Joe Inman Project, the band in which I play drums, performed in the sunshine on the Saturday afternoon. We were probably the loudest performers all weekend: described by Gypsy as “blending infectiously melodic guitars with anthemic sing-along choruses” the band is constantly evolving, due to inevitable band dynamics. Our style fluctuates regularly, depending on Joe's writing, and it was the potential of a band split which meant we neglected travel logistics until the last minute. If it wasn’t for a desperate plea for a lift from London to Norwich on Facebook, Joe and the bassist would never have made it.

When the sun went down the focal point of the field became the great campfire in the middle, as people sat around (no cliché intended) and warmed themselves sufficiently, accompanied by cheery guitar sing-alongs. It was at this point the resonance of a missed djembe opportunity struck me hardest- my frustration at being unable to jam along on my beloved drum led me to extremes: attempting to use a battered tambourine as an African drum (not something I’d recommend). Eventually I accepted my mistake, and consoled myself with the belief that a lesson had been learnt. That lesson being that if you’re going to a typically friendly, small music festival, make sure to pack a djembe. 

Oh yeah, and did I mention I did this whole thing on one leg?

Me sporting the Gypsy in the Field t-shirt

The Movement Cafe

On the 28^th of July, the Movement Cafe opened to coincide with the start of Olympics. The cafe is funded by Cathedral Group, a development company who are behind the Movement Greenwich project. Their aim is to create a “vibrant, active new community in the heart of West Greenwich” including new affordable housing, student accommodation and an extension to the West Greenwich Community Centre. The majority of the work on the site is not due to start until after the Olympics so in the meantime in came a few shipping containers, some bright pots of paint and the vision of the artist Morag Myerscough.

Flowers grow for those that know

To bloom is to know your roots

To give the earth all it’s worth

Tend to the new shoots

The cafe under construction- the work of an amazing team led by Danny Elphick. 

Remarkably, the cafe was erected in just 16 days, in time to provide the thousands of visitors to Greenwich for the Olympics with coffee and food. The cafe is conveniently located directly outside the Royal Boroughs ‘front door’- the DLR station, and therefore the herds of visitors to the Greenwich equestrian centre are shepherded right past the cafe's entrance. My job at the cafe originally appeared simple- to serve the customers. But in actual fact my basic duties of making coffee and fulfilling the cafe logistics became secondary to a growing interest in wanting to help publicise the cafe and organise events.

And a horse on course its hooves

Drum beneath the earth

Where dreadnoughts sleeping seamen

Are weeping for the berth

The cafe plays host to spoken word events every Wednesday and live music every Thursday. On Wednesday the 29^th of August, a poetry collective called Liars League came in and performed a few short stories from their anthology of urban tales, entitled London Lies. One of these stories, written by Jim Minton, gruesomely and comically depicted the nightmare of an Olympic steward who encounters an escaped guard dog. On the eve of the 9^th of August, I accompanied emerging talent Poppy Trevelyan on percussion, and that night the wooden amphitheatre that makes up most of the cafe was full of people.

Poppy and I performing at the cafe. 

The cafe is hosting a film weekend on the 6^th and 7^th of October, showcasing short films as part of the London Short Film Festival. Other events currently being planned include an art showcase, organised by the young person’s art collective ENDMOR, and the possibility of a one day outdoor theatre (which would make full use of the cafe's wooden amphitheatre). All in all, the cafe is a vibrant, buzzing place. And whether or not the events appeal to you, come in, grab a coffee, and appreciate what surely must be one of the most beautiful cafes in London.

While the marshes sigh at night

When sky dives into the Thames

Greenwich and I will sleep again

And wake again as friends 

The finished cafe, which has words protruding the scaffolding that surrounds it.

The excerpts in bold come from a poem that Cathedral Group commissioned Lemn Sissay, the official Olympic poet, to write for the project. The poem consists of 13 stanzas but I have simply selected three of the stanzas that I found most powerful. Lemn Sissay’s words are part of the inspiration behind the cafe's impressive design. 

The entire poem by Lemn Sissay is painted onto the hoardings that run from the DLR station entrance to the cafe.