Traffic Lights 4 Peace

MESSAGE TO ALL GREENBELTERS!
Best guest review: Mark B.

See last years review Greenbelt 2004

GREENBELT 2005

greenbelt monday - thoughts and something special

Well, Rosalie and I managed to get to Greenbelt on Monday for a full day and hugely enjoyed it. (I was a Greenbelt regular in my youth - have managed one day at Cheltenham in the past. This might seem strange since we live so close, but it's partly a combination of church responsibilities and of time of life, with children at an age where we'd be with them and they with us for most of the day.

I'd be interested to hear from anyone else with primary age children, but I'm not sure Greenbelt is that well set up for parents in that age/life bracket. The stuff for teenagers seems to be excellent, but there's no rolling program for primary age children - unlike New Wine. That, to me, seems a lack. I have a dislike of dragging my sons around "church stuff", even stuff as cool and groovy as gb - hard for those kids sitting through seminars of little interest to them, and falling asleep in late night caberets.)

Anyway, personal highlights included:

- reflecting on worship with the help of Richard Giles (really looking forward to hearing more from him at the National Liturgical Conference) and Maggi (great to meet you, at last, even if briefly - and enjoyed your story-laden talk)

bumping into all sorts of people from far and near, including Kathryn and Mary. Having said that, arriving at 9.20, the first three people we met were from our own church youth group!
wandering around together soaking up the general festival atmosphere
laughing at the (at times) completely incorrect humour of Paul Kerensa's 26
surfing waves of rock nostalgia with Pure Reason Revolution (including flashbacks to the Hawkwind concerts of my illspent youth)
and, lastly, the main highlight, which left me with a big stupid grin on my face, a truly wonderful set from Duke Special.

In concert, the music is like (but not the same as) early Tom Waits sung with a strong Belfast accent and a passionate, honeyed voice, backed by a superb band of showman musicians (including sometime Psalm Drummer, Chip Bailey).

The big stupid grin returned to my face about 11.30 last night after we'd got home and I'd showered and sat there with half a bottle of red and Duke's album, Adventures in Gramophone playing. Simply beautiful music, with more than a hint of Crowded House at their best. It's been playing all day as I've worked.

GREENBELT 2005 IT DOES NOW!
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God bless,
and enjoy the Festival!

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