Welcome! After a knackering, soggy three days of madness it is all over. Tired doesn't begin to describe how I feel. The 86 year old Queen must be SHATTERED after all that she had to do over the Jubilee weekend.
The day was great but I think God must be an anarcho-punk having a massive chucklefest at us:
The Mini broke down a week before the event and was fixed TWO hours before it was due to leave!
I had to work Friday, go to Norfolk in the evening to help my parents price and pack their items. On the Saturday we packed the ambulance and began the *slowest* journey from Norfolk to London EVER! Top speed of the ambulance is 55mph.
We then tubed/trained it back to Essex after meeting my husband who'd made it in the Mini to Battersea too. Got home about 11pm and we were all in bed at 12.30am to be up at 6am!
My husband woke up late on Sunday morning in the foulest mood... we drove to Leigh on Sea railway station only to miss the train we needed as said husband was a few minutes late up and parking was tricky, grrr.
I realised I left my lifeline of a mobile phone at home! As we had 20 minutes until next train we had time to get it, phew!
Arrived at Battersea Park at about 10.30am ready to set up and got to work in the drizzle.
I would have loved to have gone to the Battersea Park Festival as a member of the public so I could have experienced everything. Despite the (sodding) rain so much went on.
I've got a few pictures of the day and we managed to look around near the end of the event which cheered us tired, soggy group up.
For the table decoration I wanted something a bit different so made my own! I would have painted them but didn't have time so used T-shirt transfer prints on old Ikea curtains.
No public in the park yet!
My uncle owns Norvic Ambulance company which covers East Anglia and has a re-registered 1960/70s working ambulance which attends events all over the country.
There was a fleet of vintage and retro police cars!
I NEED this car! Only, not a police car version: it's so cute!
Bedraggled, cold and using a stock mug for coffee! I look a little cross-eyed here too (!?)
We did manage to get out and about after the torrential rain forced us to pack up. The majority of the people who had attended had gone by then.
We didn't have to queue for food!
I love Carter's Steam Fair.
By far the best thing I saw was the bandstand entertainment. We arrived about 30 seconds before it finished but I got some video! If I've managed it, I've posted it down below.
These pictures are from the end of the day when everyone who'd stuck it out was drenched!
This little fellow is getting his picture taken with Mandy! We heard many comments from people saying that a Mini like ours was their first car. We did hear one "oh, it's only an ordinary Mini" from one grumpy man :D
I met Twitter friends too! The lovely ladies from @vanillasplits VW Campervan hire.
The lasting memory of the day for me is my seriously soggy feet. Should have worn wellies!
HOME TIME!
Despite the rain and mishaps it was a good day - disappointed for everyone involved in organising and taking part in any event in London as anything would have done so much better even if it was just cloudy rather than TORRENTIAL rain!
I hope you had a good Jubilee time too :D
Dawn
