John Griff: All the gear – and at least SOME idea!
In recent weeks I’ve mentioned the Crick Boat Show both here in these pages and also on the air at NLive Radio.
An event with a quarter of a century under its belt as of the weekend, its one which brings thousands to the county by extending a warm welcome to all. For the past couple of years I’ve been its commentator – and both times it’s worked a kind of magic on me.
After the BBC and I went our separate ways (but not altogether as the BBC and Gary Lineker just have), I decided to seek new adventures but still related to my career and needs. I think I’m reasonably ordered, practical and resourceful – finding those adventures and making them lived experiences proved to be quite a challenge though. I detest losing skills and proficiencies – anything new to me I like to embrace and bank for future use. The Crick show puts some of those proficiencies back into use.
As part of the show team, I was invited to live on site for the duration. An adventure of its own, I readily accepted, being fortunate enough to be loaned Lois’ parents capacious caravan as well her father’s car with which to tow it. John is a remarkable gentleman who in his upper 80s still turns his hand to just about anything and believes wholeheartedly in having every piece of related equipment available for any activity. As a result, the caravan has almost every amenity you could reasonably wish for. Being a novice (two occasions only), on Friday and with a couple of hours of preparation from John’s priceless notes on hooking everything up, I headed for the M1 and Crick as a nearly 5 tonne, single occupant car and caravan combination.
On the road, I realised that some of my previous experiences were coming back to life. Towing is something I’ve done a little of - helping a balloon pilot friend by driving his truck and trailer as the ground-based retrieval crew taught me how to drive a towing vehicle, as well as manoeuvring and precision parking in reverse. Arriving at the campsite I could feel the eyes of those already parked up on me as I earned my chops putting the ‘van alongside what turned out to be the paramedic unit. Parked, balanced and levelled up (the caravan has its own driven wheels which made this both much easier and quite fun), I sorted out power, water and drainage. For this trip I would be largely on my own, so doing things methodically and logically proved to be the way to go, saving time too.
Being a bank holiday weekend, I had decided to produce Monday’s NLive Drive Show from the site in addition to my event duties. This meant planning in advance what equipment I would need, how to feed to the radio station in Northampton from the field, and the logistics of producing everything solo. Past experience and the ability to pack light helped – there’s no point in taking more than can be carried. The caravan proved to be a dry and secure home, studio and production office, linking me with Northampton via a pocket sized mifi unit.
During the show it was clear that there were different tribes in attendance – and we love to wear our badges of association. The caravanners were already there as, of course, were the boaters in the marina. The campers were close by in their section of the campsite, while the real ale drinkers seemed to be everywhere. I took it as a badge of local pride to make my first pint a Phipps product, the event offering its own beer and music festivals within the overall boat show. As a result, the ABBA and Robbie (tribute acts) had their own, vocal supporters on hand too. But suffusing everything was a spirit of being part of something jointly and everybody from visitors to staff seemed willing to help anyone in need, whatever the needs might be. Truly, it was a happy place to be in, exemplified by the cheery ‘good morning!’ greetings of people walking across the camping field (even in rain) to do their morning ablutions before heading for the show site.
The show was its usual success. Heading home again was an exercise in reverse repetition and planning. Like many others, I packed up the caravan and most of my kit for before going over to the show site for the final day – foresight ensured no dramas. Recharging those previous proficiencies had recharged something in me too – so the busman’s holiday might actually have been a busman’s therapy…