UCA's Glastonbury Diary

Thursday was another early start, setting up the marquee in preparation for the visitors. The theme of the morning was ceramics, so we got the wheels spinning outside and had early takers willing to try their hand at some pot making. In front of a small crowd that's brave indeed. It was all going far too well when came the inevitable happened – it started to rain.

Ceramics

That meant the wheels had to stop. Luckily the shower only lasted about 45 minutes but, more seriously, it resulted in a sudden loss of power to the whole market row. Bang went all the computers, video screens and pottery wheels. The site's own technical guys eventually located and fixed the problem and it was back to full strength with lights, action, clay pots and music.

To brighten things up Fine Arts student Edi made a spectacular appearance dressed from head to toe in nothing but a pair of swimming trunks. Some kids needed no encouragement to start vigorously painting his body. In a matter of minutes he was daubed all over in colour – the kids taking particular delight in painting bits they weren't meant to...

Edi's Performance Art

Edi's performance art merged seamlessly into a photo-shoot competition in the afternoon with mainly girls (until the boys got in on the action that is) coming up and trying on the rail of clothes here and being photographed by their friends The best pic will get an iPod.

In the Photo Studio

In the Photo Studio

It was fun and popular and coincided with the first big act of the day, Maximo Park, who happened to be playing about 200 yards from our stand at The Queen's Head. It meant the place was suddenly swamped with folk and the whole area being quickly sealed off by festival security due to overcrowding. It also meant that, by default, the photo competition did particularly good business.

All through the day enquiries were coming thick and fast, ranging from two students starting at Farnham in September unwittingly meeting Sally their new teacher, to youngsters interested in doing the degree course in music journalism. Rock'n'roll!