Here we go ... are you ready for more?
Thursday 11th June 2015
Good morning Download!
And what another glorious morning it is!
Although I was tired when I turned in last night, I can't
say I had any sleep. For a start, it was
freezing!!! Despite having my fleece on
and wearing thick socks, I just couldn't get warm. I was so cold my teeth were chattering!!!
Not only that, but there was a bunch of Scottish kids
pitched up next to us who had been pretty rowdy all night with their shouting
and swearing and smoking weed, so it was pretty hard to sleep.
That said, we were all up and about a 9am. My brother's friend had his hexi-burner going
so we could all have a brew. My "BIL"
had provided some rather fetching RAF merchandise in the shape of mugs and
sporks … and the compulsory ponchos (more on that later).
I headed off to use the portaloo (minus the shewee). Trying to negotiate tents and those pesky
tent strings is not easy at the best of times, especially in flip-flops! As the campsite fills up, this will get more
and more challenging!!!
Definitely easier without the sheewee! Actually, to give them their due, the
portaloos at Download are not that bad.
They do get cleaned pretty much throughout the day, but I still hate
them!
Back to the campsite to change and have breakfast (a cereal
bar). The weather is fabulous today with
blue skies and warm sunshine. By 11am,
we're all sitting round our tents drinking cider and listening to Slipknot on
my brother's iPod.
 |
| Cheers, bro! |
The Leicestershire Police Force helicopter is flying
overhead, we joke that it's the RAF here for my "BIL" (he should have
been at Cosford Airshow that weekend).
Later I find out through their Facebook page that they're taking aerial
shots of Donington
Park
To give you an idea of where we were camped, we were in the
upside-down t-shaped camp at the bottom right of the picture!
Lunch is a tin of cold spaghetti hoops and mini-sausages
(yum). We pretty much spend all
afternoon chilling in the sun. I have
put sun-cream on and swopped my novelty giraffe hat for a wide-brimmed one - my
brother declines my offer to use sun cream (which he'll later regret).
Our Scottish neighbours are having a strange drinking game
that involves duct tape and cans of Strongbow (don't ask - I didn't!!!)
We are playing our own drinking game. Smashing empty cans with a rubber mallet and
then trying to throw them into an empty Strongbow box. Everyone kept missing to start with. My brother scored the first hit, but my
"BIL" has no excuse for missing - he's sat right next to the box!!!
Later that afternoon and we're off to the campsite village
for a mooch. It is now obvious that my
brother should have taken my sun cream as he has panda-eyes! You can also see the white marks down the
sides of his face where his sunglasses have been too -- hee hee :D
The village is full of little store selling lots of things
from "shit cameras" (we asked the store vendor and he says he
couldn't get the word disposables on his sign) to wellies, airbeds, and other
camping essentials. There is also a
supermarket, beer tents, a fun-fair and "the seat of luxury"! The latter being proper posh toilets with running
water. The only catch, they are charging
£35 for the weekend, which is a bit steep!
We decided to continue taking our chances with the portaloos!!!
We stop by the official merchandise store and I buy a
Slipknot t-shirt, a Download tote bag and Download wristband. My brother also buys a Slipknot t-shirt and a
Download themed Zippo lighter.
We stop by a stall selling bandanas and sew/iron-on
patches. Their cashless system has
broken down, they are not amused as they have to turn people away. Thankfully, they are taking cash, which
luckily we all have on us! I managed to
treat myself to a gorgeous Iron Maiden bandana:
We stop by another stall selling flags. They have a really nice one on display of
Iron Maiden's mascot Eddie in the "Trooper" pose. Sadly, they have none left. We are told they will have more stock
tomorrow. We said we would go back, we
never did :(
After a portaloo pit-stop and a stop by the drinking water
station, we head over to the outdoor cinema for a sit down. It is the first chance for me to check in on
Facebook (both the wi-fi and mobile-data was shit). Firstly, I see that Christopher Lee has died :( ironically, we are watching Lord of the Rings!
Secondly, my sister has posted me to tell me that Duran Duran are
touring later in the year!
I can't really check the links she has sent me due to the
shitty wi-fi, so I just update my status.
The plan of attack for the evening was to go back to the
camp, chill, have tea then head back to the village about 10pm go on the fun
fair and then watch some wrestling at midnight.
After half and hour, we decide to head back to the
camp. My brother says he isn't feeling
crash hot, I suspect he has a touch of sunstroke! I let him have my water, which he drains and
so I go over to the water station for a re-fill.
When we get back to the camp, my brother decides he wants a
sleep. His friend had been sick earlier
in the day (he did that last time too), and has also gone for a lie down. My "BIL" is reading his Kindle, so
I retreat into my tent and decide to listen to a bit of Faith No More's new
album "Sol Invictus" to get me in the mood for Saturday night.
We have tea about 7.30pm (ish). It's another barbecue of burgers and
sausages. My brother and his friend say
they both feel better but after tea, my brother goes for another snooze. Earlier in the day, my "BIL" had
put an inflatable parrot and some plastic balls from a neighbouring pitch in my
brother's sleeping bag when he wasn't looking - he still hasn't realised yet!
About 9.30pm, me, my "BIL" and brother's friend are
having a brew. My brother is still
snoozing. It doesn't look like we will
be going up to the village again tonight :( An hour later, my "BIL" and
brother's friend have decided to call it a night too! I am wide awake but don't
fancy going up to the village on my own.
Looks like I am having an early night too.
Thankfully, I have put some of the new Thunderbirds episodes
on my phone, so I watch a few of those and listen to some more tunes, before I
settle down for another cold, sleepless night...
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