The Masked Ball

We set off late as the weather was poor - so we had a good veggie fry up and then I took food bags and newly charged battery up to the chickens - why does the battery always run down just when I am going away, meaning I have to swap it over? It weighs a tonne and is a fiddly job! between doing all this I sorted and packed clothes for the weekend - each time whittling it down! So finally bags packed, bedding sorted and car loaded, we were off by 2!
It was pouring by the time we arrived, and having parked in a field some way from the entrance we took half our stuff down to get our wrist bands and find our hut. First setback was the fact no bottles allowed! So we opened a bottle of red and poured it into our mugs! I took some of our stuff to the Hobbit Hut, then took the rest of the wine back to the car, as by this time London Boy was soaked as the rain was driving through the tunnel of the admission tent and he had no coat! 
Once settled in the hut two strange characters appeared who read us owl poetry! We then set of to explore the site in the rain! There were 9 music tents, all beautifully coloured and the above Fire breathing moving Dragon - which at first I thought was a chicken and was well delighted! Well chickens are descended from dinosaurs so easy mistake! The night ahead was looking to be a marathon! People already in costume were variously wandering around - a lot of good/interesting/bizarre costumes, and a fair number of men in lycra - never a good look! We decided to eat then get ready - mash, chips, mushy peas and gravy!
London Boy was cold so got into his bed and was there when our friends appeared! But it gave us the impetus to get dressed up and brave the now torrential rain and find them in Ezmeralda's, accessed through a tunnel you had to bend over to crawl through! First problem of the evening occurred - too wet to take photographs outside in the rain, and the camera lens just steamed up in the tents - gutted! So I went back to the hut, relinquished camera and headed out again! The first tent we tried to dance in had a power cut - which was a shame as had an Electro Swing vibe which I love! But the next tent, On the Wonk, with a tilted entrance way and people of small stature aka Willy Wonkers Oompa-Loompas who seemed to like my cat mask and allowed me to toy with them in a cat like fashion - this tent  had great Deep House music and the dancing began! After an hour decided I needed a drink, whereupon I discovered the rain had stopped - so back to the hut for my camera and a good solo tour round outside taking the tents! Then it began to rain again! From here on in the evening deteriorated! friends were no longer in the tent they swore they would stay in, and noone as promised at the huts to let me in with a spare key! Luckily bumped into London Boy on way back to the tents and camera safe and dry off we set! Found 2 of our friends and had a drink then set off to find another place to dance - all the tents were packed! The rain meant nobody was outside and therefore it was like a game of sardines! No room to dance at all, more than a slight sway or bob - neither of which is my style! Having been shoved, trampled upon and elbowed in two tents and narrowly missing having a lit cigarette thrust in my face pushed in my face in a third, and not wanting to queue in the rain to get into a fourth tent for more of the same, I decided to seek out food! I found a hot crumpet stall and with a plum jam layered warm plate of them and a cup of coffee, and being totally wet through by this point, I headed back to the hut to eat, drink and change. On the way there a girl barged into me and spilt half my coffee all over me - she looked more than a little shocked and scared when I gave her a deeply felt and frustrated and downright furious expletive! Once back in the hut I decided that I was not going out again! Friends were well into it all fuelled by more than alcohol, and were oblivious to the obvious drawbacks and were not at all choosy what they danced to - I am a musical dance elitist/snob/ fusspot and am, and nothing since The Wonk had really done it for me! Plus it was really hammering it down and even If I did not dance taking photographs was not feasible. So I added more layers and climbed into my bed and had a fitful sleep for a few hours before it was time to get up - cold, aching and still tired!! 
So would I go again? Only if it was guaranteed not to rain! Bad weather I can cope with - lack of room to dance I cannot! Not when taking photographs is also not an option!!
All the fun bits of the evening can be seen here!