Perth

18th July 2018

The Brief

So, who does not love the 80’s music scene. A time when music changed the lives of 1000s. Bright bold neon colours, way out fashion with Pop Groups who made music electronically. One hit wonder and long stayers they all sever their time in the charts and gave us sounds we will never forget. I LOVED THE 80’s so went Rewind came knocking on my door I automatically said YES! I have no idea what they wanted but I was going to pull out all the stops, A few days later a visual landed on my desk. Now this was going to be fun as it’s the VIP marquees that needed a bit of TLC. The quote was relatively very simple due to the visual, a price was submitted, a bit of negotiation pinged back and forth and a deal was struck which please both Myself and my client.

The Visual from the client

Hitting the Road

17th July 2018. The first port of call was Scone Palace, Perth, Scotland. A distance of about 450 miles to the destination. I was joint once again by my daughter Harriet Jade Lewis to keep me company who had also had other motives for jointing me on the journey as you will later find out. Got a funny feeling it consists of daddy’s credit card and shopping.

It was a beautiful hot summers day. The van was loaded so the road trip commenced at 10am. Destination was 7 hours away allowing for 1 hour lunch break. We set off up the M6 with my daughter being as chatty as ever and explaining to me there was an outlet shopping centre in Gretna Green just inside the Scottish Boarder. Told you she had a motive. A quick lunch break in The Lake District and we pressed on to Gretna. Now this could be expensive. Nope, I was wrong, just window shopping this time. 

We were due to arrive in Falkirk at 5pm with a 2-night stop and meet up with Mari Forret and Kirsty Neil who were helping me on the installation. Once we had checked into the Hotel de Premiere Inn Mari and Kirsty pick us both up and we went in search of food.

(Bloody hell, Mari knows some expensive restaurants)

Let the road trip commence. Scotland here we come.

Slow and steady wins the race. Wow many miles on a single tank. WOW!

A cheeky one before dinner.

A night out in Falkirk with this rabble.

Loving this bar Mari. HOW MANY WHISKEYS!

Rigging and all the other important bits.

Up early the next day with an hours drive to location. Arrived onsite and checked in with client. A slightly cooler day, scattered cloud but still pleasant so I wore shorts and the girls love it. Off loaded into the marquee and rigged the first lines and we were then hit with a bombshell from the client. They were changing the marquee for one less naff. Now this was not going to be a quick change as it was a substantial size. A crew arrived at 11am, took the marquee down and put another on up. All in all, it was 6 hours down time and we eventually started to rig at 4pm.

Dodgy looking crew. Would you trust them.

The Naff Marquee

Gone

Installing the new one several hours later

Were in. Let’s do this

Getting there.

And we’re done in record time

Getting a bit creative with the photography.

Once finished I handed to job over to the client who was delighted. A quick sprint back to the hotel, shower then out for an Italian. (Yeph you guessed it, anther expensive restaurant). Since we were all tired it was bed after dinner and Harriet (Haribo) and I had a long drive north to Sheffield the next day to install balloons at the Tramlines Festival

Tramlines here we come.

Breakfast was 8am Sharpe as we had a 6-hour journey ahead of us, down the M75, M6 then off over the Yorkshire Dales Pennines ending up at Sheffield at about 4 pm

This is a much smaller city centre festival and the client had ordered 5 x 5.5ft Chloroprenes to be tied to the railings next to the lake. (More of a duck pond if you asked me)

Mission accomplished by 5.30pm so off we headed home.

The route home was rudely interrupted by a quick stop at Meadow Hall Shopping Centre as Harribo have decide she would like me to buy her a new pair of trainers. It was too painful to watch as I hate shopping so I gave her my credit card and pin No as I settles into a Costa Coffee and a slight snooze. Harribo returns and hour later with several bags. Told you this was going to be expensive.

We arrived home later that evening. I slept well in my own bed. (I hate hotels)

North

1st August 2018

Similar set up to Perth, slightly different Marquee, a bit tall but the correct Marquee. BONUS

A different crew this time. Say hello to Lee Lee and Claire Rea (Dring)

Hello Claie and Lee Lee

Nice bright blue skies and the correct marquee.

Good job I got BIG ladders

All done

I liked it and the client loved it AGAIN!

South

15th August 2018

Henley on Thames set the scene for the final Rewind Festival of 2018. A beautiful small town set on the banks of the River Thames about 30 miles west of London

on the count Oxfordshire. Again, a very similar marquee to the other two festival with the same brief. Once again Lee lee came along to assist and we were also joined by the lovely Nicci Rene

Morning Girls. Let’s get busy

Another white marquee

Magners and Balloons.  The perfect festival combination

When a job’s worth doing its worth doing well.

Balloon shine makes all the colour POP!

Above the balloons

And relax. We’re all done

Many thanks to all crew on each leg of the journey.

You made it happen.