Big Green Gathering Ish Meetup

[Millymollymandy]

What is MDMA anyway?

I had to google! It is ecstacy - so why isn't it called that anymore?

[the.fee.fairy]

The short answer si that MDMA is the liquid form of the active ingredient in ecstacy - its purer and gives a better 'hit'.

The long answer has a lot to do with complicated chemistry that i don't understand

[chadspad]

Ecstasy is mad up of MDMA (Methylenedioxymethamphetamine) along with various other crappy cut chemicals to bulk it out and make more profit - worming tablets, aspirin, ajax all get put in.

[Thomzo]

Oh well, the ecstasy may kill you but at least you won't have worms or a headache and your insides will be nice and clean

Zoe

[Millymollymandy]

[dh ver1.0]

Greetings, all - Circlecross's better half here.

Apologies for this being so long after the event (2 weeks, and I feel a million miles away from the serenity of BGG). Thought I'd repost a mini-review of BGG that someone put on the Navitron forum (with Mike N's permission, of course). It really captures the spirit pf the week, though I wish we'd made it to half as many workshops and talking-shops as he did. For anyone wondering if they fancy going next year for the first time, read his highlights below, and start booking off the first week in August:
***
Meeting other members of this forum,

Discovering that one of them wears a skirt (male, and not me),

Being with 20,000 other people, all individuals (and some just plain weird), and at no time feeling threatened,

Being appalled to find that a festival with no history of crime or violence was forced by the local council to spend £200,000 (a quarter of the entire budget) on unnecessary security in order to get a licence,

Seeing Teens without attitude,

Seeing kids who actually appeared to like their parents (and vice versa),

Seeing kids with disabilities and their own choice of dress and hairstyle, not their parents’,

Realising just how attractive people can still look without make-up and other artificial enhancements,

Realising just how individual dress can be, for males and females – don’t waste the opportunity to re-use that wedding or bridesmaid dress, costume you made for the school play or bought for that odd fancy dress party,

Being surprised at the amount of facial hair (mainly males),

Being surprised at the amount of body hair (mainly female),

Being impressed at just how many things you can power with a bike (lights, music, lathes, forges, drilling machines, band saws, grinders, polishers, washing machines, even wheels!),

Being impressed at how you can power a whole festival including lights, music, cinemas, cooking, saunas and showers without a single generator. The ticket warns that you will be frisked for generators – and we were,

Doing loads of stuff I’d never done (hurdle building, scythe sharpening. Making fire by rubbing two boy scouts pieces of wood together, Tai Chi, Chai Tea (clever little spoonerism there), meditation, laughter workshop, (watching) a Trance workshop, learning to juggle to the three ball level),

Hearing some amazingly talented bands and comics. Rodney Brannigan was awesome playing two guitars at once. The clip on Youtube doesn’t even begin to do him justice:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QluXiXUycA4

Talking to Brigit Strawbridge about her forthcoming project launch,

Being surprised at seeing not a single cigarette produced from a packet – every one was hand rolled, including many very loosely and with a distinctive smell,

Not feeling embarrased or a minority by asking for Veggie options - there were no meat options in any of the many outlets- Phillipino, Japanese, Mexican, Caribbean and others,

Being impressed that some very young kids were allow to do lots of things that they would never be allowed to do at school, or even home – using a draw knife, hand axe, Stanley knife, forge, stone carving and lots of others, though I did cringe at the group of 8 to 10 year old doing fire juggling,

Being cross that Justin Rowlatt, ethical man from Newsnight, failed to turn up for his workshop, allegedly because he was frightened we’d all have a go at him for flying to the Caribbean at the end of his series,

Being impressed at the ability of the chap who filled 45 minutes hoping he’s still turn up for his slot,

Avoiding the Didgeridoo healing workshop as I wasn’t sure where they’d insert the didgeridoo.

And of course all the usual festival attractions, naked cyclists, nude mud wallowing, odd cakes for sale.

It was brilliant, we enjoyed it greatly, and we will go again next year.
***
Doesn't it just make you wish you were sat in the middle of a field in Somerset supping chai all over again?

[Martin]

wotcher!
-bloody brilliant article that, good thinking posting it here - Mike's a nice bloke, and was really revelling in his first BGG - I have a feeling he'll be back!

[the.fee.fairy]

I do wish i was still in the middle of a field supping chai!
Instead of at work supping cold tea...

Ho Hum. There's always next year. I've provisionally booked off the dates already (when they're confirmed on the website, then i'll change the dates if need be). Can't wait!!

And yes, people do look better without makeup/surgical enhancement!

[chadspad]

Says the lady with the purple hair lol (I know its not surgical but it is definitely a pukka enhancement!)

[mrsflibble]

MDMA stands for Methylenedioxymethamphetamine.

[wolfsong]

right guys, i think i'm gonna be there!
got round the lack of student car by being 17, junior ticket
gonna be cycling up from Poole, staying for the duration, then cycling to Bristol on the 2nd, then getting the train up to manchester.
think I might bring me guitar too! any other musicians going?

---->edit: nope not going to be cycling (if all goes well, friendly van owners going), which makes my comment of bringing my guitar actually feasible, but will still be cycling away...

For those who have been before, does it get crowded? or is it spaced out? (not drugged spaced that is! Thats a given!)

[the.fee.fairy]

Nope, its not crowded, and there's not a general acceptance of drugs either- its not like Reading or Leeds/Download/Chavvy fests.

Can't wait!