grumpyhack

SUNDAY One of the most under-rated British bands of the sixties many of whose members went on to much more.

Yog, just found this post on Facebook. Maybe a way to get rid of your spare double tickets https://www.facebook.com/groups/1973900392829820/permalink/2286823671537489/ I'm going on the Thursday. Look forward to meeting up. Grumpyhack (aka Pete)

DAYS One of the great Glastonbury performances. The choral arrangements were a clever way of re-working his back catalogue

Twelve The connection (the 1812 Overture on the bicycle horn) doesn't get going till six minutes in but it's all worth watching. I saw him do it at Wychwood a couple of years ago and it stole the festival. A man to catch whenever you can.

TEA

I was born in England though have spent more than half my life in Wales. When England were in the soccer world cup I cheered for England though when Wales play England at rugby I cheer for Wales. I don't speak Welsh, apart from a token bore da. On holiday when asked I say I'm from Wales. On official forms when asked to describe my ethnic origin (usually a tick box thing) I refuse to answer or write 'human being.' If pushed I wouldn't say I'm Welsh because I think that's still a birth thing but I'm proud to live in Wales. Both my daughters were born in Wales and both they and I would therefore describe them as Welsh - though neither speaks much Welsh.

The problem is if do you do it by voter numbers which seems democratic, it leads to some huge constituencies by geographical size in remote rural areas like mid Wales or the Scottish highlands.

RICH Sometimes you see someone who really is in a different league. Buddy Rich has to be the drummer's drummer.

For me festivals have become caravanning with a bit of music attached. By that I mean the greatest fun is just sitting around the van and chatting and chilling with neighbours and old friends. Add to that bimbling round the site and taking in a few bands. In other words it's the joy of simply being there and leaving the real world behind for a few days.

I'll be 69 come the next Glastonbury. I did think after discovering Green Man a couple of years ago that I'd done my last Glasto as GM seemed to have all the good bits of Glasto without the hassle. But this year it was a bit bland so I'll probably be trying on T Day and F5-ing like everyone else. The answer as you grow into old fartdom is a caravan and CV East. Yes, you've got the Hill of Death but it's not that bad if you pace yourself. Also take a fold up camping chair so you can take a rest and sit and watch the world go by when the mood takes you. But the answer about age has to be Mrs GH's Uncle Bill who is staying with us for a fortnight at the moment. We asked him if there were any things still on his bucket list at the age of 96 and his answer was 'to ride a horse'. So we fixed it up and last week he did his first horse ride, gently round the stable yard and he loved it. And that's a man who now mainly needs a zimmer frame or a wheelchair.

LONG Oh the joys of the Long Drops And another Grumpy Gonner for some music. Though if I'm honest I preferred the Tim Rose version - another Grumpy Gonner who I spent an evening drinking with after one of his last shows in Cardiff. A lovely guy and a powerful singer who could reduce his audience to tears with some of his songs.

A 70-odd year old man is having a drink in a bar. Suddenly a gorgeous girl enters and sits down a few seats away. The girl is so attractive he just can’t take his eyes off her. After a short while, the girl notices him staring, and approaches him. Before the man has time to apologise, the girl looks him deep in the eyes and says to him in a sultry tone … “I’ll do anything you’d like. Anything you can imagine in your wildest dreams, it doesn’t matter how extreme or unusual it is, I’m game. I want £100, and there’s another condition.” Completely stunned by the sudden turn of events, the man asks her what her condition is. “You have to tell me what you want me to do in just three words.” The man takes a moment to consider the offer from the beautiful woman. He whips out his wallet and puts £100 in her hand. He then looks he square in the eyes and says slowly and clearly … “paint my house.” (for some of us our needs change as we get older and we tend to look for bargains!)

MUSTANG Great film and brilliant singing from Andrew Strong who was only 17 at the time. LIFT

HORSE Enjoyed this lot in my early festival days.

Done and good luck. Maybe I am naive but I have never felt unsafe at a festival in 40+ years of festival-going. All that's needed is a reasonable application of common sense and sensible precautions (using lock ups and not carrying wads of dosh) and watching where you go. Make friends with your neighbours and look out for them and they'll look out for you.