CMBuckley.co.uk :: Blog :: Articles with Pictures

I’m still tired even a whole day after getting back, but I though it was worth it to mention how good the festival was, yet again!

I didn’t get a ticket immediately after last year, but waited until March. With hindsight, I reckon an early bird ticket might be required from now on, as it was even busier than last year! I even missed out on the brie and crackers…

Again, my list of bands includes a couple of bands for whom we only saw the odd song:

Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Metallica Pendulum Avenged Sevenfold Dropkick Murphys Plain White T’s Alexisonfire Mindless Self Indulgence Eureka Machines	Babyshambles Rage Against The Machine Vampire Weekend Goldfinger Friendly Fires Biffy Clyro Serj Tankian Dizzee Rascal Taking Back Sunday	The Killers Bloc Party You Me At Six The Raconteurs Seasick Steve Hifi Handgrenades The Automatic Random Hand

Again, I felt like I missed a load, but with so many on at the same time it’s impossible to get it all in! Thanks go out to Rob Marshall for his clash finder, which helped out greatly!

View pictures of the festival

What can I say!

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. We stayed in the same place as the last few years, getting there early and still struggling to find space, since so many had gone in on early tickets (plan for next year?). Olly was coming after work, so the brie and crackers would have to wait!

This is who I managed to see during the weekend. Most I saw all the way through, but for some we only caught a couple of songs.

Friday	Saturday	Sunday
The Smashing Pumpkins Lostprophets Fall Out Boy Funeral For A Friend Wes Packer (comedy tent) The Used Billy Talent hellogoodbye Pull Tiger Tail Late Of The Pier	Ash The Living End Kings Of Leon Mad Caddies Enter Shikari Capdown Maxïmo Park Jimmy Eat World The Enemy Plain White T’s Gossip	Red Hot Chili Peppers Arcade Fire Bloc Party Dinosaur Jr The Pigeon Detectives Angels & Airwaves Nine Black Alps Good Shoes Eagles Of Death Metal

I missed a few that I wanted to see, including a secret appearance from the Kaiser Chiefs on Saturday, but I saw enough to make up for the misses!

And as for next year? I might as well get the ticket now!

View pictures of the Festival

I went on holiday this weekend to Pickering with my parents and Geoff and Gwen. Okay, it’s not that far away — one might argue that it’s not a holiday if the Coastliner goes past the camp site — but we had a really great time, despite the rain on Friday!

While we were there, we went to the Dalby Forest to check out Bridestones, a small set of bouldering problems about 5 minutes’ walk from the forest drive. We didn’t even try to get Geoff on Go Ape, having failed at getting him to go on the jet boat out of Whitby harbour!

View pictures of the holiday

We got back yesterday, and in the evening I went over to the Angel. A large number failed to turn up for a number of reasons; shame on you! Congratulations to Caitlin for turning up for once! We had a rather feeble go at the quiz, and after the Angel shut we went over to the Queen — the first time I’d been. Imagine a Wetherspoon’s about as large as a living room and you’d be pretty close…

Well, that’s it. I’m back for good. It feels very strange to think I won’t be going back to Durham again! That’s not entirely true; I’ll be back for the start of next term to sort out the changeover of the HBMC, and then there’ll be Claire and my graduation in January, but it won’t be the same!

So much has been going on since I last posted — in fact, that’s why I haven’t had chance to post. Since then, we’ve had the Summer Ball, which was a bit of a washout, but still managed to be a great laugh if only for the people there; there was a rather drunken Going Down Formal that ended up in Walkabout; also paintballing and, of course, the respective graduations.

It took me three car trips to get all my stuff back home. For those of you who couldn’t believe I have that much stuff, remember that I took up a trailer in second year, and have since taken more and more stuff each time I’ve gone back. Take a look at the photo if you don’t believe me!

Now that I’m back, it’s time for the usual — Angel? Check! Jinnah? Tonight!

So much stuff going on!

We had Aimee’s birthday last week, then I went down to Norfolk for my Dad’s birthday, and when I returned Vinny came up with his bike, I managed to break mine, and we’ve been out for a number of end-of-exam drinks! We had the end-of-term party at college, then there was poker, and yesterday was the annual Bacchanalia beer festival at college, then there’s either Caroline’s house party tonight, or there’s cheap entry at the Grosvenor in Newcastle tonight!

The only problem with so much going on is that I always have to feel so bad for missing so much stuff!

This weekend, Hannah and JC have been up to Durham — JC to disturb his brother’s revision, and Hannah to return a book to our library. We met up in the Swan & 3 (where else) on Friday, JC having made it down this time; last time having not gone so well!

We headed from there to Jimmy Allen’s, where Andy almost managed to trick me out of a tenner on a drinking bet… thankfully he didn’t specify the rules well enough and I avoided the loss! After JA’s we went to Lloyds, where I apparently bought JC a “bad pint…” That’s his excuse, at least!

View pictures of the evening

The plan for the next day? JC spent hours of Friday night repeating Saturday’s plan to Hannah, and then he forgot! We watched the rather disappointing FA Cup Final, although it was good to see a packed new Wembley Stadium (89,826 to be exact, less than 200 vacant seats)! In the evening we planned to go to Shaheen’s, our usual haunt, but even after booking it was so busy that we decided to try out a Chinese restaurant we’d never even seen before (New Kwai Lam) — it was very nice!

Some good food and a few Tsingtaos later and we headed to Wetherspoons to finish off a top weekend!

Always a great day, and this one was no exception!

Not wanting to start with the provided champagne breakfast, as it was a little early, we had our own — much better in my opinion! Pains au chocolat, croissants and éclairs were among the breakfast, as well as the obligatory champagne and Buck’s Fizz!

After the food, we headed to Chase for a a drink before the bar and marquee opened. Just time for a bounce on the bouncy castle though — including a joint effort that saw me somersault over the back! Wish I’d managed to film it! Once in the marquee, the buffet was huge, and had some great choices — had to go hunting for the prawns though!

No-one was drinking the red wine, so it was left to me to be “forced” into downing a number of glasses (very elegant). Then the white dried up and everyone was made to join me!

We all relaxed after lunch, mostly to let all the food go down, and then a quick play on the inflatables again before we headed into the bar for some drunken pool…

And to finish off the evening, I went up the Bailey to find a few of the old Gables crew in 24’s! A great day, and a salute to the best college!

You can also view the pictures.

The weather was just right for the party (mainly for Rob’s 18th, but not far from Tex’s 21st). A couple of 9-gallon kegs from Wold Top Brewery and a hi-fi up on the banking topped off the afternoon! A game of killer table-tennis gave me my (apparently) inevitable injury as some of the garage clutter collapsed while running round…

A few more beers and it was time for the Grand National. Pretty much everyone had money on it in some form or other, even if it was only the sweepstake organised at the party. Tex’s mum came off best, placing a tenner on the 34–1 winner Silver Birch — I ended up with somewhat less…

It later cooled down enough for a few games of five-a-side out back, and then back in for me to show how awful I become at pool after a few drinks!

See the pictures for more of an idea.

Last night was Jess’ 21st night out. She’s not 21 until Monday, but that doesn’t matter!

We met in The Angel, of course, even though the night out was in Leeds. It made sense to me! I haven’t been to The Angel for a while so I needed my fix! We were only there for a quick drink before we got the bus into Leeds and went to The Hogshead, which was showing the Leeds–Preston game. It didn’t look too good as we arrived just before half time to see that Preston were a goal up!

When the rest arrived into Leeds (Olly drove the girls in — and I’m including Holmes in that), we went to a rather packed Mook before heading over to The Sports Cafe to try and get the same drink from my birthday! It was all to no avail, as we soon had to leave so we could still get in for free at Oceana. After a little hassle regarding dress code, and Laura becoming legend of the evening for arguing our case, we were in — or so we thought! Olly didn’t have any ID… bah! He and Charlotte went down the road, leaving a little later — with all of Laura’s stuff!

We stayed for a brilliant evening in Oceana, there was a lot of cheesy music but I guess we’re used to that… We ended up staying almost until the end and headed for some sustenance — Jess finding it in two burgers! It was her party, she’s allowed…

After previous luck with catching taxis outside Oceana, we went all the way down to the station to get a proper black-and-white. It took us the best part of an hour to get there!

All in all an amazing night, finished by us spending ages laughing our way through Jess’ poses in the pictures!

The Clubs & Socs formal at Hild Bede is always a great event, with much celebration of attending the best college at Durham (true fact — ask Andy), and this year’s was no exception! Our table had by far the best balloon, a fact proven by a jealous girl with a knife in the bar afterwards…

After the inevitable debate about which coin merits consumption of one’s drink, the wine pretty much disappeared before the food arrived. The awards after the food were predictably average and the Vernon beckoned, but Matt, who was standing outside, was prevented from going to the bar!

Finally, the speeches were over, and we made it for a drink… And even after such a great meal, it’s still mandatory to get a burger (Hild Bede special with bacon, of course) from Alan and Pauline!

View pictures of the evening.

And off to Summerhill the next morning! Everyone seemed fine from last night, and up for our first outdoor climb of the year (damn this unpredictable weather). We went over to Summerhill near Hartlepool — we could see the sea!

Note to self — next time, take the bouldering mat… and some more sustenance!

View the full trip information, or the photos from the trip.