London Live 2012 in Victoria Park

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No surely not. This is embarrassing, yes truly embarrassing and I'm from here. I went to school a mere 10 minutes walk in that direction, I was born about 15 minutes in the other direction and was assaulted by some nasty little man somewhere in between. This was home ground, my patch or to use an East London colloquialism "My Manor". (In truth, the last person to say "My Manor" or words such as "apples plus pears equal stairs", probably died around 1985, which was just in the "bleeding nick of time" for the BBC to zealously bring back all those old cockney gems in the TV soap "Eastenders" which has all the East End stereotypes a show filmed, written and produced in West London can muster!" oooooh gord bless yah BBC and Ta very much."

Anyway I was lost. Not so difficult actually when all familiar paths and passages are blocked by soldiers, G4s Security, tanks, armoured cars and heavy artillery. Oh I'm exaggerating of course. G4S security. Eeeer who are they then?

My destination was Victoria Park and after being a good boy and taking heed of advice on the TFL website, I decided to walk. "Do a left and straight on" said the guard with a sullen face that if it dropped any lower could be in danger of being used as a paving stone.

The poor damn sod. In the First World War the infantry was known as "the poor bloody infantry" now in 2012 we have the poor bloody security. Paradoxically job security in security was poor. As was the pay and also the chance of your boss giving a damn if you never turned up again. How many thousands like that were there out there during these Olympics. Twelve hour shifts in a waterproof jacket that was anything but, then home for a takeaway meal or if you were lucky a partner who'd make something decent.

Collapse into bed to rise again at an ungodly hour to do it all again.

Everyone's experience of an Olympics is different. For that under paid, tired wretched soul we have all seen standing by a fence, he is just looking at his watch and hoping that if anything bad was going to happen today, then they were please, please, please, not going to do it when they were on shift.

A lot won't say they hate the job. Working with so many of them when I was a part time first aider in night clubs and in then in St John's ambulance, I knew some grumbled but mostly they got on with it, because they just needed to the money. This job was all they had, loose it and its back to the dole or worst a life on the streets. The Olympics great for the many, but for that man or woman at the fence, it's really just bloody awful.

I liked walking. It burns off the pounds and helps me think and it thus didn't take me long to get to Victoria Park in Hackney where the "BT London Live" festival was taking place until the 12th August. Some unusually happy security searched me as I walked in to see a large expanse of Victoria Park sealed off and full of all what one would sort of expect at a festival. The Sun newspaper had a very eye catching stand or maybe that was the Sun cheerleader girls at the front!

Eeer well anyway, there was a big wheel that charged 7 pound if you wanted a spin and the now famous Zip line where that "wonderfully eccentric" London Mayor Boris Johnson became stuck a few days previously. It was the sort of thing I was going to have a go on, even though the price a rather steep 15 pound.

Then I heard the sounds of Lady Ga Ga and that gem of a song "Poker face". One day I thought maybe in 10 years from now, WeekendNotes will say "Dave would you like to review a Lady Ga Ga concert",oh maybe. Anyway hearing the music I became like a child entranced by the music of the pied piper of Hamelin. I listened and it led me to an amusing stand where you were invited to wear a sumo wrestler type "fat suit" and playfully push each other out of the ring in a "Sumo of Death" - it wasn't really my thing, besides I had spent all my cash.

I don't know anyone who tells me they watch "X Factor" or "Britain's Got Talent" as they are probably aware that if they did admit to it, I would give them a verbal bombardment that would make an actual artillery barrage seem like a school girls pillow throwing contest!!

Thankfully the world isn't all manufactured bubble gum bands and it was reassuring to see that at local events such as this in Victoria Park, scattered across London or indeed the world, there was an abundance of organic home grown bands and groups in small clubs that play just for the thrill and the pure joy of it. I saw two such groups today "The Fontana's" and "Swing zahoos". Looking at them perform and at the crowd dance away, I thought "I'll wager these groups would rather stick their head in a microwave than be judged by botox King Simon Cowell and that "esteemed mountain of music knowledge" Amanda Holden. (Please note; I don't know if she is still judging the show, could you thus let me know by sending a card to "Don't give a damn house, twenty one who cares street, Barking. Cheers).

A few hours past and one purchase of a pricey burger and chips later it was time to go home. Victoria Park wasn't like Glastonbury but at least it was free to get in. Shame it all ends on the 12th of August. Catch it if you can, but arrive early for guaranteed entry as it might fill up, and will defiantly fill up quickly for the closing ceremony that will be shown on the big screen.

#festivals
#fun_things_to_do
#free
#july
%wnlondon