The Summer is half way through. Its unbelievable how quickly this year is passing. I’ve always had this theory that time passes relative to your age. When you’re 4, a year is a quarter of your life and takes forever. When you’re 40, its just 2.5% of your life and whizzes past. Anyway, whatever the reason, the kids are on holiday from school already.
Talking of time, we enjoyed my Father’s Day present last weekend and had a trip as a family down to London for the Dr Who Experience at Olympia. What can I say? My kids know me so well. If you are a fan, its well worth a 
visit and you can find out about it and book tickets by clicking here until September. It begins as an interactive story and people go through it in small groups. As a long-time fan (I’m afraid I’ve watched since 1974, been hooked since 1979 and was part of the campaigns to save the series in 1986 (successful) and 1989 (not successful)), I have to confess that there was a small frisson of excitement coursing through me as the TARDIS materialised in the corner. We were then invited in and, as I paused reverentially at the threshold, I caused a pile-up of people behind me all eager to get in.
The interactive part lasts about 20 minutes and then there is an exhibition that’s even better than the static one in Blackpool. I’m not sure if the kids enjoyed it as I was lost to planet Earth for a few hours. If you have children who have seen the current series, then its well worth a visit.
A few weeks earlier, I’d been time-travelling in an altogether different style. I went with a few friends to the Cornbury Music festival. Dubbed ‘Poshstock’, it was a superb festival set up for people like myself who last went to
proper full blown festivals 20+ years ago and have got used to a better way of life than you see on the telly at Glastonbury in the period since 1990! I know that I blogged about the festival of unsigned bands in Cambridge last year which had close tom 1000 visitors but this was more like the real deal. 15,000 people over the weekend, which meant there was decent music and entertainment on display but still room enough to pitch your tent (we took my 8-man tent and my pop-up gazebo for sitting at the table and enjoying a glass of wine or three late into the night).
The highlights for me were Cyndi Lauper on Friday afternoon, my new favourite band Vintage Trouble and my old favourite band Faces. Faces were minus Rod Stewart who had been rumoured to
I’m being quite evangelistic about Vintage Trouble at the moment, so please indulge me. Their new album is out on Monday and I’ve already heard a 4-track sampler which is incredible. They’re currently on a headlining tour of the UK, having just finished support slots for Bon Jovi and for Brian May. Imagine a blues band like The Black Keys or the Rolling Stones but fronted by a man with the voice of Otis Redding and the moves of James Brown in his prime, then you’re getting close. Stood before the stage with about 3000 other people (they were on early on the Saturday and many people were just getting their lunch or in one of the well stocked but expensive bars on site), I felt really privileged to have witnessed them and sensed a big future for them. When I got home I did a bit of digging and found that I’m not alone in that view.
The gallery below gives you a glimpse of the exhibition part at Dr Who and some of my photos from Cornbury.
Ah well, back to work on Monday and half the year’s gone.
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