I attended the Rob Driscoll workshop last week in Redditch that was ran by the Midlands Ballooniversity, there are still more pictures to post over the coming days. I have started to post the pictures if you’d like to take a look, Rob Driscoll workshop.
Right, carrying on with my life in latex, he he… Chapter three.
I thought I’d better number the nattering’s, just in case anyone wanted to read back and find in correct order.
On we go about the Care & Share balloon days but this section is more about “My Life in Latex”. In 2005 at the millennium jam not only did Leo introduce me to Mr Sempertex but also asked me to run a workshop for him in 2006. I was a little hesitant as I’d only really just got into the industry and there was an un-written rule that generally if you lectured you would perform in the gala show. Now that was daunting in itself, at the time I did not have a balloon related act. I agreed to the workshop in 2006 and promised I would do a stage act for Leo the following year in 2007. I had two years to sort things out and hopefully that would be OK.
The balloon days in the UK were going well, I was sponsored by Sempertex to run I believe six days a year but usually did ten as I loved getting out and about meeting people and running the days, so just spread the sponsorship over the ten days to cover this.
I always told people details about The Millennium Jam and what days I was going etc train times, carriage numbers etc so if anyone wanted to come along, we could all travel together. We used to get a good few coming along, and they were always a laugh. This is why we called the trips the un-official official trips. Leo used to pick us up in the early days when we had less than 10 people travelling as he could get a small minibus from Brussels to Mol, but his driving… well Stirling Moss, Nigel Mansell and Lewis Hamilton had nothing on Leo, they were crazy trips back to the venue, but great memories. Talking about crazy trips, the very first trip we did with David Grist in 2000, David drove, goodness what can I say David liked to put his foot down as well, I don’t think there was a speed limit in Europe? On this occasion the rain was bucketing down, I honestly have not felt so scared when in a car with anyone else that was driving. I kept mentioning I’d be happy to arrive a few minutes later… hint hint but David was having none of it as we sped down the motorways, going past lorries, well there was honestly no visibility at all, it was frightening. I really was scared but luckily had clean under wear with me in the suitcase, and yes I think I possibly needed them ROFL but not at the time when in the car.. goodness, what an experience.
Funnily enough this was the one and only time David drove, I wonder why I suggested Eurostar the following year, he he
They were fun times, apart from David’s driving and Sun Parks in Mol Belgium, what a place, how to describe it, it was a little run down but adequate and would not have been the same if the venue had changed. One year we were told they had spent millions of Euro’s renovating the place, the whole talk at the event was where had they spent it, it just looked exactly the same as every other year. They had bungalows all around the centre attractions and the numbering system, no one had a clue, numbers 308 next to 1123, 83 next to 400 etc you honestly would see people walking around lost in the evening and even staying in others bungalows as people had given up the will to live in trying to find their own bungalows… people would stay with whoever offered a couch for the night. But this was part of the millennium jam, wonderful memories we still all talk about all these years later.
Then the shops, they were open whenever they wanted to open, (insert so many smiley faces here) it’s true no one could work things out as to when they would be open and then the restaurants, again opened at all the wrong times and some days would not open at all, some system they had but those attending were not aware what the system was, it was crazy and funny at the same time. BUT having said all that if the millennium jam was to go ahead again where should Leo hold it, YES Sun Parks as it’s part of the millennium jam history and folklore..
For my workshops I had an interpreter, Genevieve a lovely lady who became a fond friend xx. She would help out and translate for everyone and was funny as well. Now what did I teach in my workshop, the love heart, I remember everyone writing down the special code for it. 2 2, 2 1, 2 1, 21, 13 etc. Other things I’m not so sure, perhaps if anyone attend the workshop they could refresh my memory?
It was stressful running a workshop for your peers, but we got by, and I think it was not too much of a disaster, I look back at it with fondness. I was hoping to talk about my balloon stage act here but we have enough waffling on for this week so that will be for another instalment…
TO BE CONTINUED.
I have a picture somewhere of myself with a 646 balloon making something at the workshop but have mis-placed at the moment. This picture is from I think the 2006 workshop with Genevieve translating… possibly 2006.
