parklife

At last I have managed to sort out some of the photos from the day of the show, including the show. So without further ado here they are.

I know you are all waiting for the pictures of the show, but before I can sort those out I needed to sort out the photos from the penultimate day. So here is a very cut down bunch from the friday including ones from the dress rehearsal for the VIPs. There are lots of other good ones which hopefully will appear else where at some point.

I am trying out a new way of adding the photos which hopefully will work ok and allow me to add a few more in an easier way, let me know if you don’t like the new way.

Right I am back in work in Cardiff feeling slightly tired. Saturday went really well with the weather drying out at the right time. It was lots of work by lots of people, but we got there. The show went really well and seemed to go down well with the audience. For me Sunday was very little sleep and then a long journey in a slow truck to London, family BBQ / 70th birthday party and another slightly shorter journey in a slow truck to Cardiff. Consequently no photos up yet. I did take lots and I have other commitments so it will take a little bit of time,  please bare with me, but I will get them up as soon as I can.

Ok so I took considerably more photos today as we have had a very full on day and have finished it with a full dress rehearsal with  some VIPs watching. This and the fact I need to sleep means that I am not going to get the pictures up tonight. It has been a great day, everyone has worked really hard and we managed to pull it all togeather, including a fire run through. Now we just need good weather for tomorrow. As a tease here is just one of the pictures I took today.

Showing Off

Well thursday started really well with beautiful weather and 8 cheer leaders doing a press call by the town hall at 8.45am. There were no shortage of volunteers to where these costumes. We had a really good morning blocking the show in very nice weather. Just at the end of lunch the heavens opened and we had a truely torrential downpour. Luckerly it did not last for to long and the afternoon open house went ahead as planned. The deck chair were well used today with lots of people turning up to watch us rehearse, and the taster sessions were popular too. After tea we put the fire show togeather, now we just need to see how it looks with actual fire.

Anna in her morning outfit

Cheer Leaders walking in the Park

Cheering on the High Street as directed by a local stall holder

Cheer Leaders on the radio

The morning warm up as run by Lyn

Dancing on the donut

Tom and Ali watching preceedings

Massi concentrating on Hula hooping

Hula hoops on the donut

Paul on the trapeze

"give me your hand"

The Park Keeper announcing the Opening ceremony

James, Lyn and Anna in costume

Rachael from the Stockton Unicycle Club trying out a borrowed wedding dress

Capoeira taster session in the Park

The deck chairs were well used today.

Massi and Amy practicing Hand to Hand

blocking the fireshow

Even though rain stopped open house this afternoon it has been a top day. The day started with me taking a photo of a local in the park at his request. He was Mr M J Walsh, and I was told I had to put “hairdresser extraordinaire, private appointments only, very expensive but worth it” under his picture when it appeared in the paper.

Mr M J Walsh, hairdresser extraordinaire, private appointments only, very expensive but worth it

It was then time to take photos of the golfers  who were trying to learn how to use their clubs. They did manage to get a local shop keepr to show them.

so how do you do this golf thing?

We then spent the morning rehearsing. Unfortunately after lunch we had to cancel our open house because of the rain. We stillmanaged to get lots done in the tent, including getting a bit of a lesson from some guys who do ball skills.

Rhi's throw out

Aislinn on strops off the gimble

Practicing the dance they learn the other evening

Tom was feeling tired after all the work he has been doing since he got here.

Rain gear was donned to go out and apologise for having to cancel Open House

Lindsey

Ball skills

teaching the ball skill guys some club skills

then the boys practiced some hula hoop

Spike being multi talented

Duncan getting some practice in for bicycle ballet.

The weather improved so we did the taster sessions in the evening and were visited by DVC Choir

Hula Hoop for men

Talent Spot

Bicycle Ballet practice in the Park

Whip Cracking for women

Bicycle Ballet moves onto the stage

Peter working with DVC choir

Excuse me where is the sea?

Tuesday started with some keen swimmers looking for  the sea.

We were then all called to work by the Park Keeper and it was back to rehearsals for the show on Saturday.

Morning Campers

The company getting instruction from Orit.

The company working on coming together on the stage

assisted back somey

At 3.30 we Opened the house and invited the public to watch our rehearsals. The ceremony is growing in size.

preparing for inspection

Here come the deck chairs

One of the Hosts for the afternoon Open House

Joe flying a Kite from the top of the rig

Will they score in the new game Air ball

At 6.30 we had some Rapper sword dancers come to teach us how to do it, the weather was not being so kind so that happened in the Big Top.

Being taught Rapper Sword Dancing

"and twist"

We also had a large group of Unicyclists come along from Stockton Unicycle Club to see what they could do on our stage and how they could be part of the show.

Coming through

duck

While all this was going on we also had a panel out in the Park looking for local talent.

The judging panel for Talent Spot

Here Come the Unicyclists

The hosts for the evening Open House

and now do it with Hula Hoops

We moved on from swords to Hula Hoops.

Wonder what tomorrow will bring.

We had an absolutely fantastic first day in Stockton. We have already unleashed a whole variety of local talent. In the first talent spot session we heard some great rappers who were sent away to sober up with a promise that if they came back with their Park stories in a fit state to attend the music rehearsals on Weds they could MC live on Saturday. We’ll See! They were pretty legless! The boardroom arts group were top and the dancers were really cool.

The deckchairs are being well used and the morning happennings have provided a lot of amusement (mostly for the company!)

And so far even though its been very windy the rain has held off.

I’m trying not to let the broken down lorry (In Cardiff) and the huge set (In Stockton) without transport worry me but if anyone is reading this and has a 17 tonne truck I can borrow for the weekend please let me know

Local Photographer Adam decided he’d like to document the project. Here are some of his first pictures of Lyn on the cloudswing.

Lyn's Perfect Throwout taken by Adam Parkin

Is she holding on? Taken by Adam Parkin

We started the day with a weather watch, which I went out to photograph. I followed this with a small wander around the streets near by during which I was asked politely by two CID officers in a white car what I was doing wandering around the streets with a camera.

Rehearsal started this morning followed by our first open house session, with Duncan leading the opening ceremony as the Park Keeper.

Weather Watch

The Park Keeper conducting the Opening Ceremony

Our new game, christened "Air Ball" by the kids watching.

Swap a knot turned into a tug of war.

There are a few dogs on site.

James had to unload his car.

After Tea we had three community groups turn up to work with us and show us what they do. They were Dance Factory, Urban Kaos and National Urban Circus Theatre.

Showing us how they do skipping

The Cleaners

1 2 3 4 ...

Adelle the stage manager

Somersaulting off the donut.

Taking in the rehearsal

Ok now please can you combine the two.

Now do it on the stage.