Wellies, pop-up tents, skaggy jeans and portaloos are not not really my thing, but I've just enjoyed a weekend of festivals.
Saturday, I journeyed far to the east of London. Well, just near Ipswich. It was for Harvest at Jimmy's. It's not hardcore festival, more a music and food funtime for families. Badly Drawn Boy was angrily performing on stage and I really enjoyed Jon Allen, he just needs a big hug. Cookery demonstrations by celeb chef Gino D'Acampo were announced with a frenzied build-up tape that ended with his name called out like a footbal commentator naming this month's favoured goal scorer.. the final "O" extending for several seconds.
Chatting with Peter Sugar, who's creating Darwin's Garden at Jimmy's, I learnt how a vast flock of rooks and jackdaws haunt the farm and its fields. Apparently they're mega fans of pig feed. Sampling Jimmy's ware at the hog-roast I had to agree that anything this tasty must be given good quality nosh. Sure enough the cloud of rooks and jackdaws were clearly visible and weren't put off by the noise or crowds.
Interestingly though, Peter tells me they have no magpies, no barn owls and house sparrows are rare sightings. All three should favour farms. House sparrows were also lacking on Sunday. I was working at the Thames Festival, inviting people to join our December 5 March with the Stop Climate Chaos coalition. It will be a symbolic ocean wave of opinion, crashing against the obstinate rocks of Westminster, dashing away the complacency that prevents action on climate change. To boost the watery theme we're asking people to wear blue and to join-in a co-ordinated wave (a peaceful wave of the arms) towards Parliament at 3pm; do join us.
Anyway, Sunday. At our stand near Tower Bridge, I saw cormorants, gulls, starlings, magpies, rooks, collared doves and more, but no house sparrows. I even managed to see a peregrine further upstream. It was sadly on the back panel of the Tate Modern's chimney, hidden from our telecopes set-up on the very busy Southbank. It was a blustery day so it was probably more sheltered at the back of the Tate.
As a teenager, I took wildlife for granted. I'm now worried my children will not see half the creatures I did growing-up. The very busy natural world of my youth has diminished, and that's why I'll be waving my hands towards Westminster come December 5.