Oxford Juggling Convention:
A nice space for a nice low key convention that I hadn't been to before - the turnout wasn't huge but enough for there to be an atmosphere. There were even workshops this year! Although I didn't go to any and predictably spent the whole day passing. I went through some standard stuff with Danny (including a reasonable run of swing), but then got on to doing my new pattern I made up on the way - to make up for the pattern I forgot to take :(
It was a take out pattern based on 10 club 2 count feed mixed with scrambled V, my attempt at making the takeout patterns a bit more technically challenging :) I did this with Jon, James and Danny, and it was good fun and pretty tricky! We got maybe 3/4 of a round and started in all the places, so it is definitely doable.
I also had a particularly super session with James, getting decent runs of a89, 9 club 3 count, and some attempts at 789ab (and actually getting 7296b running as warm up), as well as some of my sync variations.
The show was short, which in my book is probably a plus, although not great, however I enjoyed seeing Sadie and Alan's routine as always. After that it was the European Slappy Slappy Point Point championships. I didn't enter but did play some fun more advanced variants - playing with both hands simultaneously but independently, same thing but out of phase (much harder! one hand slapping whilst the other points) and some others.
Brook
That take out pattern sounds interesting, I'd like to see it (and maybe try it, some day, I just have to get a lot better at 10 club 2 count feed first...)
Brook Roberts - - Parent #
I intended to write up the pattern here, but then got a bit confused. I'm coming to the conclusion we did the wrong thing which explains why it was so hard at one bit! (I think we might have been doing an intercept and carry on the same beat). Regardless, I'll put something up (but no video)
jamesfrancis - - Parent #
Also a7968 was fun and another one to tick off your list perhaps?
Another fun oxford convention for me. The venue is great and the shoddy show venue from the last few years has been replaced by a brand spanking new nice auditorium. Stand out act for me was the first guy with the balls and shaker thing (Kay perhaps).
Generally the convention seemed to run smoothly this year after some loose organisation last year so well done on Sam and Rob (and anyone else who deserves credit) for sorting this out. Shame they lost some show acts last minute, but full credit for trying particularly hard to rope in anyone they could from the convention to fill the gaps. I have to admit I was still a little worried about being called up on stage despite saying no about 5 times! Left my clubs in my car just in case!
Convention win for me was the 10c Scrambled V Brook alluded to. Really fun and very tough. I will be hunting down people at the EJC to try this again with.
Convention fail for me was 10c 2 count passing with Mandy. After a really successful first go of about 15 passes we then proceeded to get worse and worse every go for the next 15 minutes. Never understand why this happens.
Final thought: Next time they should bring back the volley club net. There should be more volley club in the world.
Brook Roberts - - Parent #
Yes, I did tick that off my list and continue my slow crawl to 50%. I was trying not to just fill up my review with siteswaps though...
Yes, volleyclub would have been nice, I don't seem to play that very often. Should have gone to Bungay I suppose!
Oxford juggling Convention - Review
I enjoyed:
Alan's company for the long drive to and from Oxford.
The cafe at the venue. I strayed away from the pizza this year and tried a baguette, it was very nice.
Lunchtime conversation and food reviews.
Passing Brook's new pattern with James, Danny and Brook. It was very fast in places but I can see it being a nice one to do once it is running.
I do like the convention venue at oxford. Nice outdoors area and a lovely big hall, cold water fountain and plenty of parking.
I love the new show venue! It's a great little stage (but with no backstage area). Very posh and not at all dingy like the previous one. (slightly hard to find if you don't know the way)
The shark sticking out of the roof of someones house... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Headington_Shark
Very nice fish and chip restaurant meal with Sam + Martin and Mark. Thank you for convincing me not to go for a curry.
The games were quite short but entertaining. Thank you Danny for giving me your games prizes and for partnering with me for long distance passing.
I did not enjoy so much:
It wasn't a great juggle day for me. I wore myself out a bit passing and then playing gladiators in the sun and was quite incapable of anything afterwards.
Forgot my sunglasses, not good for the games.
The show compere. I suspect he might have been a little bit drunk (or worse). Not as bad as the famous Birmingham clown, but definately not an improvement on last years compere.
I did enjoy Oxford convention although it did seem very quiet to me this year. A lot of people play outside in the sun, but even so the hall was mostly empty all day.
The show was short, but the acts themselves were good.
Thank you Sam and Rob and the Oxford team for putting the day together for us to enjoy! I look forward to coming again next year.
Cheers,
Jon
Brook Roberts - - Parent #
"I wore myself out a bit passing and then playing gladiators"
What else would you want to do?!
Okay, you got me! ;-)
I did miss the vollyclub net. Should we make that a regular fixture at conventions?
I am tempted to buy one and start bringing it to conventions but only if people will play with me. :-)
Brook Roberts - - Parent #
I would probably play!
It was my first Oxford convention and I had a very relaxing day. Good venue even though it was not easy to find.
The show was a bit short being only thirty five minutes long. I have seen Steve Rawlings do his Knife routine a lot of times but to see someone else do it word for word and every gag and movement the same, even sounding the same was strange. I have not seen Jay Rawlings before but he does need his own material.
I have seen Jay perform some magic routines that are not Steve Rawlings routines and they work very well. People who haven't seen Steve perform were saying that they enjoyed Jays' show. I just thought that the it was the best Steve Rawlings impression I've seen but that none of his own personality was on show.
Cedric Lackpot - - Parent #
"Not as bad as the famous Birmingham clown"
Oof. Damned with faint praise.
Didn't see the Birmingham clown but the compere lacked all the qualities that you need in a compere.
He was unable to warm up the audience, he failed at the minimal stage hand duties he had to do and he forgot the name of one of the five acts. He did appear to have consumed something alcoholic or mind altering and I would have preferred to see less of his underwear (but that is similar to many yoofs of the last ten years).
Oxford convention has always been a little odd. The large sports hall has never been full at any of the conventions I've attended. The previous show venue was indescribably gloomy but the new one is a vast improvement. The passes, consisting of a bit of string, have to be the cheapest ever (apparently £2.10 paid for this years and next years passes). The trader is always somewhat isolated at the end of the hall.
However if you go to the convention to juggle then there is plenty of space and height. If you go to chat, then there is always someone to chat to. If you go to learn then the workshops and other juggler skills are good enough.
I juggled, chatted, attended a workshop, booked an act for MKJC, watched possibly the shortest convention show ever and enjoyed myself.
Nigel
Cedric Lackpot - - Parent #
> The passes, consisting of a bit of string, have to be the cheapest ever (apparently £2.10 paid for this years and next years passes).
Circus Space pulled this trick years ago. It was hairy green string, just enough to tie round your wrist and all itchy. Hoxton string is hipster string though, so it was probably £2 a length.
Little Paul - - Parent #
Anyone else getting loads of div tags in this post?
Thanks for coming! If you performed, ran a workshop or sat taking people's money for me thanks again!
More thanks to Jay for stepping in to perform when I was 2 acts down and Paul for agreeing to do sound and light when I had nobody else.
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