Small Talk

Sam and Martin's Wiltshire juggling convention: A Review

Arrived on Friday after twice napping in service stations, to find a teeny tiny village containing only a church, a hotel and a tiny primary school now hosting a big top style marquee in the field. Friendly marquee erecting people have provided extra complimentary disco lights! Hurrah!

Put together sound system in order to discover that one speaker had mysteriously died since BJC. Disconnected broken speaker. Almost nobody noticed, or they were too polite to say anything.

Lots of people juggling in the marquee, the warm coloured coconut matting floor and the uplighters made for a lovely ambiance which was very pleasant to juggle in. Seems that over a year or so of not juggling I have mostly forgotten how :-( Other attendees had not.

On Saturday morning there was some kind of church service with frocks and suits and things, involving some singing of songs (one juggling themed), a violin joke or two and much blowing of bubbles.

Following this, some of the attendees departed for a posh lunch and others repaired to the school for further juggling and scoffing of sausage rolls and melon.

Sam and Martin poked a knife into a cake, and I later acquired a MASSIVE blister while attempting to cut this cake into tiny slices for the assembled masses. I do not recommend that future conventions have this kind of cake. I think it was made of concrete, although it turned out to be pretty tasty concrete. It was iced with some kind of edible white tarmac. Note to self: Decorative cake knives are not intended for actual use and are not in any way sharp.

Later we all had pig inna bun and started working our way through about 400 pints of Martin's home brewed beer. This was extremely tasty. Thumbs up!

Then we get to THE SHOW. This started on time and featured an outstanding lineup. Mamphy and Martin did a splendid routine which was all the more impressive due to Mamphy's impractical looking frock. Tom Derrick entertained people with tennis rackets, Matt Byng-Maddick was like greased lightning with his devil sticks, Dave Kelly caused a lot of people to sit with their mouths hanging indelicately open, and Sweavo and Ami did a natty and hilarious dance number.

That's just the first half!

Following that we had Stewart Pemberton and his magical shoes, Sorcha with fiery sticks and contact juggling, Jenni looking threatening with hoops, Barnesy spinning things on strings, Lewis and Josh being incredible, and Jon Peat being terribly graceful as usual.

There was also an uncomfortable tennis racket trick and a Mammoth Trick, or was that a Sam Martini?

Afterwards we segued neatly into a MASSIVE PARTY in which there was much dancing, some splendid live music, and more dancing.

I awoke the next morning to discover that earlier risers than me had cleared the entire marquee and there were no empty glasses to be seen anywhere. Thanks Lynne and anyone else who helped.

After some tidying, some tea drinking and much eating of breakfast cereal out of pint glasses, I left as hordes of people were still busy juggling happily in the marquee. Everybody I talked to seemed to be having a great time, although I hear that Sam and Martin are so exhausted from the experience that they are going to have to go on a holiday to recover.

Props to Sam and Martin for an excellent convention!

# by emilyw, 2012-07-15 21:33 BST