Greenbelt was great again.
1. Duke Special - 3rd time at Greenbelt, but I had never caught him live ... fantastic ... especially with the Greenbelt Orchestra joining in
2. Fat and Frantic - was too young, so never saw them live when they were gigging, but enjoyed their music in the mid-1990s, so great to see them reunited and reliving their younger days.
3. Martyn Joseph - in the performance cafe doing what he does best
4. Christopher Jamison on Finding Sanctuary - the former Abbott of Worth Abbey gave a very engaging talk on finding sanctuary in today's world
5. Big Sing with the Wild Goose Resource Group
6. Watching the film of Greenbelt at 40 - great to see the story, although felt a lot missing, for example references to NOS, Fat & Frantic, Eden Burning, Mike Yaconelli (apparently there is a lot on the cutting room floor)
7. Catching up with friends old and new
8. Communion service - I liked the focus on changes in the last 40 years for women, globalisation and environment
9. New site layout ... it generally worked, although mainstage noise at times overwhelmed other venues
10. This reflection from Jonty Langely, who also wrote the main reflection in this year's festival guide.
Disappointments:
Every venue going on about becoming a Greenbelt Angel - overkill!
Ikon - usually very thought provoking, didn't work for me this year
Boxettes - they were apparently great and I missed them
Debates - 1 hour is never long enough, partly because those on the panel talk too long in answers and some questioners questions are too long (debate chairs need to intervene). I went to the debate on 'what's the point of the welfare state?'
I missed the food caterers who did the great Italian stuff - bolognese, lasagne, etc, they weren't there last year either
Still low on non-conformists, esp. Baptists, amongst talks. Paul Fiddes? Myra Blyth? Juliet Kilpin? Glen Marshall? Tim Presswood and Clare McBeath? David Kerrigan?
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