This is an out and out dance festival in Stratford Upon Avon. I didn't feel as out of place as I expected (loads of old ravers there), and I think I've now developed a taste for DubStep (or something else that went 'boom wicky wicky, boom wicky wicky'?)
...or so the song goes. Actually, it's not that I don't like it, I've just never understood it (I've tried, believe me, it's just not in me to be interested). So having to do a shoot with Paul Collingwood at the Oval, the day after England had spanked the Aussies's in the first test meant absolutely nothing to me. Not so the assembled journo's who were all desperately trying to get him to slag off the opposition. Paul seemed like a genuine chap, and I admired how he resoluteley refused to get drawn into saying anything untoward. As he pointed out, most of the Aussie team play county cricket, and outside the tests were his colleagues and mates. When accused of being England's 'chief sledger', he sensibly said that banter and winding players up have always been part of any sport, and it'd be a poorer game without it. Here's to the piss-takers!
Texprint is an annual competition for new textile designers, and this year was judged by Zandra Rhodes and Grayson Perry among others. I'd never paid much attention to Grayson, beyond the facade, but after meeting him I'm intrigued. I wasn't sure what to expect, but he's not camp or effeminate, he's just a bloke in a frock. The more I watched him the more I liked his idea. It challenges the preconception that men in girls clothes are different, weird etc. The fact that he's squarely heterosexual and blokey jarrs even more than if he'd minced about. It's that thing of context, like it's OK to wear speedo's at a swimming pool, but if you wore them to the shops you'd feel self conscious.
Apparently Burt really exists, and really does look like that. The story goes that he was a lo-fi beekeeper who sold his honey on the road-side next to his farm. One day he met Roxanne who's car had broken down nearby, and she then went on to help him sell his honey. Now Burt had years worth of beeswax stored up, without a use, so Roxanne started making candles, lip balm etc - and pretty soon they had a massive international franchise business. 
