PACKERS FIELD FUNDAY & SPRING CLEAN
01/05/2006
May Day on Packers Field
and despite forecastspredicting a down pour it’s dry
when we arrive at 10 am for the morning clean up. The nine
of us who have turned up each grab a bin bag and walk round
the field searching for litter. In general, it’s surprisingly
clean: a far cry from the ‘toilet for dogs’ that
some newspaper articles would have you believe. In fact,
we find hardly any dog poo to speak of. And absolutely no
drugs paraphernalia. Instead there’s plenty of the
sort of detritus you’d expect on a school playing field
- empty crisp packets, sweet wrappers and the like.
By about midday, various
Easton Cowboys arrive with nets, balls and the acroutements
to get the event underway. The Kebele crew turn up with
their sound system and cafe and we’re rolling. One
by one, a whole load of familiar faces appear - including
some I haven’t seen for years. Events like these prove
that - contrary to the report that rejected the Town Green
application - there is a vibrant community here centred
around Packers.
Looking around the field
there is a stall selling bits and bobs, one with information
about the campaign to keep the field open, another with
info on the proposals about the future of the Chocolate
Factory. Zoe is sitting under the tree working with the
kids, encouraging them to paint giant balloons - piñata.
Gradually people arrive and change into their football kit,
or if they’re not playing loiter around, chat, pop
into the pub for a pint or gently shake a leg to the reggae
and soul blasting out of the sound system.
The woman from the Evening
Post turns up and darts around taking photographs of all
the activity. Eventually she gets what’s she’s
been looking for - a set piece shot of some of the organisers
with the ‘Community Under Construction’ sign.
Thankfully, they don’t use it when it’s finally
published.
On the pitches, the football
is running smoothly. By four in the afternoon, the can can
dancers turn up and perform you might describe as a ‘fertility
dance’. They explain that since they were unable to
obtain a maypole from anywhere, a nearby tree had to suffice
instead. Needless to say, the crowd are momentarily diverted
from the football.
While all this excitement
is going on, Kev’s team, Electric Youth, are performing
wonders on the pitch. They brush past the topically named
No Metatarsals in the semis to face the Cowboys’ Sunday
team in the final. In a tightly fought game, da’ Youth
edge it 1-0.
Kaz and Otan, the landlords
of another local pub, The Plough present the trophies and
then it’s time for a final boogie to the DJs and a
beer in the Kings Head before we head home. Miraculously
despite all the forecasts AND the fact that it’s a
bank holiday, no rain fell on the third Packers Field Fun
Day. Someone up there must like us. Let’s hope we get
to do another one...
