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Back from Upton Not Quite Under Severn
May. 8th, 2012 08:51 amUpton upon Severn, by a monumental effort, managed to hold the Folk Weekend despite really adverse conditions.
To deal with the increased risk of flooding (about which more later) they have been carrying out major works, which weren't quite finished but this time were just enough. However, the fields where we usually camp are outside the defences and were most definitely under water. So camping was provided elsewhere, basically on a farm about a mile outside town, where it was a major problem to cram in as many as possible. Generally speaking, it was well organised, with a shuttle bus to take us into town and back and (wonderful!) in a barn food, coffee and papers available.
The down side, which was pretty bad, was I think connected to the fact that we were all so close together: on the first night a lot of thefts took place from tents - during the night, while people were inside. I suspect the fact that you really couldn't see if people were wandering around in the middle of the night had a lot to do with it. The real irony was that the worst sufferers were a Border Morris side called the Thieving Magpies.
That apart, all went well, and the weather managed a special twist for a Bank Holiday: dry on Saturday, sunshine for the procession (somewhere near four dozen sides), and then on Monday it rained. I have never been more happy not to be in a tent, and not because of the theft bit (where I suspect we would have been less vulnerable because the first thing they would have been confrotned with would have been Zoe bung full of attitude): no tent to put up when we got there, no tent to take down in the rain. The minibus is awesome, with bags of space and, for changing, we can stand up comfortably. We also got it out easily; the front wheels were down in a dip but it only needed a bit of a shove from G to get it moving, and we're talking about a big ambulance style minibus pushed by a 65 year old woman.
Now for an explanation about flooding. What made trouble for Tewkesbury a few years ago and, increasingly, Upton upon Severn, is largely a result of house building further up the Severn, on what had originally been water meadows. These are a key feature of river flood plains; they let the surplus water spread out safely and take the strain off. If they are built on, the water can't spread out - often there are defences built - so further down the water spreads out further. This is why our usual campsite was flooded: Upton left it outside the defences so it could do its job.
In terms of farming, the only really safe thing that can be done with water meadows is use them for pasture. You may get some gloomy looking cows standing in six inches plus of water (from which they can be retrieved without too much trouble) but you don't get an entire crop ruined, which is what happens if you try to grow grain there. It's one of the two main types of area (the other is upland sheep pastures) where you really cannot grow crops instead of rearing animals.
To deal with the increased risk of flooding (about which more later) they have been carrying out major works, which weren't quite finished but this time were just enough. However, the fields where we usually camp are outside the defences and were most definitely under water. So camping was provided elsewhere, basically on a farm about a mile outside town, where it was a major problem to cram in as many as possible. Generally speaking, it was well organised, with a shuttle bus to take us into town and back and (wonderful!) in a barn food, coffee and papers available.
The down side, which was pretty bad, was I think connected to the fact that we were all so close together: on the first night a lot of thefts took place from tents - during the night, while people were inside. I suspect the fact that you really couldn't see if people were wandering around in the middle of the night had a lot to do with it. The real irony was that the worst sufferers were a Border Morris side called the Thieving Magpies.
That apart, all went well, and the weather managed a special twist for a Bank Holiday: dry on Saturday, sunshine for the procession (somewhere near four dozen sides), and then on Monday it rained. I have never been more happy not to be in a tent, and not because of the theft bit (where I suspect we would have been less vulnerable because the first thing they would have been confrotned with would have been Zoe bung full of attitude): no tent to put up when we got there, no tent to take down in the rain. The minibus is awesome, with bags of space and, for changing, we can stand up comfortably. We also got it out easily; the front wheels were down in a dip but it only needed a bit of a shove from G to get it moving, and we're talking about a big ambulance style minibus pushed by a 65 year old woman.
Now for an explanation about flooding. What made trouble for Tewkesbury a few years ago and, increasingly, Upton upon Severn, is largely a result of house building further up the Severn, on what had originally been water meadows. These are a key feature of river flood plains; they let the surplus water spread out safely and take the strain off. If they are built on, the water can't spread out - often there are defences built - so further down the water spreads out further. This is why our usual campsite was flooded: Upton left it outside the defences so it could do its job.
In terms of farming, the only really safe thing that can be done with water meadows is use them for pasture. You may get some gloomy looking cows standing in six inches plus of water (from which they can be retrieved without too much trouble) but you don't get an entire crop ruined, which is what happens if you try to grow grain there. It's one of the two main types of area (the other is upland sheep pastures) where you really cannot grow crops instead of rearing animals.
