September 1st - Day 136

Outside Climate Camp on Blackheath, alongside the signs offering welcome and invitation to come in and look around, is a large white board detailing camp events. Amongst the details of workshops and talks is an entertainment section that lists a variety of music acts peforming throughout the week. The artists included high profile folky/indie names such as Emmy The Great, The Mystery Jets and Sam Lee. Unfortunately, continuing my knack of finding something to see after it’s happened, I didn’t read this sign until Monday, day five of the camp. All was not lost however, as the next day, performing at lunchtime, was singer/songwriter Theo Bard. I decided that lunchtime was one o’clock – that’s the time they have it in cricket, and climate camps and cricket with all their connections, weather and that, it made sense.

I arrived just before one, but after half an hour’s wander and help from a couple of people who asked if I needed help, but weren’t able to help, I was beginning to fear that Mr Bard was not at the camp. I went to the main marquee, stood at the back and watched proceedings at a slick and polite discussion group. After a short while they broke for lunch, but there was no sign of a musician. I saw a couple of friends greet each other. Then one of them said, “I’d better get my guitar – I’m supposed to be playing music”. And he went to get his guitar. And so it was that the sun stayed out and I sat on the grass in front of the tripod stage, initially with two others, but ultimately with forty or fifty, occasionally dipped into the Climate Camp handbook and Earth First Action Update newsletter, and listened to and watched the very listenable, very watcheable, very charming, Theo Bard. His songs were a little bit folky, a little bit reggae, catchy, but often run through with a satisfyingly dark thread. And he had good things to say.