6th – 8th April: Greenpeace Launch Party and Film Exhibit at The Forge, Camden.
“You can drink through it, you know”.
“Really?”
“Yeah, I’ll get you a straw.”
- Straw inserted through breathing hole -
“This… is… amazing…”
So, fun fact, I found out you CAN drink through a stormtrooper helmet. The man/woman who invented*** the straw is a genius. Neil Jones who allerted me to the possibility is a saviour. A ‘troopers drink of choice? Good ol’ British cider of course.
Why is this relevant? Well, sarcastic italicised voice, it is relevant if you found yourself partying the evening away at the Forge in Camden last Friday night. It was a fresh, fun-filled evening full of frolics, festivities and funk. I might have just worn out the f-button on my computer in my post-event excitement. It was a chance for us volunteers to let our hair down a wee bit and socialise. If I were to give the event and party a Roger Ebert film-stlye review, it would get Two Thumbs Up®.
Pointless observation no.1: So, GEEK ALERT. The Star Wars cantina bar scene. It’s pretty famous. On Friday night there were bands playing (although admittedly not dressed as aliens or playing space jazz-funk) and as I was dressed as a stormtrooper drinking cider. I kind of fooled myself into thinking that I was at the cantina. There actually is no point to this observation. Sharing is caring.
It was terrific to see so many people make an effort to not just come and support Greenpeace, but to dress up for it too. We had various Jedi, a Darth Maul, (obviously a couple of stormtroopers) and three princess Leia’s who also happened to be the members of Nova’s Basement, an all-girl band who acoustically rocked. If you missed them you missed out, they receive this stormtrooper’s stamp of approval.
Are shout-outs exclusive to radio? Hmm, good question. I’m going to pilfer the idea for my blog post. You’re crazy man, crazy! Well sarcastic italicised voice, blogger gotta blog. So thank you to the bands for their excellent music: The Hoodlums, Bungo and the Bandits and Nova’s Basement. Big hugs and congrats to Rachel Graves for organising the event and all the various volunteers for volunteering and stamping and fundraising. It was great to see members from Waltham Forest, Bethnal Green, Islington and Camden turn out in force! The force™ was certainly with them. Oh god, I can’t believe I actually wrote that. In my shame I shall leave it in.
Impressively some of the same volunteers who had been partying it up on Friday turned up (a few, admittedly zombie-like) on the Saturday and Sunday (!) to continue promoting our Volkswagen campaign. Working the streets. (Not in that way, although sometimes it feels like it…) The stamina was remarkable, the coffee/tea consumption substantial. I think we single-handedly doubled the coffee shops of Camden’s weekend trade. All in an effort to keep raising public awareness and keep the pressure on VW to live up to their green promises. The saga continues.
Pointless observation no.2: As the day started to close on Saturday, a day in which the general public drifted in and out of our Greenpeace films screening, there was a moment that summed up what Greenpeace volunteers are all about. 6 members from 3 North London groups carrying 4 tables simultaneously to be stored away. Maximum efficiency, minimum clean-up effort. It was beautiful. It was Greenpeace.
***Apparently 'invented' by those crafty Sumerians to drink beer (mead). Although, for optimal relevance the 'bendy-straw' was invented by Joseph B. Friedman in the 1930's after he watched his daughter struggle to drink up a milkshake with a straight straw. Apparently, he founded the Flex-Straw Company in 1939. Now You Know!™
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