Burning Bush

Samhainn ... started with organic bread and humous. I'd reckoned that since it's traditional to make mulled wine, then the kitchen would be either full or uninhabitable (wrong on both counts, I'm glad to note), so got picnicy things. Then we set out, en bloc, to celebrate. It's traditional for me *not* to paint my face. And I didn't dress up, being more concerned with being warm: denims, wool jumper, boots, leather jacket, central American (and extremely silly) hat. She dressed up in shades of black, topped with a corset. He dressed up in different shades of black, layers of natural fibres. First challenge was an extreme shortage of information leaflets, but more by luck than anything else, someone had over-ordered on the club flyers, which had an abbreviated explanation of just what was happening, so that was ok. Second challenge was my fault, really - I didn't prepare the bucketers enough, so they had to learn on the job. Having said that, I must admit they were absolutely fucking marvellous. There were 14 bucketers who raised £750 which, if my maths is correct, means there was a mean average of £53 per bucket, which is very good. There was £400 in £1 coins and, I think, £60 in 50p pieces. It was slightly depressing to note that the council's estimate of attendance was 5,000 which (I've gotta get a calculator here) growls, where on earth is it? I'll need it soon ... hmmm, even if there were only 2,000 people there, I guess quite a few didn't get to donate anything. I don't think there were 5,000 people, Parliament Square just wasn't hotching enough with people. Anyway, tomorrow, there's a showing of the rough draft of the video, and the Health and Safety chap is going to do some population density calculations ... thinks, remember when this was done by a couple of botanists who are now highly paid (I hope) civil servants, using Liverpool taxis as their subjects. The taxi drivers were very upset to be monitored, as no one told them they were buttercup surrogates ...