It
happened at a conference with a difference as festival patrons and organisers
disputed the real reason for the gathering. Half a dozen long-haired
lads from Lancashire complained that only one pub in Windsor would serve
beer to them. Then another young man with a mid-Atlantic accent said:
" There are no pubs so where's the pot?"
Organiser-in-chief Dwyer replied: " You'll be
better without pubs ,then you'll have more money for food. They say
the pot's illegal. But there'll be some found. We have no free food
vans this year. We don't want them. We are not starving peasants from
India .When we scrounge our food it's not good for the hippie image
".
Evil
But
Wally Phil from Devon, who broke his journey to Windsor with a midsummer
stay at Stonehenge, took issue . He praised the people of India and
pressed their claim for aid . It was enough to split the camp. - Bill
raged: " The Hindu religion is the most evil in
the world." retorted Wally Phil: " You
can't know what you're talking about.", . The words got heated
and the coats were off . It was time for peace. "Lets
get back to festival business ". I suggested. And a quietened
Bill suggested that Ken's deadlines were really the important issue
of the day. They had to be kept.
Anti
car fence
I
wanted to know how the problems of sanitary equipment, the health hazards
and the rubbish problems would be overcome. "
We'll dig latrines" claimed Bill. " We'll
start digging as soon as the shovels arrive " But the leader
of the Fitzroys from St Ives admitted" : `` We
didn't bring our shovels, Bill. We have an axe though , will that do?"
The question of latrines was flushed aside, so we got around to talking
about the six massive stages planned to accommodate the promised 150
bands and some 50 poetry readers. I wanted to know how the scaffolding
would be erected - and where. Bill assured the customers: " The
staging is here':- We've just got to get it across that fence."
He pointed to a foot-high, anti-car fence on the edge of the festival
site."
Before long that might not be there and in any
case we know another way of getting round it." He said his organisation
would bring 100,000 people to the park by Monday,but there was no organisation
of food, water, lavatories, transport or first aid for even a single
person in the whole of the great park area. It is this which causes
concern to the Crown state Commissioners , local councillors and the
welfare services . Last year nearly 10,000 young people turned up for
the festival. It ran for nearly a fortnight. In that time many needed
first aid treatment. This year the local Red Cross has refused to turn
out because there are no facilities and to put a tent up would be breaking
the park by-laws. . . .
Back-up
And
the Crown Estate Commissioners have refused to allow Release, the drugs
welfare organisation, a site in the park for the care of drugs cases.
Officials at the local King Edward VII Hospital, Windsor, allowed Release
representatives to set up their unit in the hospital grounds. A hospital
doctor said: " We're happy to let Release handle
this situation. Our doctors and nurses will provide a back-up service
if required. I don't think our staff could have managed the situation
on its own.!
"
