Setting up for Vaarklife ’21!

The stage has an arch painted like a Party Ring biscuit, with a huge speaker either side.

Well, here we are! It’s time for #Vaarklife 21! We’ve all arrived at the festival field, and as ever, the stage looks amazing.

All the vaarks are gathered on an astroturf field, with tents and glamping pods.

The stage has an arch painted like a Party Ring biscuit, with a huge speaker either side.

Peggy and Gino are in the campervan this year, and they’re already parked and set up.

Peggy and Gino are standing beside a little yellow camper van with a barbecue and a table set up

Nano is pleased to be back in his glamping pod. He’s also brought a radio along. Peggy’s worried he’s going to play loud music all night, but he says he’s only brought it to hear the weather forecast.

Nano looks into a pod made from a little individual milk pot. Behind it is a miniature ‘ghetto blaster’.

Peggy talks to Nano as he sits on the handle of the ghetto blaster

Micro is just putting his sleeping bag onto the hammock in his pod. He always likes to book it, as it’s so comfortable.

Micro is putting a little sleeping bag into a glamping pod

Micro looks at the pod, made from the top half of a plastic milk bottle.

 

Bernard likes to bring a couple of spare pillows for his glamping pod, or he gets a stiff neck. He’s glad to see the hanging basket is still doing well.

Bernard is putting a couple of teabags into a glamping pod that is a teapot on its side.

Bernard looks at a hang basket of flowers, hanging from the teapot spout

 

Dim and Matilda are in the “Neapolitan” pod as usual. Winston is keen to show them that this year they have en suite ‘facilities’ and power hook up.

Dim and Matilda look at the pod made from a catering size tin of tomatoes.

Winston shows them the portaloos made from tetrapak milk cartons next to the pod and the wall socket above

 

Henry and Hypno are sharing the scout tent. They are just trying to get the camp bed into it and wondering if they should have put it together inside to start with!

Winston talks to Henry and Hypno who have a camp bed outside a scout tent

Henry and Hypno try to wrestle the bed in through the tent flap

 

I’m in my red pop up tent of course. Esther is camping this year for the first time, and Ernest says he’ll help her if she needs anything.

Ratvaark looks out of a red pop-up festival tent

Esther talks to Ernest beside a pair of pop up tents

 

Vincent is in his tee-pee, and Fury has her sleeping mat in her tool box. She says it’s very comfortable, and sleeping on top of them keeps her tools secure!

Vincent looks at a little wigwam tent

Fury has a grey mat with red buttons, in her tool box

Fury is lying on her mat, which fits just inside the tool box

 

Arnold’s in his bivvy bag, where he can keep an eye on the stage. And Ofelia always stays in her Falafel Pot, so that she can keep the stove lit.

Arnold rolls out a waterproof bivvy bag

Ofelia goes into her falafel pot catering concession, made from an upside down flower pot.

 

So there are just a few finishing touches to do – the flags to erect on the stage, and the sound check.

Winston sticks a Vaarklife flag into the corner of the stage

Fury is doing a soundcheck, with headphones on, into a microphone

 

Ernest! Turn the bass up a notch! That’s better. And the lights are all ok too.

Fury calls up to Ernest who is adjusting the knobs on top of the amp

Fury checks the lights embedded into the stage and backdrop

 

Of course, Vaarklife wouldn’t be Vaarklife without the catering and merch. Ernest says he knows he’s really here when he has an ice cream.

There is a row of catering and merchandise stalls.

Ernest has an ice cream cone from the ice cream van

 

Vincent is all ready with the donuts, and Ofelia already has some falafel and wraps on the go

Vincent is in the donut stall with plates of donuts ready to sell

Ofelia has a pan of falafels and wraps

 

Winston is busy organising his merchandise stall, and at the same time keeping an eye on his burger stand. There’s always a queue the minute he turns his back!

Winston is hanging teeshirts up on his merchandise stall

Winston nips next door to the burger stall, where a queue has formed.

 

Matilda is just dusting all her crystals, to make sure they shine and catch the eye! Oh, and now Ofelia has some paella ready, which makes Hypno’s choice even harder!

Matilda organises the crystals hanging from her stall

Ofelia produces a pan of paella attracting Hypno’s attention

 

So, we’re all getting settled in, and looking forward to the start of the music tomorrow. I wonder what we’ll hear this year Esther!

Ratvaark talks to Esther in front of the stage.