After we had spent the early evening at the Awakening in Reading, me and a few others headed up to the Ridgeway looking for the Sys-Co-X party. The info line tells us to turn off the main road and drive down the Ridgeway for 4 miles.... hmmm I can already see my motor getting trashed driving along the well used ancient track! 
I get the OS map out and check for any back ways in, and low and behold, there's a paved road according to the map that will take us straight there.
Driving thru a few small towns out in the middle of nowhere, we head up the road which does turn out to be tarmac'd, and cross the Ridgeway. It's about 3.30am by now and fecking cold outside. We spot a few lights up ahead, and turn down a track leading to a barn. Quite a few cars are about, and we set about dumping the motor. Loads of cars had got stuck on the Ridgeway, but had been pulled out by the Landrover 101 that was about.
The barn had been liberated around 10pm and the crew had setup the system at one end. Two huge speaker stacks had been placed either side of the decks pumping out acid techno courtesy of Alan Co-X when we walked in the barn. 100 or so people were milling around during the night - Loadsa smiling happy people about. BB especially.... The party was in aid of his 21st b'day. Great place to have yer 21st m8! The techno had loads of people dancing, before some hard trance came on from another Co-X DJ that I don't know the name of, but played a wikkid set with loads o people on the dance floor. Some good tunes, and finished on I.Mushroom.
Me and my mates went for a wander around the barn and surrounding building. We watched the sun rise, 
before discovering a small campfire in one of the adjourning barns with a few people sharing the warmth. We hung around for a while, had a few J's, before heading back to the barn. Andy from Brighton based Warped soundsystem was on the decks playing a drum and bass set.
Outside was light and the full beauty of the Oxfordshire hills came into view. On the drive back down the hill, we stopped and stood around for a while taking it all in. The Ridgeway is definitley a magical place!
Cheers to all the Co-X crew! and everyone else that had made it there... warped Andy & Co. and nice to see the Sonning lot out of their house! ;o). See you again in the summer!
Bugs
