The Ridgeway, Oxfordshire is the destination for tonight's party. A lovely sunny day at the height of summer relaxes our fears of bad weather stopping the party. Tribe of Isis are to be the party hosts. We make a move up towards Oxford using our flyer with map on it! Nice easy drive up to the Ridgeway, passing through East Hendred towards the party site. We travel down a road for about 3-4 miles, nothing on either side of us.... It's looking good. Head up a steep hill into a wooded area of the Ridgeway. A few cars are already parked up, but no music can be heard. We start to walk down a track towards some lights we spot. After about 5 minutes, we decide it's the wrong way, we head back to the car. By now we can hear that the soundsystem has been switched on. Walking towards the music, we find a small wooded area with loads of fires on the go. Looked like something out of the Ewok village! A dancefloor has been setup with a parachute hanging between the trees. Backdrops and decorations are hung up on all the trees surrounding the dancefloor. A big family tent had the DJ's and decks in it. Lots of flureo and UV brighten up the area. Quite a few people are dancing by this stage, to bouncy techno/trance. At the other end of the wood, inbetween all the fires, another tent selling tea and coffee has been setup.
We get settled and try to get a small fire going - lack of wood stops us. Gatecrashing another fire seems the best idea, we meet the firebuilders and get invited to share the warmth.
Loads of people are now on the dancefloor - and the atmosphere is pretty amazing. The crowd go mad to all the tunes - about 200 people are here tonight. The police turn up, but don't get out of their van - it's a very remote area, so I guess they followed a party packed car up here.
I get lost in the music, and lose track of what all my mates are doing - they have a mad one on acid - a bit too mad! They get lost wandering around the misty fields. I stay on the dancefloor. At 7am I get dragged off the dance floor during 'Boing!' by Rotterdam Termination Source....my mates having a bad trip - so I have to drive them home.
Top top top night! best party of 98. Most effort put into it! Strangely enough I meet the people who put on the party (for someone's birthday) in a tiny club in the backstreets of Brixton 7 months later!
Bugs
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