Photos from Sheffield's Peace in The Park

Maybe some more photos of people who aren't neo-hippy middle class types would be good. I saw lots of local punks about for instance. Might do the whole "everyone coming together" vibe a bit more justice? Great day mind, why not do it more often (and bring back some local politics, aside from the same old boring SWP stand!)...

What do you mean, overexposed? Nice one for the nice pictures, looks like it was a good one as the sunshine finally came out.

' Maybe some more photos of people who aren't neo-hippy middle class types would be good '

Great, did you go out and take some photos? Eh, don't think you did. Also, I'm sure the dancers, samba band, and guy on stillts are a lot more photogenic than a load of local punks sitting around...

Nice pictures Chris !

Thanks for the compliments, I didn't upload the really over exposed ones, they are mostly white... the two of the samba band by the Cafe are the the only two over exposed ones above, but the shade of the trees means they are just about OK...

What a fantastic day! - 'course the weather makes or breaks... but bigger and strangely self-assured
than the last one in the same venue (ten years back?).

I was doing a stall at another festival in London the next day; it was also good though I have to
say Sheffield 'Peace in the Park' had the edge; never underestimate the political
impact of showing you can throw a good party! Marshal McLuhan had it about right.

I have enjoyed Peace in the Park.......been to all 5 of them.......on a stall for the last four years. It is a good one day festival....not great, but fairly good. I thought that, surprisingly, the previous two years events in General Cemetery were a great success and really well put together.....I was amazed at the numbers who turned out.

On plus points...There was a guy,(Tom), walking round Endcliffe carrying a multi -colour Peace flag, therefore literally, practising Peace in the Park(hey what a concept!).

On whingeing and negative vibes.......Well, someone did say to me, "Where is the politics of the event"?(e.g. Anti-war, etc?), when, realistically, year after year, the indymedia photos and my own experience have shown me - the same kind of people, sitting around on the grass or in the dance tents - with a bottle of cider in their hands. I would guess that probably 98% plus of those who attend - go for the hedonistic, free festival feel that they get from it, then you probably don,t see that much of them for the next year, i.e. at important political or campaign meetings or events and such.

So, you, well meaning, hard working, PintheP volunteers say I should get off my arse and do something...make the change? Maybe.
But as I have said, I have been on a campaign stall the last four years and missed most of the first year as I was in Manchester on an important political/campaign day workshop.

I can tell the organisers, if they are still looking and listening(and are not all in sunny European or further climes by now) that a fair few of the non young campaigners on the stalls had had enough of the surrounding music and hedonistic buzz going around by 4pm/4.30p.m and may not be inclined to attend next time.........as I said, maybe the political/campaign stalls were well overlooked, fairly disregarded this time?

And finally, I know, I remember that the whole thing was set up in Sheffield by a group or groups who wanted a different approach to the SWOPs marching around all over the place and/or Hijacking most local events and issues.
In that respect, hopefully, it has been a success and, jolly well done too, for ALL the fundraising for ITDG, ASSIST, Nigeria, etc.......excellent work there.

Not bad........could do better.........if only they would take the time to listen and learn(personally I think that too much lager, or smoky stuff often gets in the way).

Tough titty, huh?

Whyn Jer >>>>>> IDIOT