camp page : opening

This is the opening of the camp page and it is appropriate that it should begin with a picture of story-telling around the fire in the field. But like all good stories, particularly trilogies, we will start anywhere but the beginning. But first let us have a look at the scene around the fire.

the audience

They are a collection of recruits on the left of the picture above, who have been promised an exciting story, in which they will be invited to take a part in the action, and, more persuasively, offered cakes, biscuits and an ice cream with lemon sherbert or hundreds-and-thousands topping. Most are at least listening, some are excited and expectant, but there is always at least one who is at best doubtful. Have a closer look at the audience

The look on his face suggests that he is thinking: "Who is this bald git with the red stick talking about Darth Vader, the Jedi knights, Doctor Who in the Tardis all in one breath as though he is best mates with them all?" Well, I am.

the spectators

Fortunately for me, the storyteller, or the bald old git, it is gratifying that there is at least one youngster who is carried away by the story, and is totally absorbed in a childlike reverie about the visit to the camp of one or more of his super-heroes. No doubt, he is dreaming of the Jedi knights, Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia, who are supposed to be visiting the camp again on this very afternoon. His mouth drops open at the prospect of meeting them. I hope you enjoyed the story Billy.

Which brings me to the spectators who are supposed to be here to oversee the children enjoying themselves listening to the the story. I half suspect that they are really here to hear the story themselves. Surely, they are not here for the cakes and biscuits? (There was no way we were going to run to ice creams for them.) but they are a motley crew See for yourself.

Is it just that Liam has seen it and heard it all before and still finds the stories amusing? Is Ian looking in disbelief at Liam that he has become part of the audience? Or is it that secretly Liam is chuckling to himself because he knows what to do with Darth Vader's two-handed red light-sabre that I am holding?

With the children, we need incontrovertible evidence to support our claims in the stories. So with the spectators, we have photographic evidence, (cctv has been installed in the hen-tree in line with recent government policy) that spectators have become gullible enthusiastic members of the audience. Sorry Tina but you can't hide your excitement by pretending to be the official photographer. The snapper has been snapped.

the big picture

If you want to look at the scene in more detail, and you can wait for a 3Mbyte download (over 2 minutes on my broadband), zoom in on the big picture