Ambient Picnic equipment up in smoke!

The seventh Ambient Picnic (held on Sunday 1 August 2004 on Shalford Park in Guildford) was the most successful one to date, with an attendance throughout the day of 10,000; an increase on last year’s record 8,000. The sun shone, bands performed, people used the Park And Ride bus service, children played, traders sold, therapists massaged and many “green” practitioners demonstrated their recycling based activities.

Unfortunately, the premises used, with the assistance of Guildford Borough Council, on Send Hill in Send to store the Ambient Picnic equipment was burned to the ground, in a suspected school summer holidays arson attack, just a week after this year’s excellent family event.

The lost equipment included items used by all parts of the not-for-profit one day event (including the Main Stage, Slave2Vinyl Dance Tent, Itsy Bitsy Ambient Café, the Acoustic Stage, Live And Direct Stage, ArtZone, Healing Field, and the EcoZone).

photo: Nick Homer photo: Nick Homer photo: Craig Hills

Colin Spencer, spokesman for the Ambient Picnic, said “One of the saddest things found in the charred and sodden pieces, after the fire had been extinguished, was the remains of the Ambient Picnic jigsaw picture, one of the pieces of art made on the day by so many of the adults and children who attended. Along with a lot of practical equipment, many pieces of art were lost – most of it made with the help of children getting involved with a major community event for the first time; they are as disappointed as all the adults associated with the Ambient Picnic.”

In the spirit of the event, much of the lost equipment was built up steadily over many years by saving and recycling items year on year. In a plea for help from the local (business) community, Colin Spencer also said “Anyone able to donate replacement equipment and materials should see www.ambientpicnic.co.uk. All being well, having something like 10 months before the next Ambient Picnic means that, we can replace and, hopefully, improve the equipment available for next year’s event. We need to replace it to enable an Ambient Picnic 2005.”

The equipment lost was:
Staging equipment and 3K PA rig speakers
Lighting rig (previously owned by heavy metal band Judas Priest...)
Nine 25” TV monitors
Two TV/DVD/VHS fitted washing machines (with rotating screens where the loading doors were)
A small freezer, barbeque unit, catering urns, mugs, cutlery and crockery
Several 16amp cables and extension leads
Marquees, tents, gazebos, tarpaulins and camouflage netting
Aluminium scaffolding, storage shelves and racking
Trestle tables, a sofa and plastic stacking bistro seats
Two ex-school PE benches and crash mats
Two mannequins, several large plant pots and barrels
The Ambient Picnic entrance sign made from many recycled ‘lifestyle’ items
All on site signage, road signs and flags
Wood, plywood and bamboo poles
Bulk (matt and emulsion) and consumer sized pots of paint (child friendly formulations) and many brushes
Records and CD sleeves
Tool kit and sledgehammer
and, somewhat ironically, 5 fire extinguishers (three dry powder and two CO2)

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