First there were tap-dancing turkeys and then...
Last weekend while sitting at my stall in the Art and CRaft fair in the market I heard what sounded like people tapdancing. Now Newport is not a place that you could call the cutting edge of culture so it wasn't too surprising to hear this sound although it was ... unusual. I peered over the rail of the gallery (posh name for the upstairs bit) and to my joy there were two people dressed in turkey costumes, tap dancing down the aisle below me. They paused at each stall and one of them gently settled, tuccking his legs under his feathers. They had two minders one a burly, six feet tall, handsome man with a High visibility jacket upon which was stencilled the word 'STEWARD 47.The other a small attractive young woman wearing a waterproof coat that was large enough to take two steps inside before it started moving. They were there to prevent the mini-scroats (small obnoxious Newport children, nearly as bad as the French ones) from pulling out the tail feathers of the turkeys. Later that day a disgruntled robin trudged through the craft fair on her way to Santa's grotto where Santa's little helper was waiting for assistance to stop the miniscroats destroying the grotto. Parents just standing by as they do in Newport.
Downstairs a trio set up their instruments and played some - I was going to say seasonal songs but the drummer was so loud we never heard either the tune or the words. and a reindeer appeared briefly before scurrying away from the onslaught of scroats. No minder for him unfortunately.
The turkeys eventually appeared on our floor and proceeded to tap dance their way along the aisle causing a miniscroat to join in and bang against the table of the ceramics maker. This made one of her strange thingies fall off and break. I heard this week that she claimed and received £160 from the council because it was the fault of the turkeys.
This week we are sitting listening to the rain again when suddenly I spy two snow-covered fugires trudging along the side aisle. They pause in front of Cafe Med (only the best eateries here) then continue their weary journey. They are garbed in the clothes of polar explorers from the turn of the century. They have snow-crusted beards with icicles dangling down. Their mittens are crusted with lumpy snow as are their bodies, boots and the union flag they are carrying. They are roped together and even the rope has frozen snow on it! the one at the front has the flag the one at the rear has two snow poles. They pause near my stall so I enquire where they are headed. The South Pole. This is Scott and Oates! they should have turned right and not left when they got off the boat - I told them this and they were grateful.
So there you are, here in the cultural desert we have street theatre that is kept indoors when it rains. The minders were there to administer encouragement and prevent the minis from pulling the rope. I am now wondering how much they were paid to do it and why I don't have fragile stuff that could be broken and allow me to claim from the council.
Downstairs a trio set up their instruments and played some - I was going to say seasonal songs but the drummer was so loud we never heard either the tune or the words. and a reindeer appeared briefly before scurrying away from the onslaught of scroats. No minder for him unfortunately.
The turkeys eventually appeared on our floor and proceeded to tap dance their way along the aisle causing a miniscroat to join in and bang against the table of the ceramics maker. This made one of her strange thingies fall off and break. I heard this week that she claimed and received £160 from the council because it was the fault of the turkeys.
This week we are sitting listening to the rain again when suddenly I spy two snow-covered fugires trudging along the side aisle. They pause in front of Cafe Med (only the best eateries here) then continue their weary journey. They are garbed in the clothes of polar explorers from the turn of the century. They have snow-crusted beards with icicles dangling down. Their mittens are crusted with lumpy snow as are their bodies, boots and the union flag they are carrying. They are roped together and even the rope has frozen snow on it! the one at the front has the flag the one at the rear has two snow poles. They pause near my stall so I enquire where they are headed. The South Pole. This is Scott and Oates! they should have turned right and not left when they got off the boat - I told them this and they were grateful.
So there you are, here in the cultural desert we have street theatre that is kept indoors when it rains. The minders were there to administer encouragement and prevent the minis from pulling the rope. I am now wondering how much they were paid to do it and why I don't have fragile stuff that could be broken and allow me to claim from the council.