Zombiefest 2008
I suppose you’d like an update of the weekends events huh?
I guess I can do that.
Friday
Okay so Friday up and ready and all packed to go… oh course there was the whole waiting for Kirsty thing that was expected. Eventually we go get fuel and set off, find out Hazel and Steven hadn’t yet set off.
Head down the motorway, thinking the sat nav said 18miles…. Oh no 80! The m1 is the most boring road ever!
We stopped at Watford services and had foods and found cool Hawaiian foldy chairs for £10! They only had green and pink though, I wanted a blue one but oh well!
As we were getting ready to head back onto the road we got a text Hazel and Steven had just past the services because they were going stupid fast. They bad. So yeah they got there before us…
We would have arrived somewhere between 2.15 and 2.30… but we got lost. The sat nav dumped us in the middle of Cosgrove…then we got directed in the wrong direction by several people. Then he had hazel find someone who was paying attention when getting there and made her go stand by the sign -that was supposedly clearly visible but was half covered by a tree and we’d past it at least half an hour earlier.
But we arrived just after 3, dumped all our stuff out the car and then we got attacked by hugs from Kit, Jim and the guys - they were the only one already there. They missed us apparently.
Then came the time to put the tent up, didn’t take long once we’d worked out the main tent sheet - that thing is confusing and stupidly large. But we did it! It’s rained heavily while we were still putting it up, but only for about five minutes thankfully. Our tent made Hazel and Steven’s look like a dog tent or something, it was funny.
Then we sorted out all our stuff and sleeping pods… Kir had Jim and Matt running in while she was putting up her airbed because it squeaks and sounded dirty apparently.
Eventually as more people arrived we grabbed our chairs and joined the boys to sit chill and chat and watch everyone arrive and cheer as they did and see if anyone hit their car on the site sign… some did!
As it got darkish the films were shown and most people went and watched that. We chilled with the tent then went to find a plug to make tea. There was one in the toilets - which are all new with new showers which are useable now! And yet no one told us this. For some reason we got a group of people there, it was odd. Before we did it again later when passing Kir and just stopped to talk and everyone joined us in the middle of the path.
There was some time spent inside with people, in/around tents and some time around the fire. Good chilled out evening/night, got to catch up with people and watch the great t-shirt swap/Jim and Kit taking their clothes off of 2008.
Though thankfully missed the full nudity later in the morning/night.
Then off to bed because it was up early in the morning. I was nice and warm though not as comfy as I would have liked - borrowing an airbed for the next one - I will be comfy!
Saturday
Up early and went for breakfast, sat talking for a while, Hazel and Steven’s tent had leaked so we decided they could sleep in the middle bit of ours and put all the stuff that didn’t matter if it got wet in their tent.
More talking with peoples when we went for a cig, because everyone goes and chats there, dunno why.
Eventually Ed came around and sent some off to do the archery and some to do the shooting. We were in the shooting group. I didn’t do as well as last year, and I did crap on the Zombie target, completely missed one shot, my hands were shaking to be annoying which made aiming for a blurry target really hard! I did do better than Lindsay though.
Then we all went back to the tent and got a drink and chilled. Then Kirsty and Mobbs went to do the archery I couldn’t be bothered. I’ll do it next year and kick arse. Yep…delusional much?
I think after that was went we end up with me, Kirsty, Lindsay, Hazel, Mobbs, Matt and Chris sat outside the tent until it pissed it down… then we all ended up inside the tent with chairs… yes seven of us comfortably in the middle of the tent, because it’s huge and we rock!
Eventually it did stop raining and we realised people were starting to get changed. Then it was all glorious sunshine, for the rest of the day…
The guys returned to their tents to get ready… I am never playing a man again; strapping down the boobs leaves little room for breathing. Then Lindsay covered me in dirt because I was meant to be a homeless bum - I don’t like dirt, and the wig was very very hot.
We stood around for a while and took pictures - and I didn’t get many because my camera take forever to take a picture, I’m gonna get a new camera before next year, but there are loooads of pics on facebook.
Then we all headed over to the fire pit which was our starting point this year. Ed said a few things then the ‘mayor’ came and did his speachy bit then we were led to food and drink and much socialising.
Once again Ben and Anna’s characters rocked…last year they were a tennis player and a very British priest and this year they were a couple from Texas on vacation… absolutely hilarious!
There were lots of people milling about talking, and free beer because there was a competition for the beer to use in a ritual. A Chris dressed as the verger with his arm in a sling due to a geranium accident
The people running the local pub were creepy, called the last drop they were trying to hang all the people that talked to them.
Then when the beer was decided on we were led through the woods, past a tent with people shouting, church business apparently, then shooting heard after that. Then another tent with someone hiding a body. Then to a circle of stone where the beer was poured over after people were separated into groups. And Charlie Caine (one of the two beer people, the loosing side) attacked the verger and one of the opposing families (hence the sling Chris has for a pressure pump for pipes full of fake blood that went everywhere) then screaming of we’re all gone die.
Lots of fun!
We were led back to the pub where there was a body (later discovered to be Mobbs) and people eating it! (Gav and someone else) lots of people tried to go look, while I think they mayor said it’s all fine go back in the pub... where we couldn’t go, he went in and then there was screaming. I decided it was a good idea to get away from the people eating people.
Then I missed a bit cos I went toilet and to get a drink - twas hot!
Came back and everyone was still outside, until the zombies came, then we scattered!
This was followed by quite a bit of running and shooting. Eventually found some people with a medical case and some people with the clue case and someone with half a radio, looking for the other half.
Ben made me laugh, taking pictures of the zombies coming towards him shouting for his wife to come see the actors and for them to keep still so he could get a better picture. Then stepped just out of reach just in time… it was great! It’s how they got him in the end though, while he screamed they weren’t actors and to save the camera.
We were eventually herded back inside for our own safety and there was going be a video to explain things and it was all dark. Then of course zombies came through the door - I was no where near any door because I’m not stupid. Now it was all very fast so I’m not sure if it was Greg that had attacked or Zombie Greg doing the attacking, I think it was Greg doing the attacking. But wither way Howard screaming as he got attacked, then he wasn’t given a change to get sick and become a zombie Mark (who ever gave a bum a gun I don’t know) shot him in the head straight away.
This is the second year Howard’s been executed; it was funny, que running!
Some of us ended up at the other side of the camp site again, as there is more room there and you can see what’s coming. The verger and mother superior were stood blocking one pathway as the zombies followed.
Something was said about cutting off the head of the verger still not sure why. But it happened once we found someone with a knife and then we eventually headed back to the building.
There was a point where one of the zombies had been shot enough she was down and one of the girls noticed she had something in her hand, thinking it might be something useful she wrestled it out of her hand only to find it was a you are infected card, she felt kind silly then.
On the way back to the building we past the monster hut where Lindsay and Hazel shouted that I’d betrayed them and left them to die… every man for himself by this time surely?
Hazel only got downed once as a zombie and that was by Phil and his guitar, he died sometime later as the scout zombie ran through the door he was guarding while letting a ref through, then everyone else threw him out because he was infected.
We locked ourselves in the building because there was gonna be gas and if we were outside we would have died. The zombies eventually reached us there and started banging on the windows when the gas went off they all started collapsing it was great.
We did see some of the other guys who hadn’t run inside run towards the building see what was going on and run off into the woods… they should have been dead they are bad! The funny bit was Matt wondering around outside with the zombies with his gasmask on, as Steven tried to communicated through the window to him.
Then we were supposed to wait for a while then we could leave. Well we were watching two of the doors to make sure the zombies -which were back - could get in and the pilot was certain they wouldn’t come through the other unwatched door… Yeah, they did first one was shot and thrown out then I was left trying to keep the door closed - they cheated and several of then grabbed the handle and opened it yanking it out of my grasp… as which point I made a hasty retreat with everyone else.
Someone I ended up in the woods with one of the other girls trying to keep quiet and low because they were everywhere! - I’m guessing this was the first sweep of the site - did escape and ended up with Sass and Jon watching the vicar rant and rave that they were all going to hell, then more zombies and running.
Ended up in a very small open area that only had one way out because the mine field - which along with the armed men were stopping us leaving town - extended too far towards us. Of course the only escape route was block by about ten zombies. We shot some of them, and then Sass and Jon decided to shoot the few on the edges an make a run for it.
I decided I’d distract them then shoot myself because it was better than being mauled to death.
Then I headed to the kitchen of the dead and Kir did me a very good bullet hole and make up job and I joined almost all my friends - I think only Steven was still alive at this point - in the rank of the undead.
We spent sometime banging on the windows because they’d barricaded themselves in to the smaller rooms; I was talking to Jerry half heartedly banging on the window when there was a camera in my face…evil! So quickly had to switch to full zombie-ing.
We had to wait a while for some people to get changed and Kit and co decided to storm the mine field because it couldn’t get all of them, in an attempt to get the military peeps with the big guns, it didn’t work but it was very funny to watch, especially because Ed stopped mid sentence to go watch them because they are nuts.
Then back at the hut Ed told us the plan and sent in ‘the wacky weed brothers’ to help them out… by destroying the army of zombies without even thinking about it - cos they were growing weed in the radioactive part of the town and it was killing them so they didn’t care if we attacked them - someone was watching all this and his face was sooo good. He couldn’t believe these two hippies just took out every zombie in sight!
Then as they explained what they needed was in their hut we were sent out across the camp to wait.
We were having a general chat about how they’d learnt from last year because they had ransacked the far tent because last year there was something hidden under the ground sheet. As they were saying that no one would be stupid enough to hide in there the crazy priest dived in and there was a scuffle because someone was hiding in there! Then he escaped under the back of the end and went running through the nettles. So we didn’t get him but at least he was in pain!
Then there was lots happening as they came and everyone was scattered and running and we got soo many of them. So many in fact there was a short confusion wondering if we had them all. Turned out there were two left.
During this there was a military medic going around shooting Zombies - and there is a great picture of Howard mid shot - and we realised Howard was on the floor after two shots and I was down after one, we decided it was a good time for a nap.
We went and waited on the large field for the final showdown while Ed went to go flip a coin to see which one lived and which had to face us. We told him just to bring Alec because it didn’t deserve to win two years in a row.
When he came back one had sacrificed the other - because the plot required a human sacrifice and it turned out no one was coming. There was just Alec left… he was told if he made it to the other end of the field he would survive… there was lots of screaming and a speech and then he ran like his life depended on it.
He actually got quite far and it took about eight of his to stop his momentum and about twelve to slam him into the ground, it was fun!
No survivors, it was goooood! Though the creepiest bit was Jim dress in a white rabbit mascot outfit that have blood all over it just stood in the trees watching…
Took off the make up and got changed before heading for food. Spent some time talking to Mike, Alec and Matt - learning that Alec’s survival strategy is to run like buggery.
And watched Adam (I think) with cheese slices on his head with eyeballs and things stuck in it and a net on top…it was ….odd.
Eventually went to bed, not late either, and Hazel learnt that I can and will fall asleep mid sentence if I’m talking to you while getting comfy.
Sunday
Sunday I was the first up and sat outside the tent watching people groggily get up, Kirsty was on of the last up with a very cheerful ‘morning campers!’... After we were all up and chatting for a while until kit poked his head out of the tent and whined that we were noisy, we were sure it was time to get up!
Jon eventually fell out of his tent and headed for inside muttering ‘baaacon’ until we told him it wasn’t ready yet and it would be another 20 minutes. There was a very pathetic ‘bacon?’ then and a very defeated ‘Baaacaon’ when we still said no. Then he wondered off.
Eventually we went inside ate and drank lots of tea. Ed eventually came to say thanks and got a bit teary - as he usually does when saying thank you to everyone and how much he’s enjoyed putting on the event. Lindsay won the worst shooting certificate, and Mobbs got a special prize for going beyond the call of duty and being covered in blood over a paper shoot for a few hours wearing very little else.
We then sat outside the tent for an hour or so with the guys as everyone else packed up and left until we had room to bring to car around and pack up. Then there was lots of hugs and every hugs from Tim because he likes hugs as we put the tent down and squished it back into its bag.
Me and Jim had a fight with the camp mats which was funny and Kir got on video then they left too.
We then went and bothered Ed and the crew for about half an hour until we decided it was a good time to leave too. Then headed back home to be tired and achy for a few days… Worth it though! Can’t wait for next year already and it’s only two weeks away from the Gathering.
All fun and if you’ve read all that well done you!
That’s all for now!
I guess I can do that.
Friday
Okay so Friday up and ready and all packed to go… oh course there was the whole waiting for Kirsty thing that was expected. Eventually we go get fuel and set off, find out Hazel and Steven hadn’t yet set off.
Head down the motorway, thinking the sat nav said 18miles…. Oh no 80! The m1 is the most boring road ever!
We stopped at Watford services and had foods and found cool Hawaiian foldy chairs for £10! They only had green and pink though, I wanted a blue one but oh well!
As we were getting ready to head back onto the road we got a text Hazel and Steven had just past the services because they were going stupid fast. They bad. So yeah they got there before us…
We would have arrived somewhere between 2.15 and 2.30… but we got lost. The sat nav dumped us in the middle of Cosgrove…then we got directed in the wrong direction by several people. Then he had hazel find someone who was paying attention when getting there and made her go stand by the sign -that was supposedly clearly visible but was half covered by a tree and we’d past it at least half an hour earlier.
But we arrived just after 3, dumped all our stuff out the car and then we got attacked by hugs from Kit, Jim and the guys - they were the only one already there. They missed us apparently.
Then came the time to put the tent up, didn’t take long once we’d worked out the main tent sheet - that thing is confusing and stupidly large. But we did it! It’s rained heavily while we were still putting it up, but only for about five minutes thankfully. Our tent made Hazel and Steven’s look like a dog tent or something, it was funny.
Then we sorted out all our stuff and sleeping pods… Kir had Jim and Matt running in while she was putting up her airbed because it squeaks and sounded dirty apparently.
Eventually as more people arrived we grabbed our chairs and joined the boys to sit chill and chat and watch everyone arrive and cheer as they did and see if anyone hit their car on the site sign… some did!
As it got darkish the films were shown and most people went and watched that. We chilled with the tent then went to find a plug to make tea. There was one in the toilets - which are all new with new showers which are useable now! And yet no one told us this. For some reason we got a group of people there, it was odd. Before we did it again later when passing Kir and just stopped to talk and everyone joined us in the middle of the path.
There was some time spent inside with people, in/around tents and some time around the fire. Good chilled out evening/night, got to catch up with people and watch the great t-shirt swap/Jim and Kit taking their clothes off of 2008.
Though thankfully missed the full nudity later in the morning/night.
Then off to bed because it was up early in the morning. I was nice and warm though not as comfy as I would have liked - borrowing an airbed for the next one - I will be comfy!
Saturday
Up early and went for breakfast, sat talking for a while, Hazel and Steven’s tent had leaked so we decided they could sleep in the middle bit of ours and put all the stuff that didn’t matter if it got wet in their tent.
More talking with peoples when we went for a cig, because everyone goes and chats there, dunno why.
Eventually Ed came around and sent some off to do the archery and some to do the shooting. We were in the shooting group. I didn’t do as well as last year, and I did crap on the Zombie target, completely missed one shot, my hands were shaking to be annoying which made aiming for a blurry target really hard! I did do better than Lindsay though.
Then we all went back to the tent and got a drink and chilled. Then Kirsty and Mobbs went to do the archery I couldn’t be bothered. I’ll do it next year and kick arse. Yep…delusional much?
I think after that was went we end up with me, Kirsty, Lindsay, Hazel, Mobbs, Matt and Chris sat outside the tent until it pissed it down… then we all ended up inside the tent with chairs… yes seven of us comfortably in the middle of the tent, because it’s huge and we rock!
Eventually it did stop raining and we realised people were starting to get changed. Then it was all glorious sunshine, for the rest of the day…
The guys returned to their tents to get ready… I am never playing a man again; strapping down the boobs leaves little room for breathing. Then Lindsay covered me in dirt because I was meant to be a homeless bum - I don’t like dirt, and the wig was very very hot.
We stood around for a while and took pictures - and I didn’t get many because my camera take forever to take a picture, I’m gonna get a new camera before next year, but there are loooads of pics on facebook.
Then we all headed over to the fire pit which was our starting point this year. Ed said a few things then the ‘mayor’ came and did his speachy bit then we were led to food and drink and much socialising.
Once again Ben and Anna’s characters rocked…last year they were a tennis player and a very British priest and this year they were a couple from Texas on vacation… absolutely hilarious!
There were lots of people milling about talking, and free beer because there was a competition for the beer to use in a ritual. A Chris dressed as the verger with his arm in a sling due to a geranium accident
The people running the local pub were creepy, called the last drop they were trying to hang all the people that talked to them.
Then when the beer was decided on we were led through the woods, past a tent with people shouting, church business apparently, then shooting heard after that. Then another tent with someone hiding a body. Then to a circle of stone where the beer was poured over after people were separated into groups. And Charlie Caine (one of the two beer people, the loosing side) attacked the verger and one of the opposing families (hence the sling Chris has for a pressure pump for pipes full of fake blood that went everywhere) then screaming of we’re all gone die.
Lots of fun!
We were led back to the pub where there was a body (later discovered to be Mobbs) and people eating it! (Gav and someone else) lots of people tried to go look, while I think they mayor said it’s all fine go back in the pub... where we couldn’t go, he went in and then there was screaming. I decided it was a good idea to get away from the people eating people.
Then I missed a bit cos I went toilet and to get a drink - twas hot!
Came back and everyone was still outside, until the zombies came, then we scattered!
This was followed by quite a bit of running and shooting. Eventually found some people with a medical case and some people with the clue case and someone with half a radio, looking for the other half.
Ben made me laugh, taking pictures of the zombies coming towards him shouting for his wife to come see the actors and for them to keep still so he could get a better picture. Then stepped just out of reach just in time… it was great! It’s how they got him in the end though, while he screamed they weren’t actors and to save the camera.
We were eventually herded back inside for our own safety and there was going be a video to explain things and it was all dark. Then of course zombies came through the door - I was no where near any door because I’m not stupid. Now it was all very fast so I’m not sure if it was Greg that had attacked or Zombie Greg doing the attacking, I think it was Greg doing the attacking. But wither way Howard screaming as he got attacked, then he wasn’t given a change to get sick and become a zombie Mark (who ever gave a bum a gun I don’t know) shot him in the head straight away.
This is the second year Howard’s been executed; it was funny, que running!
Some of us ended up at the other side of the camp site again, as there is more room there and you can see what’s coming. The verger and mother superior were stood blocking one pathway as the zombies followed.
Something was said about cutting off the head of the verger still not sure why. But it happened once we found someone with a knife and then we eventually headed back to the building.
There was a point where one of the zombies had been shot enough she was down and one of the girls noticed she had something in her hand, thinking it might be something useful she wrestled it out of her hand only to find it was a you are infected card, she felt kind silly then.
On the way back to the building we past the monster hut where Lindsay and Hazel shouted that I’d betrayed them and left them to die… every man for himself by this time surely?
Hazel only got downed once as a zombie and that was by Phil and his guitar, he died sometime later as the scout zombie ran through the door he was guarding while letting a ref through, then everyone else threw him out because he was infected.
We locked ourselves in the building because there was gonna be gas and if we were outside we would have died. The zombies eventually reached us there and started banging on the windows when the gas went off they all started collapsing it was great.
We did see some of the other guys who hadn’t run inside run towards the building see what was going on and run off into the woods… they should have been dead they are bad! The funny bit was Matt wondering around outside with the zombies with his gasmask on, as Steven tried to communicated through the window to him.
Then we were supposed to wait for a while then we could leave. Well we were watching two of the doors to make sure the zombies -which were back - could get in and the pilot was certain they wouldn’t come through the other unwatched door… Yeah, they did first one was shot and thrown out then I was left trying to keep the door closed - they cheated and several of then grabbed the handle and opened it yanking it out of my grasp… as which point I made a hasty retreat with everyone else.
Someone I ended up in the woods with one of the other girls trying to keep quiet and low because they were everywhere! - I’m guessing this was the first sweep of the site - did escape and ended up with Sass and Jon watching the vicar rant and rave that they were all going to hell, then more zombies and running.
Ended up in a very small open area that only had one way out because the mine field - which along with the armed men were stopping us leaving town - extended too far towards us. Of course the only escape route was block by about ten zombies. We shot some of them, and then Sass and Jon decided to shoot the few on the edges an make a run for it.
I decided I’d distract them then shoot myself because it was better than being mauled to death.
Then I headed to the kitchen of the dead and Kir did me a very good bullet hole and make up job and I joined almost all my friends - I think only Steven was still alive at this point - in the rank of the undead.
We spent sometime banging on the windows because they’d barricaded themselves in to the smaller rooms; I was talking to Jerry half heartedly banging on the window when there was a camera in my face…evil! So quickly had to switch to full zombie-ing.
We had to wait a while for some people to get changed and Kit and co decided to storm the mine field because it couldn’t get all of them, in an attempt to get the military peeps with the big guns, it didn’t work but it was very funny to watch, especially because Ed stopped mid sentence to go watch them because they are nuts.
Then back at the hut Ed told us the plan and sent in ‘the wacky weed brothers’ to help them out… by destroying the army of zombies without even thinking about it - cos they were growing weed in the radioactive part of the town and it was killing them so they didn’t care if we attacked them - someone was watching all this and his face was sooo good. He couldn’t believe these two hippies just took out every zombie in sight!
Then as they explained what they needed was in their hut we were sent out across the camp to wait.
We were having a general chat about how they’d learnt from last year because they had ransacked the far tent because last year there was something hidden under the ground sheet. As they were saying that no one would be stupid enough to hide in there the crazy priest dived in and there was a scuffle because someone was hiding in there! Then he escaped under the back of the end and went running through the nettles. So we didn’t get him but at least he was in pain!
Then there was lots happening as they came and everyone was scattered and running and we got soo many of them. So many in fact there was a short confusion wondering if we had them all. Turned out there were two left.
During this there was a military medic going around shooting Zombies - and there is a great picture of Howard mid shot - and we realised Howard was on the floor after two shots and I was down after one, we decided it was a good time for a nap.
We went and waited on the large field for the final showdown while Ed went to go flip a coin to see which one lived and which had to face us. We told him just to bring Alec because it didn’t deserve to win two years in a row.
When he came back one had sacrificed the other - because the plot required a human sacrifice and it turned out no one was coming. There was just Alec left… he was told if he made it to the other end of the field he would survive… there was lots of screaming and a speech and then he ran like his life depended on it.
He actually got quite far and it took about eight of his to stop his momentum and about twelve to slam him into the ground, it was fun!
No survivors, it was goooood! Though the creepiest bit was Jim dress in a white rabbit mascot outfit that have blood all over it just stood in the trees watching…
Took off the make up and got changed before heading for food. Spent some time talking to Mike, Alec and Matt - learning that Alec’s survival strategy is to run like buggery.
And watched Adam (I think) with cheese slices on his head with eyeballs and things stuck in it and a net on top…it was ….odd.
Eventually went to bed, not late either, and Hazel learnt that I can and will fall asleep mid sentence if I’m talking to you while getting comfy.
Sunday
Sunday I was the first up and sat outside the tent watching people groggily get up, Kirsty was on of the last up with a very cheerful ‘morning campers!’... After we were all up and chatting for a while until kit poked his head out of the tent and whined that we were noisy, we were sure it was time to get up!
Jon eventually fell out of his tent and headed for inside muttering ‘baaacon’ until we told him it wasn’t ready yet and it would be another 20 minutes. There was a very pathetic ‘bacon?’ then and a very defeated ‘Baaacaon’ when we still said no. Then he wondered off.
Eventually we went inside ate and drank lots of tea. Ed eventually came to say thanks and got a bit teary - as he usually does when saying thank you to everyone and how much he’s enjoyed putting on the event. Lindsay won the worst shooting certificate, and Mobbs got a special prize for going beyond the call of duty and being covered in blood over a paper shoot for a few hours wearing very little else.
We then sat outside the tent for an hour or so with the guys as everyone else packed up and left until we had room to bring to car around and pack up. Then there was lots of hugs and every hugs from Tim because he likes hugs as we put the tent down and squished it back into its bag.
Me and Jim had a fight with the camp mats which was funny and Kir got on video then they left too.
We then went and bothered Ed and the crew for about half an hour until we decided it was a good time to leave too. Then headed back home to be tired and achy for a few days… Worth it though! Can’t wait for next year already and it’s only two weeks away from the Gathering.
All fun and if you’ve read all that well done you!
That’s all for now!