No one would be here, and Poacher wouldn’t happen, without the 1500 staff that run the event. Many of them have been here for over a week before the event. Nothing can happen without them; everything that you see has been built by the build team; every fence must be placed; all toilets need constant maintenance; all these needs organising.
The work started two and a half years ago when the planning began. The Retro Fest team started collecting their team 18 months ago. For the run up there have been several meetings, and as things began to kick off the team were on hand to ensure any challenges were dealt with. All the loopholes and issues that you were not aware of in the planning stages suddenly become a reality.
It’s not only these gaps that appear as difficulties. The staff who arrive early on site often must manage with what they have. Dave from Retro Fest subcamp says “The toilets weren’t in operation for the build team” and talked about the difficulties of communication with such a large camp. But despite that, the team confirmed that it all came together quite well.
So why is it worth giving up all this time? Well, the Retro team told a story that had happened during the night. Around 4 o’clock in the morning, “there was a tent that decided it didn’t want to be a tent anymore, it wanted to be a bath” explained Dave. Anyone sleeping in a tent can imagine the scenario, rain pouring in, in the pitch black. It’s a nightmare to imagine especially with the two small children the leader has with her on camp. Luckily the Retro team were on it and gave her somewhere dry and warm to sleep for the night, “they’re lovely” confirmed the staff member. “It makes you feel better when you start doing good deeds.” Maria from the Retro team says. She seems to find the truth in those words as she is celebrating her birthday during the camp.
With activities on offer every evening the Sub Camp hub was sure to be a hive of activity. Leaflets were available all week advertising the different things on offer each day. There was also a phone charging telephone box (painstakingly made from a fridge freezer box) and tea and coffee permanently available. Retro members can drop by anytime the Subcamp team are always available for a chat.
A big thank you to all the Poacher staff. The wonderful people who have given up far more than the singular week most of the participants are here for. It couldn’t happen without you.
