A customisation project for Summer 2016

Our world map drums always seem to be popular, no matter what we make with them.  You have asked us for seating, tables, lights, clocks and wine racks coated with this vintage style atlas print. There's just something really appealing about he muted pastel colours of the map as a backdrop for the chunky old (and even occasionally rusty) metal drum hardware.  It just works.

A couple of weeks ago, a customer asked us to make a few alterations to the above atlas storage bins.  They both originally had plain wooden tops.  We pinched the lid from an existing box and put it on the smaller unit above (left), then Sam added corresponding rope handles to the lid of the larger one.  This was the customer's idea and I have to admit, they actually look better now......but don't tell Sam.

The customer in question had also fallen for a black tom tom lamp, but wanted it to match the other two pieces.  Sam removed the drum's shiny outer wrap and replaced it with the atlas fabric.  It looks great.  Scroll down to the bottom for a picture of all three pieces set up together.

​You can hardly blame us though.  Have you been?  We hadn’t.  Firstly, it’s huge.  I mean, indescribably enormous. It’s also the most colourful, noisy, muddy, exhausting place I’ve ever been.  I’m sure there are better ways to describe it, but it looked a bit as though Camden had been plonked in a Somerset field.  Last year, we drove up a nearby hill during the festival and just couldn’t believe what we were seeing (it helped that we happened to be on our sad hillside when Arcadia was in full swing, flames and all).  I want nothing less than to sound like a smug “you just have to see it to belieeeeeeve it” Glastonberry (learnt that word in June), but you really do.  And I guess I sort of am one now. Sorry.

So, why were we there?  We had looked into applying for a Rock Terrace trade stand, but never having been to the festival, we weren’t too sure how it all worked, and whether attendees would actually want to buy clocks and furniture.  We decided against it for 2016 and that was that.  In early Spring though, we were asked if we would supply some clocks and furniture to be used in a few backstage areas, including some artist dressing rooms.  Well, yes!  Yes we would.  We liaised with our contact, Lou, and agreed that we would lend the festival several bass drum coffee tables, each with matching (or rather, “corresponding”, as we don’t really do “matching” at Rock Terrace) floor tom and doubletom upholstered stools, as well as cymbal and snare drum clocks, all to be used in dressing rooms and in the Artist Liaison tent at Silver Hayes.  Silver Hayes, in case you didn’t know (because I certainly didn’t) is a fantastic zone within the festival site, just to the west of the Pyramid Stage.  It incorporates several stages including the BBC Introducing Tent, Sonic Stage and The Blues.  You can find out more about Silver Hayes here.

The next month was a blur of sourcing drums, cleaning cymbals, making furniture, labelling,
and inventory.  The workshop is always full, but by mid-June it was hard to fit through the door. Even Bo, who spends so much of her life on the workshop floor that you'd be forgiven for thinking we had a dog-skin rug, was temporarily banished.

We delivered everything to Worthy Farm at the beginning of the week, a few days before the festival opened.  We had rather naively assumed that delivery would involve whizzing in with the van, parking wherever was convenient and waltzing in with our stock.  Oh, and that everywhere would be sunny and dry.  Nope and huge nope.  In hindsight, I think I’d just been looking at too much Coachella on Instagram.   By the time we got as far as Silver Hayes, we had mud on every limb, had been through a safety briefing, were wearing wristbands, clutching two different types of ticket, with about five very important bits of paper stuck to the inside of our windscreen.  We even had the van searched.  Twice.  In the rain.  The whole thing seems terribly complicated and serious, but boy does the system work.  It really is a well-oiled machine.  We were advised before arriving to just follow the instructions from the stewards.  If you’re ever there, please do the same!  They really know their stuff. ​

Once everything was set up at Silver Hayes, we were free to enjoy the music, food and mud.  Given that we only live a few miles up the road from Pilton, we cheated a bit and went home each night, rather than camping in the quagmire.  We had a fantastic time, but rather than bore you with the details we've put together a gallery of pictures from our week.  Scroll down to have a look.

 Find out more about Glastonbury Festival, including how to register for tickets, here.  As always, you can follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for up-to-date Rock Terrace news and photos.