• Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Snapchat
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

MsMarmiteLover

  • Food
    • Recipes
    • Vegetarian
    • Vegan
  • Travel
    • France
    • Italy
    • Spain
    • UK
  • Wine
  • Gardens
  • Supperclubs/Events
  • About
    • Published Articles
    • Books
  • Shop
    • Cart

Never cook at a rave: Glade

July 22, 2008 4 Comments Filed Under: Uncategorized

inSpiral Lounge, inSpiring!


…sitting on the hard shoulder of the M1. Brake caliper blown. We lost a wheel. It’s a miracle we are alive. Why didn’t I listen to the Brazilian murderer and replace the brake fluid?

Just finished cooking at Glade festival, an off-shoot from Glastonbury. God preserve me from dance festivals.

It’s a thankless task being a cook at a techno event. Nobody eats. They are all on the E-plan diet.

People start to eat by about Sunday afternoon when they have used up all their drugs. I have never seen so many people on ketamine. It’s like Night of the Living Dead. My teenager and I sat in the beautiful white sculptural space of inSpiral Lounge, with nylon spectres floating like luminous jelly fish. We watched one man huddled in a foetal position on the floor, gurning in his private world. Another climbed an invisible staircase. A third staggered zombie style. I saw one woman fall over head first in the mud. She just stayed there like that, bum in the air. A k-hole they call it. It is growing in popularity. Why? It is so not a good look. You couldn’t pull on it.

The other drug du jour is Nitrous Oxide or laughing gas. Balloons litter the grass. Teenagers sit in circles holding dispensers, sucking on balloons. I tried one. I felt ill as if I was emerging from general anaesthetic. It costs £2.50p a pop.

Costumes are extraordinary: restoration dandies, robocop, psychedelic robin hoods, flamenco dancers, plushies and of course every other person has dreadlocks. Another snapshot: people trying to row a dinghy across the grass.

My kitchen crew are diverse: a Kurt Cobain lookalike whose Israeli girlfriend worked for the Israeli mafioso who owns Camden lock. Her building and all her belongings were destroyed in the fire. She was compensated in cash by her boss, as was everyone else in the building, which housed staff. Strangely no one was killed. Everybody was ‘out’. The boss had sought planning permission for a casino. The Israeli girl whispered about the fire: “Don’t ask”.

It got quite serious between Kurt and the Israeli girl, her parents wanted him to convert. Trouble is, Kurt said, I had nothing to convert from…

Also in kitchen crew were teenagers from North weezy, my neck of the woods…North West London. Post code gangs…

M, a mixed race kid from Harlesden told me about his mum, who is a tough single muvver.

“She even threatens people at work, yeah, if dey annoy her, yeah, she slices ’em up. Crip.”

“Where does your mum work?” I enquire.

“Marks and Spencers.”

Teenagers are not allowed at Glade, 13-18 years olds are banned. A good idea as the drug usage is so heavy. My teenager was kitchen crew, frying eggs in her ball gown.
One morning I heard shouting behind the kitchen where the bosses’ no-neck teenage monster is stood nervously.

“Don’t go out there” warned the staff “a ketamine lecture”.

“We care about you” I heard “You are 14 years old. These are adult drugs which are dangerous. Do not try them. You cannot navigate your class A’s. Don’t think that you can!”.

Teenagers nowadays are surrounded by drugs. What does the responsible parent do? It’s unrealistic to think that they are not going to try a bit of spliff. I’ve tried to be open and honest with my teenager about drugs and sex. In this way I hope that I can better track what is going on. But I would be distressed if she tried anything harder.

L, the flame-haired waitress, lives in Hebden Bridge, lesbian capital of the world, although she isn’t. It’s a hippy haven, the Glastonbury of the North.

The oldest member of the team is the strangely the one who looks the straightest but has caned it the most. She is a veritable walking encyclopaedia on drugs.
She explained that there were two reasons why the toilets were so bad at festivals:

  • the drugs
  • the sudden switch to high roughage vegetarian food.

I chatted also to an older woman who is severely ‘lichenoid‘ that is, allergic to compound metals. It was initially diagnosed by her dentist and she has lost most of her teeth as a result of the lesions. She had to paint her mobile phone with enamel paint, but a bit rubbed off and she now has a huge seeping welt on her texting finger. She can’t go in cars or planes. She is allergic to the modern world. Gold and silver are fine, it’s the compound metals she can’t handle and nowadays everything is made from cheap aluminium.

I drove to the local town of Basingstoke to do some shopping. For 30 minutes I drove around trying to find it. Then I realised that the industrial type buildings with air vents sticking out the back was Basingstoke. The pedestrianised High Street faces inwards, invisible to the outside world. There is a town hall styled like a downmarket Disneyland Main St. The shops are all chains. Fine dining is restricted to a MacDonalds, a Café Rouge and a pub chain. Walking through, I felt the hope drain out of me. It was the town planning equivalent of a Dementor.

from my iPhone.

This guy made his own robocop outfit…

Amazing installation which had different faces projected onto it…

Trippy…

Balloons …

The Oxygen bar, 3 quid a go.

A typical punter…

I wonder what level 4 does…

Recent posts

Midsummer Supper Club 21st June 2025

June 1, 2025

Soup recipes for a broken arm

February 26, 2025

The future of farming

January 20, 2025

Previous Post: « Super moot: Cannibalism
Next Post: Secret Garden Party »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ben Emlyn-Jones

    July 22, 2008 at 4:50 pm

    I've never heard of this festival before; it sounds a bit like the church fete on Blackbird Leys! LOL.

    The only drug I've tried of those is NO2; lovely stuff! Entonox is better though because it is a 50-50 NO2 and oxygen blend… And yes I did get them from my hospital! Who in the service can truly admit that they've not had an experimental sniff? We all have to "test the regulator" occasionally. If we gave it to the patients when it didn't work that would be a gross dereliction of duty! 😉

    Reply
  2. caroline

    July 22, 2008 at 7:51 pm

    hello,
    Have been missing you and wondered if you were going to blog… When are you back? I told you about my friend who is electro-sensitive and has a very bad physical reaction to wireless broadband networks… I think more and more people are going to become violently allergic to the modern world…

    Lots of love, Cx

    Reply
  3. Ben Emlyn-Jones

    July 23, 2008 at 8:11 am

    The modern world is so full of pathogens! I read that in the villages in the mountains of Switzerland they never got ill hardly at all until they built roads there to open them up to "civilization".

    Reply
  4. Sophie James

    July 24, 2013 at 9:45 pm

    Scary. And thanks for letting me know about Basingstoke, although it sounds more like a state of mind than an actual place. You write brilliantly about the rave and the woman who was allergic to life in its modern form. Reading this piece made me want to go to a jumble sale and buy a few quiches though. And a couple of good paperbacks. Sophie

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

MsMarmiteLover aka Kerstin Rodgers.

Chef, photographer, author, journalist, blogger. Pioneer of the supperclub movement.

This is my food and travel blog, with recipes, reviews and travel stories. I also stray into politics, feminism, gardening.

msmarmitelover

Can’t wait to delve into this by one of my favou Can’t wait to delve into this by one of my favourite food writers @kitchenbee it’s got everything: kitchenalia, divorce and food. Did you know that what we call heartache is actually stomach ache? It’s now recognised that rejection actually causes physical as well as psychological pain. A study shows that pain relief medications such as paracetamol can alleviate heartache. Some of our emotional pain is autonomic: it’s referred to as polyvagal theory. #heartbreak #foodwriting #lovehurts #takotsubo #dopaminewithdrawal
Midsummer supper club 21st June. The theme is frag Midsummer supper club 21st June. The theme is fragrance and scent. Tickets are £45  and you can bring your own drink. Starts 7.30pm and the nearest tube is Kilburn on the jubilee. Parking is free outside. Exact address given on booking. https://msmarmitelover.com/product/midsummer-supper-club-2025-scent-and-fragrance #london #supperclub
Oil portraits of me painted at Burning Van festiva Oil portraits of me painted at Burning Van festival by artists @cristina_vercesi (left) and YouTube sensation and Royal Portrait gallery exhibiter @alex_tzavaras. It was an utter privilege to sit for these wonderful artists- a real highlight. I’m taking them home and framing them. It was easy to sit still for 90 minutes with the amazing DJ set @leonidas_lovetoparty More deets later. #portraiture #festivals #oilpainting
Went with influencers to @standrewslakes in Kent w Went with influencers to @standrewslakes in Kent with @ourfinland @lakelandfinland @pcagency to experience Finnish food such as Karelian pies with egg butter, cinnamon buns, blueberry pies, and pea soup which they have with mustard and sour cream. We did zip lining, kayaking, saunas, whipped ourselves with birch sticks, ate in a gorgeous wooden bbq shed @arctic_cabins at the end of all this activity we were all tired but happy. @miramakeup @holidaywiththeheathers @amie_jane__ @onehungryasian @iamtimchung @travellingtuesdays @helimendetravels @charlotteemilyprice #presstrip
@camille.osullivan @camilleosullivanpics and @grah @camille.osullivan @camilleosullivanpics and @grahnort @wiltonsmusichall god this woman is talented. She did a solo show of The Rape of Lucrece. Her voice! #theatre #shakespeare #london
My latest article on Hungarian cuisine, a unique m My latest article on Hungarian cuisine, a unique meeting of east and west, for @ckbk It's a blend of Ottoman, Eastern and middle European, Austro-Hungarian empire and cowboy food. #food&travel #foodanthropology #hungary
Made Fermented Cucumber dill pickles from @nickvad Made Fermented Cucumber dill pickles from @nickvadasz book The Pickle Jar. At @katzsdeli in New York they sell half sours and full sours. I reckon these are 3/4 sour. The white mould is fine btw. These are delicious #pickleperson #fermentation #guthealthy
London in bloom: wisteria, cherry blossom, lilac, London in bloom: wisteria, cherry blossom, lilac, plum blossom, 🌸 you don’t need to go to Japan for the Sakura season- it’s all here- london at its most beautiful. #london
Bluebell walk on Wanstead flats. The scent is incr Bluebell walk on Wanstead flats. The scent is incredible: similar to lily of the valley. These are actual English bluebells - a deeper colour & more delicate than Spanish bluebells which are rather invasive. #london #walks #april #bluebells
Snapshots from portobello rd market. Portuguese fo Snapshots from portobello rd market. Portuguese folar de pascua bread from Lisboa patisserie,  a gorgeous mosaic table from Fez, my favourite antique shop @muirshindurkin, Alice’s shop, an Easter hat, the best wisteria I wrote a substack on portobello road: https://open.substack.com/pub/kerstinrodgers/p/where-to-go-in-portobello-road-the?r=3873k&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true #london
I visited @tokyobagellondon with my granddaughter I visited @tokyobagellondon with my granddaughter yesterday to try one of their viral wobbly bunnies. We also tried the multi layer Oreo pancake cakes, the onigiri shaped croissant. My sister had the black sesame latte and I had yuzu tea. I spent £35 in a short space of time as each dessert was £5 but it was a fun experience. Ophelia said ‘lovely flowers’ which shows a degree of sophistication for a 2 year old. I preferred the strawberry to the coconut flavour . #londondaysout #grandmacore #easter
A quick high protein lunch of ratatouille with smo A quick high protein lunch of ratatouille with smoked tofu.  @pomoragoodfood olive oil then an aubergine cut into thick slices then quartered. Fry till translucent then add the chunks of red pepper. 2 fat garlic cloves sliced thinly, a block of smoked tofu in chunks, 2 bay leaves, a small handful of maldon salt. A courgette cut into thick half lengthways- then sliced into half moons. I might chuck in a handful of pantelleria capers in vinegar to give some acidity. Serve hot or cold. #sololunch #protein #vegetables
Inspired by @nickvadasz book The pickle Jar I used Inspired by @nickvadasz book The pickle Jar I used his dill pickles to make one of my favourite recipes for lunch - a potato, sour cream & pickle soup. Recipe on the blog. #soup #pickles
One of my favourite ways to eat mushrooms. Cook wh One of my favourite ways to eat mushrooms. Cook whole button mushrooms in olive oil, lemon juice, a little white wine vinegar, salt, bay leaves, whole coriander seeds, thyme, and white wine if you have it to hand. I used @pomoragoodfood olive oil. You can eat it straight away or leave it to marinate longer and eat the next day. #vegetarian #vegan #mushroomrecipe
Table side Caesar salad @maisonfrancois for @sienn Table side Caesar salad @maisonfrancois for @siennamarla birthday 🎂 #london #restaurants #caesarsalad
I went to sheffield to visit the @reclaimedbrickco I went to sheffield to visit the @reclaimedbrickcompany to look at their hand cut, wire cut and tumbled bricks for a herringbone patio. I love the historical aspect of bricks, the different quarries from different parts of the country. #patio #englishhistory story
Made brussel sprouts with pistachio pesto. The pis Made brussel sprouts with pistachio pesto. The pistachios came from Brontë in Sicily- they are the best pistachios in the world. You can make pesto with any nut: it’s usually with pine nuts but I’ve used hazelnuts, almonds (trapani), walnuts. #vegetarian #pesto #bronte
Bathroom palette: @firedearthuk scallop tiles @top Bathroom palette: @firedearthuk scallop tiles @toppstiles honed white marble skirting and dado @paintandpaperlibrary paint @sanderson1860 wallpaper this is my first rodeo when it comes to bathroom design. Follow my progress
Yesterday I cooked ( needed help with heavy pans a Yesterday I cooked ( needed help with heavy pans and pouring) pesto alle genovese. Made pesto in the vitamix: fresh basil leaves, 4 cloves garlic, 100g pecorino, 100g pine nuts, 150ml olive oil, salt, and juice of half a lemon. Whizz up.  Then cook the pasta - traditional shape is trofie but I only had fusilli. Top with small boiled potatoes and steamed green beans. Douse again with olive oil and more pine nuts. I served this with green salad with cucumber, avocado, pumpkin seeds and a mustard lemon olive oil dressing. #familylunch #sundaylunch #pestopasta #pestgenovese
Unstyled food photos no.4: butternut squash soup. Unstyled food photos no.4: butternut squash soup. Peel and cut up the butternut squash. Discard the seeds. Roast with olive oil, salt, smoked paprika in the oven for 30 minutes. Soften 2 brown onions in a deep pan with olive oil, add 3 cloves garlic minced, 3 bay leaves. Then add the veg stock powder and 1.5 litres hot water to the pan. Stir. Pour in the roast butternut squash. Cook for 10 minutes. Then remove the bay leaves and blend. Add 3 large scoops of natural yoghurt or skyr. Season to taste. Transfer back to the deep pan and serve with grated cheese, pumpkin seeds, chilli. 🌶️ #vitamix #soup #winterfood #agacooking
Follow on Instagram

Archives

Copyright © 2025 msmarmitelover