So, most of our entrants tend to turn up. Occasionally, we receive emails detailing those with colds who are unable to sing like the bird they would usually be, or who have had unexpected events delaying or preventing them from joining us at the Festival. Such is to be expected with the busy lives we all lead and the often unexpected things that life throws at us. What is less common, is someone emailing us to tell us about helicopter rides as an excuse to bow out…
Gary Doherty did just that.
He is (apparently…) an experienced fell runner and was just out for a solo ‘fun run’ of you know, about 2 hours or so. We daren’t speculate here at RWBAF, but it seems that the ‘fun’ Gary was aiming for was less terra very firma and more stratospheric…
So, on a very fast descent from the top of Sugar Loaf, Abergavenny Gary decided to tumble and ‘descend’ into pure drama by breaking his right thigh. A drama worthy not of the Music Festival but our Speech and Drama Festival!
Whilst laying prostrate on the floor, he was discovered fifteen minutes later by some slower paced sensible firm footed walkers.
Querying if he was “alright” he replied nonchalantly to them:
“Don’t worry about me, I’m just sunbathing”.
Gary tells us the walkers were very good and stayed with him the three and a half hours it took for the emergency services to arrive. In a helicopter.
So, Gary, rather than attending the Royal Wootton Bassett Festival decided prostrate sunbathing and flying around in a helicopter were the better option!
We do accept your apologies of course Gary, and wish you well on your recovery! And thanks from us at RWBAF to the emergency services and the walkers who all helped keep you safe!
Photo via Gary, courtesy of Adam Borlase (one of Gary’s saviours!)
RWB Arts Festival 