Starting in the Sun

[Chris]

Well the Summer has started with some lovely sunny days. The Caerwys Agricultural Show, my first of the outdoor shows, which coincided with The Queen’s Official Birthday, was blessed with glorious sunshine. They deserved the good weather since last year’s event suffered the worst weather I have ever experienced for a show. It was so wet and the ground so waterlogged that the cars and trucks were getting bogged down getting on to the showground. It got worse, in fact it rained all day long. So it seemed only fair that they should strike lucky this year.

I did three shows during the day with goodly crowds for each. I got a good pitch, at the corner of the two main walkways. Also, considering the weather, I slightly altered my position from that planned by the organisers. Luckily I checked with my compass and the kids would have had the sun right in their eyes. Incidently you can get a compass app for most smart phones, and I have just discovered an even more useful app for Punchmen. It is the SUN LOCATOR and is available for Android phones (and there may well be a I phone version). This finds your location by GPS and finds where the sun is even if behind cloud. The clever thing is it shows you the direction the sun is shining and where the shadow falls with a 3D representation, you can move round and see which positions are safe for the kids to be seated - you can see this in real time. But it can also do the same thing for any time of day, for any day, for any location. So you can plane your position in advance if you want. There is a free version (SUN LOCATOR Lite) which is perfectly adequate. You can pay £5 and get more bells and whistles.
This app, like the compass app, needs your phone to have an inbuilt magnetometer. Many of the smart phones do. If your phone is suitable for a compass app then it is also suitable for SUN LOCATOR.

I’ve also been busy in the Harlequin with school shows – two coming from Northern Ireland and a third from the Sheffield area. There are less of these private bookings these days, partly due to the high cost of transport but also to the increasing health and safety complications involved in planning such trips.

They usually are older children, around 11 years old, and they make a lovely audience, eager and appreciative.

I’ve just taken a break from rehearsing "Alice" which is the main production for the coming Summer Season. I am starting early since as it gets nearer to end of term I’ll have less time due to work in schools. This is when a number of schools book me to visit them with a puppet themed workshop, usually to fit in with their Seaside topic. I have two versions," Punch and the Seaside" and the other" Victorian Punch in the Streets and at the Seaside"
Now excuse me, there’s a Duchess and a Cheshire Cat need my attention.

[Richard Coombs]

Hello Chris

What a wonderfully colourful photo.

Thank you for the advice on the Sun Locator app.

Useful stuff. I always pitch with the sun in mind , and carry a compass
But this app sounds a good thing ..especially as it is free,

Thank you
Richard

[Chris]

I've found the app very handy Richard. It shows a pole stuck in the ground, with the shadow of that pole from the Sun at the position you are standing. As you move your position so the shadow changes. So even if the sun currently is behind cloud you can still see from the app where it is and where it would be shining if the clouds were not there. I find this visual representation easier than just working from compass points.