The Greenbelt Festival takes place this weekend at the Cheltenham racecourse, and I’ll be there not doing anything. Well, not in the programme at least, but some of my work will be around in various forms.

1. T-shirt

This is the design for this year’s t-shirts. They will be available in the Bookshop / Church Times tent, and the colours will be (assuming nothing has changed in the last week or so) black, blue and grey. I’d advise getting there fairly early in the weekend if you have a particular size / colour combination in mind. There will be children’s t-shirts too, but these will have last year’s design.

2. Book signing
I’ll be signing copies of my new book, Peculiar Goings On, in the bookshop on Saturday at 6.30pm (bolded for emphasis). if you’re busy then and would like something scribbled on then I’ll be in the bookshop quite a bit anyway pretending to help helping out on the Church Times tables. The shop will also have previous books and I imagine they’ll have greetings cards too. No calendars this year I’m afraid.

3. Map
My reasonably accurate map of the 2012 Greenbelt site is online this year in an online page-turning version of the Guide to Greenbelt. Go here and turn to pages 16 and 17. You can pick up a paper copy on Friday evening at the festival from a person handing them out (me for example) or from the Church Times tables in the bookshop.

4. Please say hello
Greenbelt is, for me at least, largely about talking to people. If you’re a reader of this website or follow me on Twitter then please do introduce yourself. Mine’s a black tea (caffeine-free variety these days) or anything by Bath Ales.

Posted by Dave at 6:14 pm on August 22, 2012 and filed under Festivals and Exhibitions, Greenbelt.

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I’m currently working on my annual cartoon map of the Greenbelt Festival. I say working, what I mean is I’m thinking about beginning to start contemplating it.

In the meantime I thought I’d post a blank version of the 2011 map for you to download (High resolution .gif version, will open in new window). It has the basic layout of the site as it was last year, but without all of my labels and nonsense. Feel free to download it, print it off, draw your tent on it, design a festival of your own making, anything you want. Note that the 2012 site layout may have changed from last year. Apologies, by the way, to those who don’t go to Greenbelt and have no interest in it – please ignore this post.

You can see this year’s map in the Church Times Guide to Greenbelt, available on site from people (possibly me) handing it out, and in the bookshop tent. Also if you are Greenbelt Angel you get one ahead of the festival, so become a Greenbelt Angel.

Posted by Dave at 11:19 am on July 13, 2012 and filed under Festivals and Exhibitions, Greenbelt.

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We have been away but are now back from several places.

This is just a quick blog post to say thank you for all of the really very kind things that were said to me at the Greenbelt Festival. I really do appreciate the things people say and to see my work being enjoyed every year.

I was pleased that the t-shirts (sample, above) proved to be popular. Sorry to those who didn’t manage to get one – this being the first printing the order was made cautiously, but hopefully there will be more in the future. Sorry black wasn’t available – once again, next time, all being well.

For those who were unable to get a calendar – you can get one from places listed here.

Please forgive this not especially thrilling blog post. Slight struggle to form much of a sentence at the moment to be honest (we’ll call it start-of-term blues), but I did want to write something / strike whilst the iron was at least still mildly lukewarm.

Posted by Dave at 10:32 pm on September 4, 2011 and filed under CartoonChurch progress, Greenbelt.

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The Greenbelt Festival starts on Friday, and I will be there not really doing much. One or two pieces of information follow:

Where I will be
Quite often I will be in the G-Books tent which is being run by Hymns Ancient and Modern (company that includes Church Times, Church House Bookshop, etc). Some of the time I will be behind a table explaining the intricacies of subscribing to the Church Times to enquirers and passers-by. There will be an exhibition of cartoons (laminated), including ones that haven’t appeared in any of the books. Do come and say hello.

Signing
I have nothing to sign, and will be signing it in G-Books at the following time: Sunday, 1.30pm. Bring plaster casts, copies of Rob Bell books, etc. Alternatively my books, greetings cards (five designs) and 2012 calendar will be available and I will scribble on them thereby reducing second hand resale value by approximately 25%.

T-shirts
An exciting development. A t-shirt with a cartoon of mine on will be available for the first time. Images can be seen down below (these are photoshopped pictures showing what the t-shirt would look like if worn by a theoretical model who only exists in photoshop). The t-shirts will be available in quite limited numbers and I have been told they will cost £10 and come in blue, grey, and white. All shapes, sizes, and colours are ethical. Staff will have one with ‘Staff’ written on it. I’d buy one sooner rather than later to be sure of getting your preferred size and colour. No one knows whether they will sell or not, hence limited numbers.

Site map
People have been asking me how to get hold of my hand-drawn festival map (from which the t-shirt cartoon is taken – sort of). If you are not a Greenbelt Angel (they already have them) look out for people like me giving out the ‘Guide to Greenbelt’ on Friday evening, or come to the G-Books / Church Times tent and pick one up (free).

T-shirt cartoon:

T-shirt worn by hypothetical model

Posted by Dave at 2:07 pm on August 24, 2011 and filed under Festivals and Exhibitions, Greenbelt.

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One final Greenbelt cartoon before I get back talking about other things.

If you were at the festival you may or may not also be interested in the lists of my Last Orders cartoons and Church Times exhibition cartoons.

Posted by Dave at 12:53 pm on September 3, 2010 and filed under Cartoons, Festivals and Exhibitions, Greenbelt.

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This is my last-but-one Greenbelt post, I promise. One or two people have asked me how they can get hold of some of the cartoons that appeared in the Church Times cartoon exhibition at Greenbelt. Well, here is a reasonably accurate list, along with links to the book in which each diagram can be found (in most cases the new one). The cartoons that don’t have a book title next to them are too new to be in the latest volume, and all being well will appear in the next one at some future date.

I’ve subdivided them into the smaller cartoons and bigger ones, just in case you can’t remember what the cartoon was about but remember the size of paper it was on. Yes, unlikely I know.

Prints and other kinds of merchandise aren’t available but are currently being considered, so let me know where your interests lie.

At the moment I don’t think that any of these cartoons appear on this site, but they will begin to before too long. If you have any further questions put your hand up and an invigilator will be along shortly.

Larger cartoons (A3)

Leaving church (Church Times, My Pew – Things I have seen from it)
Making notes (Church Times, The Exciting World of Churchgoing)
Tents (Church Times, The Exciting World of Churchgoing)
Discernment process (Church Times, The Exciting World of Churchgoing)
The secularists (Church Times, The Exciting World of Churchgoing)
Sunday school (Church Times)
The Christian conference (Church Times)
The ladders in the north transept (Church Times)
Conscientious objectors (Church Times)
The periodic table of churchgoers (Church Times)

Smaller cartoons (A4)

Information for visitors (Church Times, The Exciting World of Churchgoing)
Volunteer transport (Church Times, The Exciting World of Churchgoing)
Parish computer (Church Times, The Exciting World of Churchgoing)
Health and safety (Church Times, The Exciting World of Churchgoing)
Awkward pastoral visits (Church Times, The Exciting World of Churchgoing)
Parish life (Church Times, The Exciting World of Churchgoing)
Games (Church Times, The Exciting World of Churchgoing)
Sound desk operator (Church Times, The Exciting World of Churchgoing)
Beating the crowds (Church Times, The Exciting World of Churchgoing)
Social committee (Church Times, The Exciting World of Churchgoing)
Rotas (Church Times, The Exciting World of Churchgoing)
New year’s eve (Church Times, The Exciting World of Churchgoing)
Differing heights (Church Times, The Exciting World of Churchgoing)
Loyalty cards (Church Times, The Exciting World of Churchgoing)
Routes taken (Church Times, The Exciting World of Churchgoing)
Press officers (Church Times)
The vicarage (Church Times)
People in cassocks (Church Times)
Long serving parishioners (Church Times)
The new PCC (Church Times)
School assemblies (Church Times)
The bell ringers (Church Times)

[Image above: Extract from 'Beating the crowds', taken from The Exciting World of Churchgoing.]

Posted by Dave at 12:27 pm on September 3, 2010 and filed under Cartoons, Festivals and Exhibitions, Greenbelt.

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This cartoon will make little or so sense to anyone not at the Greenbelt festival last weekend, but I did promise that I’d make an attempt to post some of my new material.

A full list of the cartoons I presented at the late night Last Orders comedy show is here in case you haven’t seen it.

Posted by Dave at 10:59 pm on September 2, 2010 and filed under Cartoons, Greenbelt.

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Greenbelt 2010 has come to an end. I’ve had a marvellous time as usual. This year it was mainly (for me at least) about hanging around and chatting to people, my new book, the Church Times cartoon exhibition, and my nightly appearances in Last Orders, the late night comedy show.

The latter took up the most time and caused the most anxiety, but I loved doing it. I’m hugely grateful to have been given the opportunity. Hopefully I’ll get to do more of my slightly peculiar brand of ‘cartoon stand-up’ in the future.

I thought it might be quite useful for people who attended Last Orders to know how they can get hold of some of the cartoons, and so I’ve put together a list of the diagrams I used each night, links to their online location if there is one, and where they originally appeared. In particular I’ve listed the book (if any) that each cartoon is taken from, although in some cases the version I showed was not quite the original version. I’m afraid that these lists may appear a little nonsensical to anyone who wasn’t there as there were other bits of text in-between.

I’m aiming to do something similar with the cartoon exhibition cartoons in the next few days.

Friday, Part I of IV: Things you needed to know before you got here
The parable of the Greenbelters (New material)
How to analyse your camping neighbours – originally Tents (Church Times, The Exciting World of Churchgoing)
How to recognise your tent (Church Times Guide to Greenbelt 2007)
How to recognise your tent in the dark (Church Times Guide to Greenbelt 2007)

Saturday, Part II of IV: What to expect at the Greenbelt Sunday Service
The Peace (Church Times, The Dave Walker Guide to the Church)
Journey of the collection plates (The Dave Walker Guide to the Church)
The Sermon (Church Times, My Pew: Things I have seen from it)
Communion (Church Times, My Pew: Things I have seen from it)
After-service coffee (Church Times, My Pew: Things I have seen from it)
Suggested ways to behave, originally ‘How to make it known (The Dave Walker Guide to the Church)
The all-age service (Church Times, My Pew: Things I have seen from it)
How to tell what is going on (Church Times, The Dave Walker Guide to the Church)

Sunday, Part III of IV: Things you will have already found out by now
How to queue for a talk in a sensible fashion (previously unpublished as far as I can remember)
Returning to the campsite for lunch (Church Times Guide to Greenbelt 2005)
Taking something to sit on (Various places, including here and Church Times Guide to Greenbelt 2005)
Flagpoles (Church Times Guide to Greenbelt 2005)
Meeting people that you have not seen for a number of years (new material)
The programme for young people (new material)
How to recognise Greenbelters (new material)
The church party, originally New Year’s Eve (Church Times, The Exciting World of Churchgoing)

Monday, Part IV of IV: What to do now that you have become enthusiastic about Christianity
Church picture, originally It is not about the numbers (My Pew: Things I have seen from it)
The welcomers (Church Times, My Pew: Things I have seen from it)
The welcome pack (Church Times, My Pew: Things I have seen from it)
Will anyone notice that I am there, originally Numbers (Church Times, The Exciting World of Churchgoing)
The five worst places to sit, originally Pews (Church Times, My Pew: Things I have seen from it)

Posted by Dave at 11:38 pm on August 31, 2010 and filed under Cartoons, Festivals and Exhibitions, Greenbelt.

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I am now back on this blog after a holiday (We went to Ireland – more about that another time). Lo and behold it is now nearly the end of August, which means that it is time for my favourite weekend of the year, the Greenbelt Festival. Here is what I am doing or involved with at Greenbelt this year:

Launch of ‘The Exciting World of Churchgoing’

My new book, The Exciting World of Churchgoing will be available at the Greenbelt Festival and quite possibly in the shops this week. Hooray!

It is the third book of my Church Times ‘Guide to the Church’ cartoons. There’s no launch party planned. Perhaps I should organise one. Bit late really as people won’t have time to hire all of the formal kit etc.

[Aside: You can (when it becomes available) get the book via your local Christian bookshop, or via Amazon, Church House Bookshop, Waterstones or the publishers, Canterbury Press.]

Nightly appearance at Last Orders

This is the most exciting but most terrifying thing in the world for me at the moment. I will be showing some cartoons and doing some very limited talking in ‘Last Orders‘ on each night, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Last Orders starts at 11pm and is in the 2000 seater ‘Centaur’ venue, and other people on the bill include proper comedians like Milton Jones. Oh dear, what have I got myself into? On the plus side, whenever I have done these things before I have loved doing them and people have found them quite enjoyable and there has been some polite applause at the end.

No, I haven’t prepared it yet.

Cartoon Exhibition in the Church Times Tent

Some of my latest diagrams and some from the book will be on display in the Church Times tent. These will include ones like ‘The Periodic Table of Churchgoers’ which have thus far not been widely available beyond the newspaper.

The Church Times tent is in front of the grandstand. This year the tent has swapped places with the ‘Hub’ Literature venue as the Church Times was found to be on dodgy ground. By implication this means that the Literature is now on dodgy ground. This is a conundrum I haven’t yet got to the bottom of.

Map of Greenbelt in the ‘Church Times Guide to Greenbelt’

Every year I do a map of the festival site and moan about how difficult it is to draw for weeks on end to anyone who will listen. You can get hold of it in the free Church Times Guide to Greenbelt, available from the Church Times tent or from touts (ie me) who will be handing it out.

Loitering

When not doing other things I’ll generally be hanging around in the Church Times tent pretending to help. Do come and say hello, and perhaps we can meet up for a cup of tea or beer. Not too much beer though, as I must be alert during the evenings.

Other

I think I might be part of some comics thing. I don’t really know about that.

Posted by Dave at 5:17 pm on August 23, 2010 and filed under Books, CartoonChurch progress, Cartoons, Festivals and Exhibitions, Greenbelt.

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The August Bank Holiday is of course the weekend of the very good Greenbelt Festival.

This year our plans have changed somewhat, as at the time of writing I’m still not feeling that great healthwise. For the first year since I started going (which was, I think, 1999) the campervan will be staying at home and we will not be going a day early to camp at a highly secret Gloucestershire location ready to queue up at 10am at Cheltenham Racecourse on Friday morning. We (that’s my wife and I) are still planning to go, but have decided that staying in a hotel would be a better option for someone who doesn’t quite know how much of the Festival he’s going to feel like going to.

Our traditional Wibsite meet will still be happening (latest info here) but not at the usual venue. The plan is currently the beer tent tiny tea tent at 4.30 on Saturday – hopefully word will get around if there is any change.

I hope to be in the Church Times tent for some time over the weekend. The tent is to host a cartoon exhibition featuring work by the different Church Times cartoonists. If, on the off-chance, you had any interest in ‘My Pew‘ and/or the 2009 calendar then it is rumoured that they will be available.

Also available in the tent will be the Church Times Guide to Greenbelt, a free… well… guide to Greenbelt. I don’t really know what will be in it, but it is just possible that it might include a map of the site in a style you might recognise.

All being well I will be writing about the Festival on the Church Times blog (link). I’ve even gone so far as to organise a press pass so that I can go and make use of an electrical socket in the press room as my super-duper miniature mobile festival-blogging laptop with-added-dongle has a battery life of about half an hour. This (CartoonChurch) blog may go fairly quiet until after the weekend as I will be concentrating my efforts on the Church Times one.

Of course my involvement is subject to my being up and about, which I really hope I will be as Greenbelt is usually the highlight of my year. I’m determined to be there for some of it even if I have to crawl around on hands and/or knees. I’ll look forward to seeing some of you there – do come and say hello if you see me loitering or indeed crawling around in the aforementioned manner.

Posted by Dave at 11:23 pm on August 20, 2008 and filed under Festivals and Exhibitions, Greenbelt.

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From the Greenbelt website:

…this year, we’ll be holding our Festival Communion service at 3pm on Sunday afternoon

To half of the readership of this website this will be utterly irrelevant.
To the other half this will be utterly life changing. Well… OK, it will be of passing interest.

Posted by Dave at 1:43 pm on March 27, 2008 and filed under Festivals and Exhibitions, Greenbelt, Religion.

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I thought I’d post some of the drawings I did for various Greenbelt-related things for those who have not seen them. These are the rare black and white versions of some colour cartoons that appeared on the Guide to Greenbelt published by the Church Times.

Incidentally I had a great time loitering in the Church Times yurt pretending to be important and writing my name inside books when no-one was looking. The Church Times Team were promoting their new magazine for girls called ‘Caris‘. I posted about it a month or two back if you remember – at the time it was going to be called ‘Grace’ but this was changed for legal reasons.

Also in the yurt were Third Way, now also part of the Church Times setup. They had the folding table on the right.

In other Greenbelt news, you may not have read this link on many other blogs. From the Bexhill-on-Sea Observer:
Members of the St Peter’s Youth Group go to Greenbelt with the blessing of the Rector, and return again to Bexhill as planned on Monday evening.

Posted by Dave at 6:27 pm on August 29, 2007 and filed under Cartoons, Festivals and Exhibitions, Greenbelt, Religion.

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