British Summertime

Published: Marie Claire, UK

British Summer Events

Glyndbourne Festival

Claire Ormshaw, 26, from Lancashire, is an opera singer. She is single and has a daughter, Helena, 6.

‘People expect opera singers to be old, big and fat but that is just a stereotype. I was seven when I sang at my first music concert. Music is just the most wonderful thing and I can’t remember a time when I haven’t sung. When I was younger I would switch off the news and stand in front of the TV set and sing for my family – my dad jokes that I was really annoying.

‘I just get such a buzz out of performing. When people clap and cheer at the end of a performance it’s fantastic especially at a gorgeous theatre like Glyndebourne. Because it’s fairly small when the lights come up I feel I can really communicate with the audience. It’s a special place to perform and it’s special for the audience too. I can look out of my dressing room window and see everybody on the grass. Dressing up in evening dress and picnicking on a wonderful lawn is not something most people do everyday. On the last day of a production the cast and crew all have a picnic together.

‘I was spotted performing at the Royal Northern College of Music and asked to to audition for Glyndebourne.  They asked me to perform in the chorus of three operas throughout the summer season of 2003. It was brilliant fun.

‘This year I am playing Papagena the lead in The Magic Flute. What I love best is the costumes. Isn’t this just the best job?  I get paid to sing and dress up.’

Glastonbury Festival

Claire Insley, 35, As Actions Unit Team Leader for Greenpeace she’ll be cmapainging from the Green Fields area of the festival.

‘I have been volunteering with Greenpeace since 1993. I’ve done everything from carting dead dolphins around a warehouse in London to delivering pizza to scientists in the Antarctic. I grew up in Wokingham and as I watched the decimation of the countryside around me I thought to myself, “I cannot allow this to happen. I have to do something about it,” so I joined Greenpeace.

‘Glastonbury is really important for Greenpeace we receive proceeds from the festival. My first Glastonbury was in 1989 but this year I am demonstrating how we do ship boardings. We’ve got a big mocked up ship and we have a big climbing wall where people can come and have a go.

‘I have only been involved in one ship boarding, in Tilbury, Essex. The ship was carrying illegally logged timber from Indonesia. But we didn’t get a chance to board the boat as we were outnumbered by the police.

‘I have been arrested up to 50 times. Usually for aggravated trespass or criminal damage, which include things like attaching stickers on walls. But we all take responsibility for our actions. I know I will end up with a fine, possible jail and definitely a criminal record but that is the risk I am prepared to take because I totally believe in what I am doing.

‘I absolutely live by the Greenpeace principles. I live as sustainably as possible and it is important for us to be here at Glastonbury to show there is an alternative way. We are here to say “there are problems but here are some solutions.”’

Skandia Cowes Week

Claire Britton, 26, a dentist, lives in Humble, Southampton with her boyfriend Peter. She and her team competed on a 1720 boat.

‘We capsized just before the finish line. We were all in the water but managed to pull the boat the right way up, jump back in and go on to win the race. It was such a dramatic way to finish our last race of the week. When we won it felt really cool. Winning is often in the lap of the gods and the winds but winning was a real sense of achievement.

‘I sail in a team of six and my job is as the bowman on the foredeck. That means that I am responsible for the small sail at the front called the jib. Before competing I’d only been sailing for a few months. My boyfriend Peter is a world champion so I started to sail with him. I’ve always been really sporty and I love being outdoors in moody, atmospheric weather and the feeling you get when you come inside and warm up again.

‘At the beginning of Cowes week we won our first race but went on to lose a couple when the wind was against us. The best thing is the unpredictability of the races. In one of our first races a boat was forty-five minutes behind us but because the wind was behind them they went on to win it.

‘What I love most about Cowes is just how many different types of boats are out on the sea. It makes it tricky because you have to avoid so many people but it looks amazing. And the camaraderie is really cool. The people you are at loggerheads with on the sea will congratulate you back on dry land.’

Notting Hill Carnival

Clarie Bent is a 17 year old student from London. She will be dancing with her band at this year’s carnival.

‘I have been to Nottinghill Carnival  every year since I was four years old. It’s inspiring to see because it celebrates my culture and it’s good to see everybody getting together and enjoying themselves.

‘I’ve always wanted to be in the carnival but wasn’t sure I could dance all day – even though I love dancing. Carnival is mainly Socca music – each song has different moves, but I go to a weekly class so I know them all.

I joined the South Connections group with a few friends and last year was the first time we danced in the carnival. I met Bob Marley’s son Julian and I’ve have also seen Destiny’s Child play, which was amazing.

‘This year the theme is Din Shuru or Dawn Breaks. Carnival costume bands always tell a story and this year it was about the migrations from India to Trinidad and back to England and India.  My costume is beautiful. The whole band’s costumes took specialist silk and bead workers and a group of volunteers about four weeks to make.

‘It’s an early start on carnival day to get our costumes and makeup done. We then set off at ten to dance around the route. We dance along behind the floats, so we can get the police and the crowd dancing. It’s quite nerve-racking dancing past the judging point. But last year we won first prize for both adult and children’s carnivals. My feet hurt when I got home and I was knackered but it was definitely worth it.’

Royal Ascot

Claire Ellison, 34, has been married to horse trainer Brian for three years. They run a training yard together in North Yorkshire. Her horse, John Forbes, ran for the first time at 2004 Royal Ascot.

‘Watching my horse, John Forbes, going out into the parade ring with the jockey wearing my racing colours, red and yellow, was really special. It was his first race so I was both excited and really nervous. Royal Ascot is the highlight of the racing calendar and has the best horses in the world racing so to have my own horse running was amazing.

The race is over in about a minute and there are so many things that can go wrong. At Ascot there are so many things that can distract him, as it happened he did get left behind in the stalls a bit because he was looking around at what was going on. He came ninth out of eleven runners. But a week later he won a race at Newcastle.

‘Usually in the run up to Royal Ascot I am so busy working at the stables I don’t have much time to go out shopping for outfits; it’s always very last minute. The social side of Royal Ascot is brilliant. I love looking at all the fashions and drinking champagne all day while watching top quality horses. But going as an owner or  trainer’s wife is really different. We are up at the stables early to check the horses are OK to run. Everybody is always really hyped up and nervous.

‘My family have always been into racing but I really got the racing bug when Brian started working as a horse trainer on my dad’s farm. My first winner was a horse Brian brought me as a wedding present. We got married in August, 2002, and the horse, called Hyperactive, won a month later.’