Today is the fourth Peace in the Park; the second to be in the General Cemetary. I've Just come back home to pick up a book for Rach: she needs it for planning some teaching work tomorrow. Stayed for a bit to rest my head. Its the first proper summer's day out there: made to order for the festival. The field in the cemetary is in full summer dappled blossom, the place is packed and everywhere I look, friends are doing wonderful things.

Didn't quite know what I wanted to say about it. Thought about writing something in me journal, but since there's this blog (and no-one currently reads it, so more for my benefit), thought I'd write there instead. At least it imposes a little bit rigour onto the writing. (Must always have one eye on the potential reader, even if they're non-existent!)

Woke up late after a late night at MATILDA - the cafe collective put on a 'peyt posh dinner', using the new cafe space for the first time. My brother and Nephew, Maff and Jake, were up. I've been really keen to show them round MATILDA. Maff's conclusion was that it was 'very civilised' - and he's right. It was, in the way an evening should be. Hmm. More on that some other time, maybe.

The cafe collective mucked in with us to do a Speakeasy cafe. Jase did a brilliant 'bug your MP' board, with all the supplied details and materials to write to your MP - and a whole load of quotes around the tree. I arranged some questions for discussion - one of which has so far happened, due to Joss finding some interested, and really interesting, people. That was on the 'Clash of Civilisations'.

Hmm. Feeling all terribly emotional about the whole thing. Maybe it was that opening ceremony I found myself pulled into. Lots of silence and inviting in the spirits and passing of crystals (in the right direction! Don't go the wrong way with it, or it'll all be undone!), and saying your wish for the world as you held it. I was sat on the floor with the kids. Remembering Gaunt's House: that terribly new age place where I went aged 19 or 20, thinking I'd find myself there. Found a whole load of white new age floaty people, who'd try and pull people by saying things like "I can tell just by your aura that you're on old soul; yes, wise. Very wise." Funny how really pretty people tend to have older souls. Only the natural astral order of things I imagine; I'm sure they'd argue its a reflection of what these folk did in a past life.

But I tried to put that aside; these are good people. And what did I wish for the world? That we could look strangers in the eye with a smile, and without fear. Fucking hippy. Try and repress it, but out it pops.

The clash of civilisation discussion followed hot on the heels of the opening circle. I'd failed to harangue anyone into coming - far too much like salemanship, though I guess I have to go and do it shortly for the last one! But Joss got loads of people, and the discussion for 55 minutes was brilliant, powerful. A great circle of people, and Joss is a light... there's that fucking inner hippy again. Back, I say! Back, or I'll pummel you to death with jars of patchouli!

Quite a year, though. Everything happening in Sharrow - tsk, probably going to send house prices rocketing. Lantern Carnival, Meltdown, this. Its what culture should be: rather than, say, the big blue light-sign next to the central library that says 'culture'. As if perhaps you were walking through the town centre, and wanted to know which way to go to buy some.

Its fackin Cawcha, innit? We make it, like... er, like little bees, I guess. Peace in the Park's certainly that. And this, the least pretentious, warmest bunch of people anyone could hope to know. So little concerned with wealth (as wealthy post-consumerists are wont to be, one might say...), so able to give, and get on with things knowing that people around you are the most important thing. Though sometimes they may infuriate you, and you them. (I think Bauman would have something to say about all this. Its terribly... um, terribly... er, no, forgotten the word! Synoptic! Ha! Everyone's into displaying themselves to the world, and oh, how a blog lets you do that! Though its also self-policing. I can't just spend every day discussing Guardian articles; must look more widely read than that, even if no-one else is looking...!)

Aaanyway. Cawcha should be about interaction: not a mono-directional consumption of a product, each purchaser isolated, er panopticon-like, from the other. The mass of connections that make the Lantern Carnival happen, or Peace in the Park, is the thing. They must happen, but they happen in a way to keep those connections tended. As I've said before elsewhere, the event's the tip of the social iceberg. A relatively static manifestation of the dynamic processes constantly happening beneath.

So I think we should fit RFID tags on everyone, collect the data via satellite and analyse it until we can weed out the culprits. A computer system will automatically set the alarm off for special branch when people with a certain score gather too close; the police won't even need to know why they're going. Automatic for the people.

Dammit. Must get back to the festival, then, rather than sitting here alone in the dark, staring at a computer screen talking about being sociable.