Festival fun (not) #3

Maybe I'm just getting old (!) but, as the years go by, I've found I'm less and less enamoured with the second weekend of the Saltaire Festival. The first weekend has some local input and I can usually find something to interest me. The second weekend has always been about music and food, but it has grown bigger and louder and attracts people from well beyond the local area. I suppose that's not necessarily a bad thing but the crowds, traffic chaos and noise are not at all appealing to me. I did have a walk down to the village but I didn't linger. 

Exhibition Road (above) was closed to allow the usual 'Continental Market'. These days it's mostly street food outlets and not much 'continental' about it as far as I can see. Caroline Street carpark becomes one large bar area, with a music stage. No-one really looked as if they were enjoying themselves... maybe that was just because I happened to pass in between acts on the stage. 

The church drive was hosting a few local organisations and charity stalls, with an art exhibition in the church itself.

Roberts Park holds more food and drink outlets, a market and two music stages (one in the lower park and one in the bandstand). You could hear the noise from miles away. I didn't even bother to fight my way over the footbridge to explore what was there. 

At least these days they close many of the roads through the village, which makes it a good deal safer for pedestrians - though a good deal more annoying and inconvenient for residents, particularly this year with Saltaire Road being closed for roadworks too.  On Victoria Road, they weren't taking any chances with ramming incidents. It had barriers at the top and a large lorry parked across the carriageway further down. I'm really glad to have moved out of the village itself. At least I knew my car was safely parked out of danger in our driveway. 

Well, that was a big grouse wasn't it? I'm turning into a bit of a curmudgeon in my old age, haha.