Posted by daitchen on Mon 31 Jul 06, 5:00 PM to daitchen's blog.
At school we learnt a poem by Henry Reed called "The Naming of Parts"
This relates how as a wartime army recruit the poet was shown how to use and fire a rifle. Due to a chronic supplies shortage, the recruits were only issued with old, incomplete equipment, but the drill instructor dutifully described how to safely load and fire the "full" weapon in detail, including the parts "which in our case we have not got".
This just comes to mind as I reflect on how Kinkfest this year was obliged to cut out or tone down the practical demonstration (and later the actual application) of much that is of interest and importance to us. For example, Edge Play became Sensuality, flogging became tickling, interrogation tools were left unused, real life was replaced by video, and so on.
It was, even so, a very special and memorable event. As it happens I am in a position to appreciate, since Fractal was involved in organising the workshops, the ingenuity, hard work and determination of the presenters and crew in general and in particular in adapting to the restrictions necessitated by the intervention of Southwark Council's Licensing Committee at the last minute. There was a wonderful rallying-round and making the best of things in the face of adversity.
Personally, I still got a lot out of the day, learnt things I probably couldn't have learnt anywhere else, enjoyed and admired the display of sheer bravura and guts by so many people. But it makes me sad and angry to realise how much more powerful, original and life-affirming it would have been with those missing parts present.
