The Return of the Zippies
What do you like about the zippy picnic? What do you expect to find there?
24.5.13
4.6.12
18.5.12
Zippy Picnic 2012
The legendary Zippy Picnic returns, this time a week later to limit clashes with other events and ensure as many as want to can attend, because we have a special one this year.
The Zippy Picnic 2012 will be centered on the long mooted ritual dedication of the picnic tree to Fraser and a remembrance of him in words, poems and tales, facilitated by MC SpaceGirl. The dedication will take place on the Saturday late afternoon when the number and the vibe is right, but the remembrance and poetry is planned to continue over both days.
More soon, watch this space....
The Zippy Picnic 2012 will be centered on the long mooted ritual dedication of the picnic tree to Fraser and a remembrance of him in words, poems and tales, facilitated by MC SpaceGirl. The dedication will take place on the Saturday late afternoon when the number and the vibe is right, but the remembrance and poetry is planned to continue over both days.
More soon, watch this space....
16.5.11
The Other Picnic
If the Summer's good, and especially if the Zippy weather isnt, the Dionysian Underground* may organise The Other Picnic a few weeks later, a Parallel phenomenon with a similar but slightly different ethos.
Watch out for info here...
*The Dionysian Underground was formed in 1997 as an anarcho-situationist, countercultural esoteric euro-voodoo international raising the Dionysian spirit and rebirthing Sparticus...
Watch out for info here...
*The Dionysian Underground was formed in 1997 as an anarcho-situationist, countercultural esoteric euro-voodoo international raising the Dionysian spirit and rebirthing Sparticus...
Some Departed Picnicers
And lets not forget some of the Picnicers who've since joined Fraser.
Brian Barritt : http://www.higgs1.demon.co.uk/barritt/who.htm
and a one time attender (to my knowledge) Ion Will (countercultural magus and ghostwriter for Lyall Watson among many other things).
as as well as Brian Visiondanz, who was always invited but alas never quite made it
http://www.facebook.com/visiondans?ref=ts
Brian Barritt : http://www.higgs1.demon.co.uk/barritt/who.htm
and a one time attender (to my knowledge) Ion Will (countercultural magus and ghostwriter for Lyall Watson among many other things).
as as well as Brian Visiondanz, who was always invited but alas never quite made it
http://www.facebook.com/visiondans?ref=ts
What is a Zippy?
Fraser had many definitions, 'A Hippy with Zip', 'a Zen inspired Pronoiac* Person', the 'New Yippies' or just fans of Zippy the Pinhead! But the core note was a Counterculture initially unified in the Rave and Alternative Party Scene, the hippies and ravers, the hardcore and fluffcore united in Psychedelia. Its long since evolved into a term for any Upwinger fed up with Dinosaur society and looking for real alternative company.
*Pronoia, the pleasant delusion that someone out there is out to help you...
*Pronoia, the pleasant delusion that someone out there is out to help you...
A brief history of the Picnic
Hampstead Heath has been a countercultural gathering place for the Community since the 60s and I'm told the site of the Picnic has its own history long before the Zippies first camped there in 1989. Initially a celebration of the launch of Fraser Clarke's Encyclopedia Psychedelica, its become an annual Zippy event and is now in its 23rd year!
Always held on the first weekend in June, so people know when it's on even when not in contact (its been known for people to return after a gap of many years just on spec), the picnic has seen a variety of guests over the years, from visionary poets through alternative film makers to Mayan shaman, but its always been what Fraser called 'the People's Picnic' a Happening for Everyone.
Technically the Picnic is a Potlach, what you get is what you bring to share, food, drink, musical instruments (acoustic only of course!), games, gizmos, whatever gear you fancy. There is no host as such just a few people who help it happen, you are the Picnic, do your own thing.
The Picnic has ranged from several hundred people to a dozen or so each year, depending on the weather, the mood and whatevers going on, in recent years its been a more intimate gathering, and in many ways all the better for that, some years have been a quiet chill, the kind Fraser used to call the 'Nothing' Happening, at other times spontaneous events have included the mass ritualised circle reading of Ginsberg's 'Howl' (complete with howling dog encore). Its always been both a reunion and a place to make new friends a happy happening.
With Fraser's death in 2009 some of us feared the picnic would end, but it goes on facillitated by those who enjoyed its many happy memories.
Always held on the first weekend in June, so people know when it's on even when not in contact (its been known for people to return after a gap of many years just on spec), the picnic has seen a variety of guests over the years, from visionary poets through alternative film makers to Mayan shaman, but its always been what Fraser called 'the People's Picnic' a Happening for Everyone.
Technically the Picnic is a Potlach, what you get is what you bring to share, food, drink, musical instruments (acoustic only of course!), games, gizmos, whatever gear you fancy. There is no host as such just a few people who help it happen, you are the Picnic, do your own thing.
The Picnic has ranged from several hundred people to a dozen or so each year, depending on the weather, the mood and whatevers going on, in recent years its been a more intimate gathering, and in many ways all the better for that, some years have been a quiet chill, the kind Fraser used to call the 'Nothing' Happening, at other times spontaneous events have included the mass ritualised circle reading of Ginsberg's 'Howl' (complete with howling dog encore). Its always been both a reunion and a place to make new friends a happy happening.
With Fraser's death in 2009 some of us feared the picnic would end, but it goes on facillitated by those who enjoyed its many happy memories.
Video of first ever Zippy Picnic 1989
Hopefully that link still works I dont currently have enough memory to check it
http://www.marcuspennell.com/stuff/zippi
http://www.marcuspennell.com/stuff/zippie_picnic_june_1989.wmv
4.5.11
4.6.10
Fraser's Tree
The plan to plant a memorial tree for Fraser is on hold pending inquiries with the Heath doods.
If anyone is interested in planting the tree once we have the go ahead I have one in pot ready to go but cant walk due to leg injury. So the tree can be picked up from me and planted with appropriate ritual :) Steveash_2001@yahoo.co.uk.
If anyone is interested in planting the tree once we have the go ahead I have one in pot ready to go but cant walk due to leg injury. So the tree can be picked up from me and planted with appropriate ritual :) Steveash_2001@yahoo.co.uk.
5.6.09
4.6.09
Bad Weather Plan
The weather forecast is notoriously wrong most of the time and the forecast has been changing all week, at the moment its predicting rain on both days. Light rain isn't a problem if its warm, as the tree canopy at the site is quite broad and we've successfully sheltered from showers there many times before. Heavy rain all day on both days seems unlikely but if the worst comes to the worst the Wells Tavern in Well Walk is the nearest pub to the site and on the road between the Heath and Hampstead Tube. This has before served as a temp shelter from bad weather, I suggest heading there if it raining too hard. Other than that...... :)
Everyone visualise sunny weather....
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