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Roll up, roll up to the Lovebox Weekender!
 Click the image for the full Lovebox e-flyer
Lovebox, London's summer extravaganza, returns next weekend (22-23 July) over two days, ten stages and 20 acres of mature parkland. Some of the capital's leading lights will host a weekend of mind-blowing music, entertainments, food and frolics. And Oxfam will be there too.
The weekend's rip-roaring line up includes: Jamiroquai, Groove Armada, Hot Chip, Jimmy Cliff, Coldcut, Gogol Bordello, The Feeling, Rodrigo Y Gabriela, The Bees, Tiger Lillies, Larrikin Love, Norman Jay, Gilles Peterson, Mr Scruff, Roots Manuva, Skitz & Rodney P and loads more.
Don't miss... RumbleTeaser: a wild surrealist arena music, performance, costume, games and hilarity brought to you by the infamous Fish Seeks Bicycle. Expect to be transported by Eastern fusion, Baltic rhythms, funk, reggae and gypsy beats...
Aerosolics: the UK's Aerosol art extravaganza, featuring cult, international graffiti writers and the first ever heat of the Write4Gold International Aerosol Art Competition.
London Soul: a vibrant space where you can get a massage, learn circus skills and drink chai. Check out the awareness stands for a greener lifestyle and this year's hottest charity campaigns, including our very own Make Trade Fair. Look out for our volunteers and our little green campervan, of course.
So we'll see you down there! You can still buy tickets online at: www.gtickets.co.uk (the Lovebox Ticket Shop), www.ticketmaster.co.uk and www.gigsandtours.com.
posted at 1:07 PM
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Cornbury Festival: one of a kind
 We've just returned from the hay fields of the Cornbury festival and it's time to reflect on the success of the weekend.
It's a one-of-a-kind festival: an eclectic and eccentric musical carnival, Cornbury is a place for music lovers, cowboys, farmers and Morris dancers! It all began on Friday when we set off in our 1960s VW Oxfam campervan (and not being able to work reverse made the journey all the more interesting).
 Our pitch was in the main arena nestled in between 'Bubble Inc' (who released an ongoing stream of bubbles throughout the festival!) and 'Concepts of Peru' stall (selling fair trade clothes). And, with a fantastic team of campaigners, we were all set for a perfect weekend.
Thankfully, the sun shone on the festival for most of the weekend and many punters came to sit down, relax under the gazebo and admire the Oxfam campervan! However, there was no escape from the snow machine next door and frequently we ended up covered in foam... all part of the festival atmosphere!
The hay barn, opposite our stall, provided a welcome break for many festival goers... a 'riverside' stage introducing alternative rock n roll bands and cowboys! The main stage hosted many high-profile acts, including Robert Plant, The Pretenders, Texas and my musical highlight - the hill-billy band Hayseed Dixie.
And when the sun went down, the festival-goers flocked to the warmth of the chai chapel entertained by a drumming circle. But we owe our successes to our beautiful and energetic campaigners who managed to recruit over 2,000 signatures for the Make Trade Fair Big Noise Petition.
Cornbury is certainly a country fayre with a twist - so grab your partners by the hand and docey-doe all the way home!
Look at our photos of angry faces from Cornbury >>
posted at 5:29 PM
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Back home from T in the Park
 We've just arrived back at Generation Why HQ in Oxford after a mammoth overnight journey down from T in the Park. We're missing beautiful Balado already!
Last night was great. I saw the Editors, a bit of the Strokes and a perfectly apt rendition of Bittersweet Symphony by Richard Ashcroft on the Radio 1/NME stage. And to round off the weekend, T put on a stunning firework display to strains of Auld Lang Syne (any excuse for a Scottish sing-song!). It was beautiful!
It's time I had a shower, but before I go here's a pic of Radio 1 stars Colin and Edith supporting our new music fundraising event Oxjam - stay tuned for more news about that.
Thanks to everyone involved in T, particularly the wonderful Oxfam volunteer campaigners who worked tirelessly all weekend to raise awareness of our work. We'll get a photo story of the weekend up just as soon as we can, in the meantime if you had your photo taken for the Angry Face competition then check here to find your photo and enter the competition.
posted at 12:13 PM
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Get the message...?
 I also forgot to put up a photo of our brand new exhibition which went down a storm at T. Here it is, looking all lovely and shiny. Look out for it over the summer.
posted at 12:07 PM
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T in the Park: we're not the only ones here
One tent, two days, 10 volunteer campaigners, 11 stages, 200 acts,
and 70,000 beautiful people as far as the eye can see! Now that's what I call a festival.
posted at 4:56 PM
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The morning after the night before
Wow! Last night was incredible. On the Radio1/NME stage was Paul Weller going through a back catalogue to make anyone weak at the knees, while over on the Main Stage the Red Hot Chilli Peppers were storming through a fantastic set. And before them, Franz Ferdinand enjoyed the adulation of nearly all 70,000 T-goers!
Special mention for me, though, has to go to The Zutons (currently your blogger's favourite live act!). Their rendition of Valerie with the crowd singing along to the chorus was spectacular. Those boys (and girl) know how to get a crowd going. And of course they played Pressure Point, the song that features on our cool new video which we're showing at festivals across the summer.
We're just getting ready to open up the tent again this morning, in fact I should probably be helping out! We're hoping for another bumper day, so fingers crossed the current drizzle goes away. The site here is a disused airfield, so when the sky is grey and there's a fine rain (the worst kind of rain) it's really pretty bleak! Never mind, today's line-up rocks. Here we go!
posted at 9:41 AM
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T in the Park: exhibitionists welcome!
 The last two blogs have only just published - I wrote them on Saturday morning so sorry about that. It's now midnight on Saturday night, and we've just closed up our tent. It's been a right good day - the tent has been busy all day, and there's a lot of people proudly wearing Oxfam stickers and tattoos.
Liam, our intrepid backstage man, has been schmoozing to the max. I'll download his photos tomorrow morning - there are some crackers! In the meantime, have a look at this photo of the exhibition up in our marquee. What do you think? Let me know your comments.
posted at 12:26 AM
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Mud, heaven and Bell X1
Just caught the wonderful Bell X1 on the Radio 1/NME stage. The boys were on top form, and despite the early start the crowd were loving it. Here's a picture of Paul (vocals) and Brian (keys). Remember we went on tour with Bell X1 earlier this year - they're huge in Ireland, and with a full line-up of festivals this summer, are well on their way to making it big over here too. Even better, they fully support the work we do - what great lads! They're playing Oxygen this weekend too, over on the Emerald Isle, where our Irish campaigners will be raising awareness of our work. Festivals and Oxfam - a match made in... erm, muddy heaven!
posted at 12:17 AM
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Saturday morning T-time
Well good morning from sunny/rainy T in the park. The weather is still deciding exactly what to do. For us, it's a tricky one - the sun makes everyone happy, but the rain means loads of people inside the tent! Ah, it's all about the happiness... come on sun!
The T crowd are going crazy for Oxfam. The shop in the campsite last night was heaving, and my sources were correct... the kilts have flown off the racks. The main arena opened at 11am this morning, and the punters came flooding in. As the hangovers are starting to wear off, the arena is filling up even more.
Our team of super-Scot campaigners are all out and about around the site. We're talking to people about our Health and Education For All campaign, which is seeking to reduce the unacceptable, and sickening, deficit of doctors, nurses and teachers in developing countries. Millions of children are missing an education, and basic healthcare services, and it's time something was done about it.
So we're giving the fantastic crowd here the chance to sign our petition and make their voices heard. By signing the petition, you can also receive our monthly e-newsletter e-Xtra which gives you loads of info about our work, and, even better, the opportunity to come to festivals for FREE! We're just too nice to you.
posted at 12:12 AM
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