Well another Wigan Diggers’ Festival is over, and I’ve had the privilege of being a volunteer on the event for the second time over the last three days, and I’ve had such a great time. It’s been handwork and tiring, covered almost 30 miles on foot since 8am Friday morning, up & down ladders, umpteen amount of steps climbed & descended carrying band related stuff, climbing in vans with the bands to get them to the correct part of Wigan town centre to unload their gear, Shanghai Treason were absolutely brilliant and ever so nice to deal with, plus their set was epic. They describe it as Banjo Punk, but I reckon it’s the Dogs Bollocks, such a jolly time had by all seeing them do their thing.
Not sure how many loo rolls I replaced throughout the day, but I did fill 32 rubbish bags during the time I was there yesterday. Today I was first on site at 7.20 to start the taking down of everything we put up on Friday, a pile of tables higher than my van and 60+ chairs all needed moving before I could take the sides, ends & roof off the marquee.
Full team was needed to take down the frame. Took sides & ends off the bar marquee before taking some drums & amps back to E-rooms in Skelmersdale before heading back to site to take the bunting down I put up on Friday, had assistance with this thankfully as I was getting a tad knackered by then, bacon butty & a brew break helped out there.
One last litter pick of the area before leaving then going to the lock-up where the team store all the gear. Two huge vans full of stuff all needed to be put away in the shipping container and this at the warmest part of the day made it a difficult job, everything seems heavier the longer the weekend progresses and I moved those bloody tables again!
Loved every minute of it, and there’s been a lot of minutes over the last three days, huge thank you to all the team that I’ve had the pleasure of working with this weekend both backstage and across the rest of the site. Ste, Dawn, Stu, Janet, Jeff, Alan, Hazel, Tracy, Craig, Damien and all the others that I can’t remember the names of I apologise. Yes It’s hard physically, and you do it for the sake of doing it not reward, but the pleasure you get, or that I’ve got the last three days has been immense and can’t be measured. Coupled with seeing, meeting, greeting artist & musicians from all over the country that I follow & admire is the biggest buzz you can get. I’ve had a blast with some great people, made new friends and been involved in something that I never thought I would be and it’s been absolutely fantastic. At home now after loading the van for work tomorrow with a tin or two of beer watching some football.
If Carlsberg did weekends!
Review of his volunteering experience at our 2026 festival, by David Corbett
