James Arber is one of the earliest people to be swept up on the Binner Band Wagon. James has a vast wealth of experience of the Binner Cannon - often going beyond recognised cannon. his first trip took place in November 1989, when Bonfire night spectaculars were still being held at Avebury Manor. Possibly his biggest Binner claim to fame though is that he was involved in the near disastrous New Years Eve trip of 1991/92, when he became the only Binner to be banned from the Red Lion: for playing on the pool table. But fair’s fair: he was playing football! This picture of James had previously been distorted at his own request to disguise his identity; this was in the early days of the internet. However, he is now merely deeply suspicious of the world wide web, but no longer actively hostile towards it. Here are James’ five least favourite Binner things:
Stonehenge is nothing if not spectacular, and it’s not spectacular. Take away the fences, the souvenir shop. The main road and ninety per cent of the other visitors and you might have a decent Binner venue; as it is you might as well take away Stonehenge.
Binner Verdict: Could have more fun in a cat litter.
Binner Verdict: Could have more fun in a cat litter.
Avebury residents are more advanced than some others in this part of Wiltshire: they are merely deeply suspicious of electricity, not actively hostile towards it. This may be why Dave Wayne and I narrowly escaped with our lives on THAT New Years Eve.
Binner Verdict: Could have more fun in a cat litter.
Binner Verdict: Could have more fun in a cat litter.
Possibly the most overpriced farrago of junk this side of EuroDisney. If you don’t like Doctor Who you won’t like it; If you do then you probably won’t like it anyway - I didn’t. Binner Verdict: Dave’s Room is more impressive and cheaper.
Binner Verdict: Dave’s Room is more impressive and cheaper.
Binner Verdict: Dave’s Room is more impressive and cheaper.
Not strictly speaking a Binner Venue, I went there on a non Binner trip, but bad enough to be included anyway; notable for being utterly tiny and next to a main road.
Binner Verdict: Blink and with any luck you will miss it.
Binner Verdict: Blink and with any luck you will miss it.
Presumably so named because some farmer used to drive a cart through this small gap in an embankment. Curiously, you could have driven a coach and horses through the gap I made in my hand when we stopped there for lunch whilst walking the Ridgeway (well, that’s what it seemed like). Only prompt bandaging by Wayne prevented a small scar from being a slightly bigger one (and everyone passing out from having to look at my knucklebone).
Binner Verdict: Safe enough if you can avoid the uncontrollable urge to try and get corned beef out of the tin with a plastic spleen (sorry, spoon)
Binner Verdict: Safe enough if you can avoid the uncontrollable urge to try and get corned beef out of the tin with a plastic spleen (sorry, spoon)
