salisburyjournal.co.uk THE JOURNAL, July 3, 2014 78Newsdesk: Salisbury 01722 426511 • Advertising 426500

The local great and good werethere in force: Ceri from Spire FM,Bill from the Journal, Mayor JoBroom, Wiltshire Council leader JaneScott – together with a host of awardsponsors and leaders of business.And topping the bill (for me at least)the gorgeous Sharon Corr playingtracks from her forthcoming album.

Wonderful! But being a Salisburyevent meant that it wasn’t just anevening for the local great and good.The audience was made up of peoplefrom every walk of life and from everylevel of employment in the companiesrepresented.

“It was a real team effort,” saidone of the winners. “This award is foreveryone.” And the moment he saidit, we all knew it was true. Building asuccessful business depends onmore than ambition, vision and agood business plan. You also need asuccessful team; to bring peopletogether with different experiencesand different skills so that the wholeis greater than the sum of the parts.

It’s true in business. And it’s true infamily life as well.

A few years ago I came acrosssome research that showed thatmusicians made the best teamplayers – more so than those whoplayed team sports. When musiciansplay together, the report explained, ina choir, band or orchestra, they areclosely attuned to what everyone elseis doing around them.

Thursday evening’s winners couldclearly teach English football a thingor two about team building. Butthere’s something we can all learnabout becoming stronger throughdiversity and commitment.

I DIDN’T think I cared muchabout how mugs should bearranged in the dishwasheruntil I had to stop myselffrom snatching one awayfrom a friend's hand just asshe was poised to place it onthe wrong side of an upperrack.

The visit had been a longone, however.

And while having friends tostay conjures up images oflingering over meals and longamiable chats in the car ondays out, too much time inclose proximity brings outthe inner control freak.

Minor irritations becomemajor ones when youdiscover your favouritecrossword puzzle has alreadybeen done just as you'reabout to settle down with apen and a glass of wine or aguest has a marathon showerwhen you're in a rush.

Specialists in commonsense have warned us for atleast 300 years.

The wry and plain-speaking Benjamin Franklin

wrote in his Poor Richard'sAlmanack: “Guests, like fish,stink after three days.”

Brutal, yes, but perhapsFranklin's un-nuanced takeshould be more widelyaccepted.

After all, the cumulativeexperiences of generations ofpeople who come to regrettheir invitations forambitiously long stays seem

to have had little impact.Where's evolutionary

change when you need it?We accept the principle of

diminishing returns in termsof labour and productivity,why not when it comes tobeing with others too?

Wouldn't we all be happierif we just agreed to abide bythe short-stay rule withouttaking it personally?

Websites on the etiquette ofhaving houseguests make lotsof sensible suggestions toavoid reaching the point ofuncontrollable rage over theway someone has folded a teatowel.

But if you hadn't beenorganised or brave enough tomake it clear from the outsethow long you are prepared tohost and what the rules ofthe house are, there are moredrastic alternatives toensuring a pleasantly shortvisit.

You could, say, adopt asleep-deprivation strategy bytelling the teen in the housethat loud music way pastmidnight is absolutely fine.

Or you could fake a callfrom a distant family friendin urgent need of yourcompany and go on your ownholiday.

The worst case scenariooption is to hark back to BenFranklin, of course.

A tin of tuna discreetlyplaced under the guest bedought to do the trick.

FESTIVAL season is welland truly upon us, and sobegins in me the eternalconflict: “I wish I was goingto one.” versus “Oh, but thereality...”.Since I first went toGlastonbury aged 17 withmy four best friends I'veromanticised anddemonised music festivalsin equal measure.

The incredible feel of thisweird, wild and wonderfulcommunity in the middle ofthe countryside. But alsofeeling completelyoverwhelmed by the sheerscale.

The Levellers at duskwith didgeridoo playersynching us in with allpeople throughout the ages- waking with squintingeyes, dehydrated and with atouch of sunstroke at firstlight.

The fresh air and wideopen spaces - the exactopposite of the inside of aPortaloo.

Getting back to nature -the fact we pitched under apylon and kept gettingelectric shocks from thetent pole. And so on…

It is mind-boggling howmany music festivals thereare now - from the tip ofCornwall to the Scottish

Highlands.Love Box, Shakedown,

Boom Bap, Redfest, DeerShed, Tartan Heart, GlassButter, Leopallooza and theVicar's Picnic.

And those are just theones I've mentionedbecause I like the sound ofthe words together.

Specialising in metal,vintage or cider - oneswhere you can bring yourscooter; another whichincorporates the start ofthe Tour de France; 'thenorth-east's largest 70soutdoor music festival';'south Somerset's first evertribute band festival'.

The specificity isincredible.

Just up the road we haveour very own Larmer TreeFestival in two weeks’ time,which has really blossomedover the years and is thisyear headlined by Sir TomJones.

I've never been before, butam hoping I haven't left ittoo late this year, as friendstell me it's one of the nicestfestivals they have been to.

Additionally it has notonly won Best FamilyFestival at the UK Festivalawards, but also BestToilets. I'm sold.

Victory forcricketersYOUNG cricketers fromBroad Chalke PrimarySchool were triumphant inthe Wiltshire Year 6 girls’cricket competition lastweek. Taking place at theTrowbridge County Ground,the six-hour competitionwas the culmination of theECB National Kwik Cricketcompetition in Wiltshire,with 30 school sides comingtogether to find the countychampions for the mixedand the girls’ teams. TheBroad Chalke girls will nowprogress to play in theregional finals in Bristol inJuly, representing thecounty as Wiltshirechampions.

Incrediblechoices forfestival fan

SJopinion

‘Too much time in closeproximity brings out theinner control freak’

a key to success at work and at homeMARTIN

FIELDDevelopment

Officer,Salisbury Cathedral

The PyramidStage atGlastonbury

Why guests can soonoutstay their welcome