AT THE BACK What’s in a name? Ian Hamilton explains why he believes the term ‘Glamping’ is an oxymoron THERE’S BEEN A growing interest in the tipi and the yurt for a good few years now, both across the UK and in mainland Europe. In fact we’ve seen a veritable explosion of alternative structures and new creative places to spend time, holiday, party or just retreat away. So much so that the amount of choice is now staggering. Personally I think that in essence it is a really great thing. The aspect that I feel has most value is being outdoors and I could write much about the benefits of communion with nature, but there are many smarter, funnier and wiser people than I who have done a sterling job doing just that. In fact if you take the time to read and research, you could not fail to conclude that being stuck inside a building is actually a wholly detrimental process to the human being on many, many levels. However, here in the UK we have a major stumbling block to everyone running for the great outdoors - if only the weather was better! But our lives of comfort and warmth, convenience and familiarity stop us in our tracks as soon as nature whisks up a cold, rainy or snowy spell. With the boom in alternative places to stay and different types of accommodation a new buzz word has entered the common vocabulary and absolutely no doubt a result of media spin, as usual. It was probably about eight years ago that Kate Moss was famously photographed coming out of a tipi at a Spring garden show in Malvern with the headline ‘Camping is Cool!’ Well, it was actually one of our tipis that she was photographed in, and I think that it was a key moment, a moment when the press started to push the ‘stay at home, go camping’ mantra off the back of their dear Kate. It took several years before it really “WITH THE BOOM IN ALTERNATIVE PLACES TO STAY AND DIFFERENT TYPES OF ACCOMMODATION A NEW BUZZ WORD HAS ENTERED THE COMMON VOCABULARY AND ABSOLUTELY NO DOUBT A RESULT OF MEDIA SPIN, AS USUAL” took hold, and the pioneers of the early days supplying these alternative structures were indeed in a most unusual little niche. But boy did that change. Nowadays most people will have heard of a tipi and a yurt, been in one, stayed in one or have a friend who has. And most people will have heard the expression ‘Glamping’ using it like some new, hip, in the know turn of speech. I did some research on this now, well over-used phrase. Over the period of one year, the word literally sky-rocketed into common vocabulary. From the preceding year where there were 0, that’s right ZERO Google searches it was suddenly being searched 80,000 times, and today is still being searched by increasing amounts. What does this tell us? And what the flock is ‘Glamping’ anyway? Derived from the words ‘glamour’ and ‘camping,’ I took a look at these two words’ definitions in the Oxford Dictionary. Glamour noun [mass noun] 1 an attractive or exciting quality that makes certain people or things seem appealing: the glamour of Monte Carlo 1.1 beauty or charm that is sexually attractive: pile hair up for evening glamour 1.2 [as modifier] denoting or relating to sexually suggestive or mildly pornographic photography or publications: a glamour model 2 archaic enchantment; magic: that maiden, made by glamour out of flowers ORIGIN: early 18th century (originally Scots in the sense ‘enchantment, magic’): alteration of grammar. Although grammar itself was not used in this sense, the Latin word grammatica (from which it derives) was often used in the Middle Ages to GETTY IMAGES mean ‘scholarship, learning,’ including the occult practices popularly associated with learning Camping noun [mass noun] the activity of spending a holiday living in a tent: camping attracts people of all ages [as modifier]: a camping trip And there you have it, the two words and their individual meanings. I for one hope that it is the origin of the word ‘glamour’ coming from the enchanted connotation that was intended for its conjoined usage, as I certainly have never seen anyone get worked up about a tent… nylon maybe, but not a tent. But anyway you cook it, the term is here to stay it would seem, and if you need proof of that then you only need turn to the Oxford Dictionary again to find the word listed. I kid you not, and here is the Oxford definition: Glamping noun [mass noun] British informal a form of camping involving accommodation and facilities more luxurious than those associated with traditional camping: glamping is likely to satisfy any city slicker seeking a little refuge in nature - without foregoing any of life’s luxuries ORIGIN: early 21st century: blend of glamorous and camping Unbelievable. I have a large axe to grind. Stay tuned because I believe we are really missing a vital point here. And I’ll ask the question. What is a Glippy? I’ll finish this when I get time. In the meanwhile, breathe, smile, do something nice for yourself and another. Peace. Ian Hamilton has been providing tipis for sale and hire for over 12 years, supplying festivals, weddings, corporate events and private individuals. www.tipi.guru 66 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM
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