Camp Bestival Countdown

This weekend we headed to Midsummer Music, the little music festival in our village which is held every other year.  Crazily I had agreed to play in the orchestra, having not played properly for several years, I was amazed that I could still play my clarinet.  The weather was amazing, although it was perhaps a little too warm for playing and I know some of the bands performing longer sets suffered a little in the blazing sunshine.  Sat listening to some talented local performers and bands, Andy and I realised it was only four weeks until Camp Bestival.  Time to get organised!

Having been several times now we know what to expect and have added to and removed things from our list.  The essential camping kit is at the top of the list, but this is a festival so there always extras added to the list.  Aswell as doing things slightly differently to normal camping, eg. no glass bottles, not being able to refreeze ice packs.  So looking at my list from last year, which you can find in this post  I am deciding if there any extras to add and what I still need to buy.  I think some new bunting is required and I have just brought a new camping kitchen stand from Vango.  Amber and Kitty are keen to have a minion windsock, but at almost £25 I think we will make do with our old flag, although if I have the time I would like to try and rustle up one that matches the retro scout badge style of the Camp Bestival logo this year!

Any essentials you will be taking to festivals this year? 

Until next time, take care.

Zoe

xo

Festival Camping Without Buying a Tent

I know, it seems a silly title, but really this is possible.  No more squeezing everything into the car, children squashed under sleeping bag rolls.  No need to trudge for half a mile with your tent and all the camping paraphanelia you know you will need over the weekend.  Across the country this year at over thirty festivals you will find a sea of orange tents.  Tangerine Fields will have your tent erected, complete with sleeping bags and air beds, before you even arrive.  

So all  you have to worry about is bringing clothes and food, meaning you can head off to enjoy the festival fun rather than struggle with guy lines.  Alongside their tents, you will find a private set of loo's and hot showers, with the added bonus of a pamper parlour at most of their venues, complete with hairdryers and straightners. Another benefit is that Tangerine Fields have their own fenced off part of the camping field, with security at the gate.  Overall when I saw Tangerine Fields at Camp Bestival a couple of years ago, it looked like the perfect option if you didn't want to buy a tent, for it only to sit and gather dust between festivals. 

Having spoken with Tangerine Fields earlier this week, I know that they have limited availability for Camp Bestival and other festivals.  For further information about their packages and to book please visit www.tangerinefields.co.uk

Until next time, take care.

Zoe

xo

Images courtesy of Tangerine Fields.

Disclosure - This year I am one of the official Camp Bestival bloggers, working with them to share my top tips and reviewing the festival.  They have kindly given us a family weekend ticket, however all opinions are my own.

The Promise of the Festival Season

Our Trip to Camp Bestival 2012

Today the sun feels a little warmer as it coats my arms whilst hanging out the washing.  The garden is openly worshiping this warm glow and our thoughts turn to plans for the summer.  Whilst we are not regular festival attendees we do love a family festival and seem to have spent most of the weekend discussing a roadtrip to Dorset for our favourite, Camp Bestival.  For us, this is the perfectly sized festival, with plenty to keep us amused and entertained, although the boys are a little reluctant as they claim there isn't much for teenagers to do.  Well I quickly rectified this by making them fill out the questionnaire the Camp Bestival team put together in preparation of making what seems to be a special teen zone.  Although now they are older I can trust them to head off to the Comedy Tent in the evening if they don't want to join us at the Castle Stage.   

I noticed over the weekend whilst perusing this months Camping Magazine, they had a great feature about family festivals, with top tips for getting the most out of your time and making sure you pack the essentials. Festival camping is very different to campsite camping, you need to be prepared to have very close neighbours, nowhere to refreeze your ice packs and long queues for the showers.  But this can add to the fun of the whole experience.  Knowing that the showers are quieter in the afternoon means you can head back to camp for a siesta and shower.  This is one of my top festival tips and I am sure you all have plenty more! 

So are you heading off to a festival or two this summer? I would love to know which is your favourite.

Until next time, take care.
Zoe
xo