Looking back over the camping and festival summer

Early autumn and yet already I feel the gloom of the colder weather affecting me. Partly due to the weather and partly due to the lack of annual leave left to me I have packed up the tents until next year and that always makes me sad.

I had a fabulous summer though, with awesome festivals. I went to the Curious Arts Festival to grab some culture in a field, Camp Bestival (as always - and I enjoyed it all over again), Wilderness, where I gazed once again on glorious countryside filled with glitter, music and nudity, and even a Medieval festival at a castle!

I was not alone in having a great summer in the outdoors and so to help us all cope with the darker mornings, the rain, and the cooler nights here are some other great camping and festival posts to read. ..

Samantha at NorthEastFamilyFun was letting her kids have a taste of freedom at the Corbridge Festival

"I'm a bit of a free range parent and I'm keen to give Harry some extra independence this summer. He is going into Year 5 in September and when I remember how much I did at his age it was a lot more than he does now. The festival wasn't too busy through the daytime so Steve and I found a spot next to a noticeable landmark and let H&H have some freedom to explore with the instructions to check in regularly. The festival is in one field and has a big fence around it, plus they had our phone number on their wristband so I was confident they wouldn't get lost." Read More

While Meg was experiencing what it's like to be a new mum at a music festival when she went to the Secret Garden Party without her baby!

"My festival experience has changed slightly since having a child as I’m sure you are all aware, as a parent your priorities change. But what’s funny is that it’s carried over into everything that you do….including going to a festival even when the baby is left at home with the grandparents! So here is what it’s like going to a festival as a new mum……" Read More

Not everyone was at a festival though, there was plenty of glamping and yurting (can yurt be a verb?!) to be had too.

Naomi at Life by Naomi was thrilled to stay in a yurt with family and friends.

"We cooked all out meals on site – it made sense with so many children around. We had a barbecue one evening and a chilli on the other, which I had made in advance. The electric cookers were really efficient, and all the yurts were really well equipped with cooking equipment and utensils. Washing up was easy too – and there was so much hot water! (That was a glamping bonus for me.)
We had an absolutely brilliant time from start to finish. Yes, it rained. But, we’re British, so we just got on with it. The kids had an absolute blast, and were completely exhausted from running around outside all day" Read More

Erin at Yorkshire Tots was glamping in Yorkshire.

"Our home for two nights was Jolly Day’s signature Woodland Tent.  Spacious and charming, it had everything we needed for a very comfortable stay.  Outside our tent was a large veranda and right off our front steps we had our own BBQ and picnic table." Read More

And Kate loved her stay in a yurt so much she now wants to live in one!

"the unadulterated joy of just rocking up and not having to deal with that. Also the yurt has proper beds. And a wood burning stove. And a hob. And a bottle opener and all sorts of useful, good and pretty things that frankly won’t fit in the back of my car any more because of the level of ‘stuff’ that leaving the house with the kids seems to demand. It was bliss." Read More

Hope you enjoyed the foray back into warm summer nights. I have some more 'back to nature camping trips to suggest you read next time. Until then, keep in touch via Twitter and Facebook.

Let me know how you cope with camping withdrawal...or do you snow camp? I'd LOVE to hear about that (it's on my bucket list)