Where do campers go in winter?

Well I'm sure some of us fly south and continue camping...a bit like swallows, but with more tent poles. Some stay in chilly UK and still camp - after all, you can get all season tents and sleeping bags! (top of my bucket list is snow camping)

But I suspect more of us do what I do, pack up the kit until spring and just snuggle down by a fire to read their camping and caravanning magazines and plan next years camping.

I have already booked a few festivals too, nothing like reliving last summer and dreaming of the next to warm you up.

So far I'm going to a local (to me) and early Festival (in May) called Elderflower Fields, I've never been to this festival before, and it hasn't been going long. I'm hoping it's big enough to be fun but small enough to be friendly. It bills itself as a family festival,



and I have to admit it does look amazing! Rather glad to see that the theme will fit in rather nicely with another festival I'm off to Wilderness! I've been to wilderness a few times now after winning tickets some years ago and getting hooked.

Wilderness is a festival for older folk, but families still attend and it has a friendly feel. DD enjoys it as it's a bit cooler at her age.

See more about Wilderness on their Youtube Channel, including the now infamous Secret (naked) Swim.

And of course I hope to be off to Camp Bestival next year too - a perfect family festival, you have a baby? toddlers? This festival gives you no excuse not to attend, it's designed around children, with plenty of things for adults to enjoy too. Not least the fact that your kids are entertained, and then are tired at bedtime! This years theme is GO WILD so I'm especially excited for fancy dress ideas - can I recycle my green ballgown for a third year? Well yes, I think I can! Watch this space!

Memorable times

I recently filled in a survey for the Wilderness Festival team Always a good idea to get feedback form people that attend your events, especially if you then act on them.

 

One of the questions made me pause and think, ‘What was your most memorable moment at Wilderness?’

 

Not ‘what did you like most?’ or ‘what was the worst bit?’ but the most memorable. The thing that sticks in your mind, that festival moment (or moments) that you look back on. And there were a few.

Sitting in our camp chairs listening to Sam Smith in the rain was one, it bucketed it down, Sam apologised as though it was his fault, and humbly and sweetly thanked us for staying despite the weather. My chair broke and my ‘waterproof’ blanket leaked so I got a wet bum. But it was lovely anyway. Memorable.

One morning we wandered onto the site for breakfast and stumbled into a cinema screen showing of Singing in the Rain, it was a hot sunny day (did I mention the weather was WEIRD!) and we lay in the shade of an oak tree and watched a movie while I drank cocktails. Bliss.

On the Sunday DD was desperate to skate at the roller disco (she really loves the roller disco) and so I sat drinking Ginger Brewskys made by the lovely friendly lady at the Monkey Shoulder bar, while listening to various bands and gospel choirs. Relaxing.

 

We sat at the ‘post office’ and made silly postcards to have delivered to random strangers on site by the Wilderness Post Office team. Fun.

Did you go to any festivals this year? Cast your mind back, what is your most memorable moment.?

Why I love Camping

I adore camping.I love tents. I'm fairly sure that many of the reasons that I love camping will be the reasons you hate it. I'll start at the beginning, I love the smell of a canvas tent, I like the anticipation of packing for a camping trip. The look at the list,checking the food and the booze. Packing the car,(I have a Fiat Panda so it's car Tetris every time) And then the drive, either to a site I know and love or to a new exciting site where who knows what I will discover. Arriving, unpacking, laying out the tent, pitching, happy in the knowledge I can do it all by myself! Sending DD to fetch water, and other small chores. The sun (or rain) and the knowledge that as soon as we are finished I can cool off with a beer or warm up with a tea.

Sitting in the fresh air,watching the other campers, listening to the sounds of nature, the wind in the trees, bird song, bees. Walking around the area seeing what is going on. Snoozing on a rug, reading  a book, sipping a Pims. Playing Frisbee with DD... And later cooking outside on a BBQ or my camp stove, eating sausages or stew, more booze, more tea, hot chocolate and then bed...

Snuggled warm (with many layers plus hat) in my mummy style sleeping bag, on the mattress next to DD. Listening to the animals outside, the tent flapping, rain on the canvas, the smell of the tent.So peaceful, sleeping from dark until dawn. Waking to birdsong and the thought of a fully cooked breakfast, with local produce if I'm lucky...

And sometimes all of that is combined with the added fun of a festival. Sitting here now I'm making myself yearn for my tent...

Camping, total relaxation, and always plenty for kids to do, from exploring to chores....what's not to like?