2013
Festival reviews from the year 2013
Solfest 2013 Review
Solfest – a real family festival
Review and pictures by Lisa from ‘We Don’t Eat Anything With a Face’
We almost bought tickets for Solfest last year, but the horrendous weather put us off. I’m so glad we went this year though, as the sun shined most of the weekend, with just a few scattered showers on the Friday. This made it our first mud-free festival for three years!
Solfest is held on Tarnside Farm near Aspatria in Cumbria over the August bank holiday weekend and has been running for 10 years.
The location is stunning, if somewhat hard to find Read more…
Green Man 2013 Review
Green Man – There’ll be a welcome in the hillsides
The Green Man Festival celebrated its 10th anniversary this year and it has grown into a 15,000-capacity event in a stunning location in the Black Mountains. We shamefully live very close to it but have never been before.
Last year they struggled with terrible weather and having Olympic equestrian trials on the site just weeks before made for a messy, difficult festival. I have never come across a festival listen and take on board the results of having such a hard year. They made changes to be prepared and ready for bad weather and dealt with the issues people raised. This came across all weekend, so much care and love for the site from the organisers rubbed off on everyone there. I have fallen for Green Man and hope my review does it the justice it rightly deserves.
Croissant Neuf 2013 Review
Croissant Neuf – not just ‘family-friendly’ but a real family festival
Croissant Neuf gave me many new festival experiences, and for someone who has been to so many festivals that is an unusual thing.
Wilderness 2013 Review
Wilderness Festival… Where the wild things are…
Review and pictures by Vicky Lane
This was our second visit to beautiful Cornbury Park the home of Wilderness festival. The organisers really couldn’t have found a more perfect place to have a festival. We were so excited and so grateful to be invited back after discovering what felt like a wonderful secret last year.
Suffolk Fun Festival 2013 Review
I first found out about Suffolk Fun Festival through my friend Rachel Baker who would be taking her imaginative play and exploratory activities to the event and knew it was something I had to check out further.
It was the first year for the Suffolk Fun Festival, and was the brainchild of Fi Siddall, owner of Easton Farm Park, a popular tourist attraction in Suffolk. Paul Spencer , a local man and organiser of one of The Times Top 50 Festivals 2013, Maverick, an Americana musical festival held on the farm in July.
Festival on the Farm 2013 Review
I always seem to forget about the wonderful tourist attractions we have in our area and Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse is one such place.
I had visited when in junior school where we had to dress as Victorian children and again as an adult with a school I worked at. This Saturday was the third and most enjoyable time. The festival only enhanced what is a wonderfully fascinating place to visit.
Read more…
Appleyard Fayre 2013 Review
Tucked away in a small village in Norfolk, opposite popular tourist attraction Banham Zoo, is the Appleyard Meadow. In this meadow, in the last weekend of July, a little bit of magic happens. The magic is the tiny, yet packed full of fun and friendliness, Appleyard Fayre 2013.
The brainchild of local musician Liam Harvey, Wendy and Jonty, who run the popular Banham Barrel. With and a team of supportive locals, the Fayre brings a day of wonderful local music, food, craft stalls and activities for all the family for an absolute bargain price of £2 an adult (£3 after 6pm) and 50p a child.
Chilled in a Field 2013 Review
Chilled in a Field is small but perfectly formed
*Chilled* in a Field will always mean something special to our family, as it was the first festival for our two youngest last year, aged only 2. We wanted to visit it again but I admit I was a little bit concerned that as we had since been to much bigger festivals we might be disappointed in one so small. However I shouldn’t have worried – what *Chilled* misses out in big names and variety of entertainment it more than makes up for with atmosphere, enthusiasm and heart.
WOMAD 2013 Review
In the words of my 5 year old: “I wish it could be WOMAD everyday”
Confession time, we were WOMAD virgins but this only added to the excitement of setting off on our five and a half hour journey to Charlton Park and our very first WOMAD experience.
Just as we were packed up and ready to leave home at 6.20 am the rain came. Nothing to worry about as we had managed to get everything in our trusted Dolly (our camper van) and at least we were dry.
Ten minutes into our journey and we were starting to worry a little as the heavens opened and just being able to see the road ahead of us was a struggle. Thoughts of “NO please don’t let this be how our first WOMAD is going to be” entered our heads but there was no use in worrying, what will be will be!
Nozstock 2013 Review
Got my head in the sky but my roots in the ground
I have a confession, I live approximately 15 miles from where Nozstock festival is held and I have never been before. I have friends that have been but for one reason or another I have never made it there. How I could miss out on such a local gem of a festival? Madness! A mistake I do not plan to let happen again! Read more…
Solfest 2013 Review
Solfest – a real family festival
Review and pictures by Lisa from ‘We Don’t Eat Anything With a Face’
We almost bought tickets for Solfest last year, but the horrendous weather put us off. I’m so glad we went this year though, as the sun shined most of the weekend, with just a few scattered showers on the Friday. This made it our first mud-free festival for three years!
Solfest is held on Tarnside Farm near Aspatria in Cumbria over the August bank holiday weekend and has been running for 10 years.
The location is stunning, if somewhat hard to find Read more…
Croissant Neuf 2013 Review
Croissant Neuf – not just ‘family-friendly’ but a real family festival
Croissant Neuf gave me many new festival experiences, and for someone who has been to so many festivals that is an unusual thing.
Suffolk Fun Festival 2013 Review
I first found out about Suffolk Fun Festival through my friend Rachel Baker who would be taking her imaginative play and exploratory activities to the event and knew it was something I had to check out further.
It was the first year for the Suffolk Fun Festival, and was the brainchild of Fi Siddall, owner of Easton Farm Park, a popular tourist attraction in Suffolk. Paul Spencer , a local man and organiser of one of The Times Top 50 Festivals 2013, Maverick, an Americana musical festival held on the farm in July.
Appleyard Fayre 2013 Review
Tucked away in a small village in Norfolk, opposite popular tourist attraction Banham Zoo, is the Appleyard Meadow. In this meadow, in the last weekend of July, a little bit of magic happens. The magic is the tiny, yet packed full of fun and friendliness, Appleyard Fayre 2013.
The brainchild of local musician Liam Harvey, Wendy and Jonty, who run the popular Banham Barrel. With and a team of supportive locals, the Fayre brings a day of wonderful local music, food, craft stalls and activities for all the family for an absolute bargain price of £2 an adult (£3 after 6pm) and 50p a child.
WOMAD 2013 Review
In the words of my 5 year old: “I wish it could be WOMAD everyday”
Confession time, we were WOMAD virgins but this only added to the excitement of setting off on our five and a half hour journey to Charlton Park and our very first WOMAD experience.
Just as we were packed up and ready to leave home at 6.20 am the rain came. Nothing to worry about as we had managed to get everything in our trusted Dolly (our camper van) and at least we were dry.
Ten minutes into our journey and we were starting to worry a little as the heavens opened and just being able to see the road ahead of us was a struggle. Thoughts of “NO please don’t let this be how our first WOMAD is going to be” entered our heads but there was no use in worrying, what will be will be!
Green Man 2013 Review
Green Man – There’ll be a welcome in the hillsides
The Green Man Festival celebrated its 10th anniversary this year and it has grown into a 15,000-capacity event in a stunning location in the Black Mountains. We shamefully live very close to it but have never been before.
Last year they struggled with terrible weather and having Olympic equestrian trials on the site just weeks before made for a messy, difficult festival. I have never come across a festival listen and take on board the results of having such a hard year. They made changes to be prepared and ready for bad weather and dealt with the issues people raised. This came across all weekend, so much care and love for the site from the organisers rubbed off on everyone there. I have fallen for Green Man and hope my review does it the justice it rightly deserves.
Wilderness 2013 Review
Wilderness Festival… Where the wild things are…
Review and pictures by Vicky Lane
This was our second visit to beautiful Cornbury Park the home of Wilderness festival. The organisers really couldn’t have found a more perfect place to have a festival. We were so excited and so grateful to be invited back after discovering what felt like a wonderful secret last year.
Festival on the Farm 2013 Review
I always seem to forget about the wonderful tourist attractions we have in our area and Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse is one such place.
I had visited when in junior school where we had to dress as Victorian children and again as an adult with a school I worked at. This Saturday was the third and most enjoyable time. The festival only enhanced what is a wonderfully fascinating place to visit.
Read more…
Chilled in a Field 2013 Review
Chilled in a Field is small but perfectly formed
*Chilled* in a Field will always mean something special to our family, as it was the first festival for our two youngest last year, aged only 2. We wanted to visit it again but I admit I was a little bit concerned that as we had since been to much bigger festivals we might be disappointed in one so small. However I shouldn’t have worried – what *Chilled* misses out in big names and variety of entertainment it more than makes up for with atmosphere, enthusiasm and heart.
Nozstock 2013 Review
Got my head in the sky but my roots in the ground
I have a confession, I live approximately 15 miles from where Nozstock festival is held and I have never been before. I have friends that have been but for one reason or another I have never made it there. How I could miss out on such a local gem of a festival? Madness! A mistake I do not plan to let happen again! Read more…