Thursday, July 30, 2009

Camp Bestival

I have been rather quiet since my last post, not visiting many blogs or commenting because I was getting ready to go to my first festival in many years. The wonderful Camp Bestival held in the grounds of Lulworth Castle in Dorset. Billed as 'A 3 day family festival at a castle by the sea', I decided to take my children along with my mum and go 'Glamping'. We stayed in the wonderful Yurtel. A yurt, all ready for us, with beds, duvets, electricity and a locking wooden door. I am way too set in my ways to do proper camping, a lightweight, so when I found out about the Yurtel I thought, "I can do that"!

The yurt was so comfortable and welcoming. There was chocolates on the pillows, flowers next to the bed and fresh clean bedding to snuggle into at the end of a long, fun filled day.








We had plenty of room for all our stuff and we quickly made it look like a home from home!





The other benefit of Boutique Camping was the showers. Lovely hot showers that we only had to queue 10 minutes for, pure luxury!

The yurt was expensive but as this is to be our only holiday this year I figured I would have spent just as much on a holiday cottage.


We spent an extraordinary amount of time in the kid's field as it was the kid's entertainment that was the main attraction for going. There was so much for the children to do and the atmosphere in the whole festival was very family friendly. The views everywhere you looked were wonderful too as we had the sea and a beautiful castle as backdrops.








We had Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall's River Cottage Cafe tent

The fabulous Wonderland Inn with their comfortable day beds strewn with cushions.



The Art tent where you could paint your wishes



Swingboats



Animal mask making


Cake decorating in the WI tent





Meeting Justin Fletcher aka Mr Tumble


Fancy Dress



and more adult orientated attractions like Breakfast at The River Cottage Cafe (yes we saw Hugh)



The sewing tent


The knitting tent



Howard Marks reading Fairy Stories (surreal)



Dancing to Gilles Peterson's set in The Bollywood tent whilst drinking Pimms



The gorgeous and wonderful Florence and the Machine


Afternoon tea at the Tofflins Tent. Tea and cabaret extravaganza





.....where Alfie got dragged up onto the stage by a burlesque dancer who blew him a kiss when he got back to his seat. Luckily he had face paint on so you couldn't see him blushing!



Bon Iver on the Big Screen (where I sat with Lizzy, colouring in!)



Will Young the Ringmaster


...........and just hanging out in the sunshine, for we had 2 and a half days of it, people watching.







Sunday's weather was a bit wetter and we dodged the showers but that didn't dampen our spirits and we were treated to set from Candi Staton and Chic, followed by Rob da Bank's set complete with dancers from the English National Ballet and topped off with the most spectacular firework display ever. They went on for 20 minutes, accompanied by great music courtesy of Rob, set against the castle. All in all the most fabulous weekend. I can't wait for next year's offering.

Here for you all is the first 6 minutes of the fireworks, enjoy x

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22 comments:

Bobo Bun said...

Wow Donna I really enjoyed your post. You had a fab time didn;t you. Laughed at the posh camping with chocs on pillows. I remember small tents and avoiding the filthy showers. Is this what growing up is all about? You can actually do it the pleasant way at last.

He's now reading fairytales - so funny really. Gorgeous bunny suit and all the crafty goodness. I can't believe how old Gilles P looks - forget I'm getting on too now. Used to follow his gigs all over London (a fair time back now pre-kids).

Hope you have just as much fun the rest of the holidays.

Lisa x

Pipany said...

Such envy here Donna. You saw Hugh and Justin (that man is a satr!) and you had sunshine...sigh! x

Sarah said...

Oooh looks lovely, I am off to Beautiful Days, my first festy for way too long, but I am taking a grotty little tent, no kids tho so that equals it all out I think, your yurt looked fab tho!

Gretel said...

After you told me about it, I looked it up and it looked amazing - and after your review and pics I am even more convinced now! Any festival with Hugh FW at it is a winner with me. Fingers crossed my secret book job comes off, I might make it one year!

Grumpy Old Woman said...

Lovely, lovely Donna - it brings back the excited and special feeling of being there.
Loved all the photos - except the one with me in it.
I'm glad you enjoyed the video clip.

Right now I'm listening to Hugh on the radio - he is sharing his choice of 'Desert Island Discs' with us.
Nick Cave's 'Into My Arms' is playing.
He and his wife danced to it for their first dance when they got married.
How romantic is that?
xxxx
~{:O})=

Anonymous said...

It looks like a magical place - how marvellous. I'd love to do that with my boys.

wendy

ps and Hugh FW!! Whoo!

Pomona said...

It looks fantastic - that's where I want to go on holiday next year! The last festival I went to was the Big Green Gathering but our tent leaked and we didn't have a shower for 5 days, they were so few and far away! The rest of it was great fun, but glamping looks like the way to go!

Pomona x

Katie said...

How fabulous! I really enjoyed your post. I think you might have cured my fear of camping (don't tell Mr Treasure, he's been wanting to go camping for years!) How fabulous are those yurts?! I was so pleased to see you decorated yours with bunting! It looks like you had a brilliant time. I suddenly don't feel so terrified of festivals...maybe I will go to one one day! xxx

Thedarkerside73 said...

Wow lucky you to be able to go glamping! its a bog standard tent for us in a few weeks! soooo looking forward to it! well the break not the tent accomodation. Although it is quite a "posh" one has it has 3 bedrooms! oh er.

Wow that looks like the most amazing weekend. Hugh Justin and Florence and the machine. My head is spinning. Such clever and amazing people. Sounds like the receipe for a perfect weekend.

Mmmmm might have to look into this yurtle thing, and actually being able to shower instead of the usual manky ones.................


Great post.


MBBx

Anonymous said...

What a great family festival. I like the Yurt, it's how camping should be. The knitting sanctuary looks great, perhaps we should all have one of those in our gardens. My daughter is fascinated with festivals so we are going to watch the fireworks.
Adele

Sal said...

Crikey...I thought Port Eliot was wonderful but your festival looks fabulous too!
Glad you had such a good time ;-)

Vintage to Victorian said...

What a fabulous time you all had - and the yurt is wonderful.

Mind you, you can't beat Lulworth as a destination in my book!! I heard Hugh on Desert Island Discs this morning, too, Aileen!

Sue xx

A Bun Can Dance said...

Hello Donna!
I loved reading your tales of the festival, too! Some of your pics look just like the ones on my laptop ;-)
The yurt looks amazing and you were very lucky to have so few people to share the posh wash showers with - we failed to get into the others so it was a case of strip washing in the awning each day! Just think, this time last week it was all starting and we were about to dance along to Kid Creole - can't wait for next year!
Denise x

Spaceritual said...

Looks a lot more civilised than Stonehenge fests of the 80`s , but are you saving pics of PJ Harveys set?

Anyway will catch up with you and Aileen on f/book later

Anonymous said...

Hi Donna!
Camp Bestival looks really good...loved the yurt...could happily live in that all year I think!
Lol...
Amanda (Shabby Chick) xxx

claire Maraldo said...

Now I could do glamping I think. I have been permanently put off camping by the toilets at in Glastonbury 1990. Say no more.

It looks like you had a really fun time . . .i love the sewing and knitting tent . . . how terribly english!

what does your mum's t shirt say? I'm desperate to know!

Grumpy Old Woman said...

hahahaha!

The T-shirt is a silly response to the 'Keep calm and carry on' slogan we see everywhere at the moment.

My T-shirt says ' Now panic and freak out' - childish, I know .......

~{:O})=

Mandy said...

Oh my goodness I have just found your blog and I love it. I love the festival you went to it looks amazing x

Amy said...

Looks amazing. Think we might come along next year but only if the summer is a little better than this years! x

Laura said...

Oh My Donna, this looks like the best time. You all look so happy, what a completely fabulous thing to do. I love it!

Rowan Stanfield said...

Nice photos, and glad you enjoyed the yurt experience. I stayed in one at Hay Festival recently and was made up with it. What a lovely weekend Camp Bestival was: http://rowstar.blogspot.com/2009/07/fun-in-sun-at-camp-bestival-2009.html

Carol said...

Wow what a post ! now that is great camping isn't it. It looks so snug and cosy.
You certainly all had a wow of a time, it looked great.
Cx
ps love the hair cut too!