The latest in our series of themed blogs in which Farmer Phil’s Festival fans recount their fondest experiences at the event, recent convert Lucy Courtney explains why 2015’s festival holds such happy memories for her whole family – her favourite Farmer Phil’s festival experience…
“Once a year my children, grandchildren, husband and I go away together camping, usually Wales. Last year we discovered Farmer Phil’s Festival and thought we’d give it a try. We didn’t know what to expect, but it’s close to home and the whole family love camping. So, tickets bought, we were ready to have a great time.
There was so much for each and every member of our family to do, from our little two-year-old grandson, teenage grandsons, granddaughters and my husband (who is in his sixties, suffers from Alzheimer’s, and can be very hard to please at times!). My children found it relaxing as they didn’t have to worry about how to keep the little ones occupied, while I just loved seeing all the smiling faces.
We camped in the family field, which was well grassed, and had toilets at both ends (very important when you have little ones!). Day time for the grandchildren was full of fun, playing by the tent in the mornings, and then going up to join in the activities after lunch. Spending the day carpet making, enjoying various crafts, watching the animal man, trying your hand in the circus tent and so much more was perfect for keeping both the kids and us grown-ups entertained. We’d generally have our evening meal back at the tents, although we did make use of the food vendors, which was great as we didn’t have to cook every night.
As the nights crept in, the kids gathered around the camp fire melting marshmallows, telling stories and talking about what they are going to do tomorrow. There were no tears from the little ones when it was time to shower before bedtime as they knew it would be another great day when they woke up. Once the kids were down, the adults went up to the stage area to have a great night listening to music. We devised a relay system so there was always someone in camp to look after the sleeping cherubs.
At the end of the week, the kids were sorry it came to an end. I said to them “Well, that was really good, shall we go to Wales next year?” Needless to say, there were shouts of disbelief, cries of “Nooooooo!” and a resounding “We want to come back here!” and so we booked our tickets for 2016 quick smart!
I would personally like to say a heart felt thanks to all involved in the festival for making it so special – particularly for my husband who was happy all week, which in turn gave me some respite from caring for him 24/7. It was a wonderful week and we can’t wait to do it all over again this year. See you soon Farmer Phil!“