Secret Garden Party
28/07/08 13:45
24th -
28th July 2008
Quite literally the best festival I have ever been too.
I had no idea what to expect but having read the website before hand and knowing that the festival was not just about music but about "free expression" and "action camps" galore I was worried. I was worried that the place would be full of egotistical prats trying to prove their self worth. Trying to be the most outlandish fancily dressed there and basically ignoring everyone else because clearly they were far more cool. And indeed everyone is dressed up ALL the time.....but it is so relaxed and so laid back that one morning when I found I had sat on some wet grass and my skirt and pants were wet to the bone and despite the boiling hot and humid weather I didn't want to be wearing them. I actually took off my skirt and walked around in my old pink knickers and I didn't look a bit out of place. No one gave a shit. Everyone was having far too much of a good time. There was no one you couldn't talk to. There were no larger louts and people so drunk you had to avoid them or places you couldn't get into because they were more packed than the london underground at rush hour. No this festival was well and truly for people wanting to have a good time. And boy did they. Partying went on until the wee hours every night. Not us I hasten to add.. sad as we are we were in bed by 1am every evening absolutely exhausted from the fun of the day.
The "action camps" turned out to be one of the best thing about the place... there was such crazy shit going on and enough down hill tyre races and rafting across the lake to make you average health and safety expert sick with worry. But HELL it was fun, we were free, the sun was shining and if you got bored of one thing around the next corner was always something better. Sock wrestling, fire camp, an open dance off, a performance of Hamlet, a random knock knock joke door (we spent a lot of time here, don't ask) and all this surrounded by the most beautiful lake upon which sat a galleon ship fit for Pirates of the Caribbean. The ship was in fact a bar and dance area which you had to take a raft to get to and on the Saturday night when the boat had been cleared they burned it down amongst an array of fireworks.
The music was good too... we had been SO lucky to get free tickets through my brother, James Yuill as he was playing there but sadly after his performance he had to hot foot it to Wales where he was due on stage the next day. But he left us with a list of must sees every single one worth their while. Post Wars Years, Animal Kingdom, The Brute Chorus, The Commmon Moral Cause! I managed to sneak in watching some of Alphabeat while Mike sped off to watch something else.. there was actually too much good stuff we wanted to see and not enough time. Sadly Grace Jones headlined on the saturday night and I would rather have eaten the mud than watched her. She scares the living crap out of me.. and speaking of which my only only complaint about the whole experience were the toilets. There just weren't enough but enough said as all in all if there is one festival you go to next year make it this one. I guarantee you will not stop smiling the whole time you are there.
oh YEAH and the highlight for me was winning the animal noises competition. I did my best party trick, a guinea pig. They loved it! hee heee
To see our pics CLICK HERE
Quite literally the best festival I have ever been too.
I had no idea what to expect but having read the website before hand and knowing that the festival was not just about music but about "free expression" and "action camps" galore I was worried. I was worried that the place would be full of egotistical prats trying to prove their self worth. Trying to be the most outlandish fancily dressed there and basically ignoring everyone else because clearly they were far more cool. And indeed everyone is dressed up ALL the time.....but it is so relaxed and so laid back that one morning when I found I had sat on some wet grass and my skirt and pants were wet to the bone and despite the boiling hot and humid weather I didn't want to be wearing them. I actually took off my skirt and walked around in my old pink knickers and I didn't look a bit out of place. No one gave a shit. Everyone was having far too much of a good time. There was no one you couldn't talk to. There were no larger louts and people so drunk you had to avoid them or places you couldn't get into because they were more packed than the london underground at rush hour. No this festival was well and truly for people wanting to have a good time. And boy did they. Partying went on until the wee hours every night. Not us I hasten to add.. sad as we are we were in bed by 1am every evening absolutely exhausted from the fun of the day.
The "action camps" turned out to be one of the best thing about the place... there was such crazy shit going on and enough down hill tyre races and rafting across the lake to make you average health and safety expert sick with worry. But HELL it was fun, we were free, the sun was shining and if you got bored of one thing around the next corner was always something better. Sock wrestling, fire camp, an open dance off, a performance of Hamlet, a random knock knock joke door (we spent a lot of time here, don't ask) and all this surrounded by the most beautiful lake upon which sat a galleon ship fit for Pirates of the Caribbean. The ship was in fact a bar and dance area which you had to take a raft to get to and on the Saturday night when the boat had been cleared they burned it down amongst an array of fireworks.
The music was good too... we had been SO lucky to get free tickets through my brother, James Yuill as he was playing there but sadly after his performance he had to hot foot it to Wales where he was due on stage the next day. But he left us with a list of must sees every single one worth their while. Post Wars Years, Animal Kingdom, The Brute Chorus, The Commmon Moral Cause! I managed to sneak in watching some of Alphabeat while Mike sped off to watch something else.. there was actually too much good stuff we wanted to see and not enough time. Sadly Grace Jones headlined on the saturday night and I would rather have eaten the mud than watched her. She scares the living crap out of me.. and speaking of which my only only complaint about the whole experience were the toilets. There just weren't enough but enough said as all in all if there is one festival you go to next year make it this one. I guarantee you will not stop smiling the whole time you are there.
oh YEAH and the highlight for me was winning the animal noises competition. I did my best party trick, a guinea pig. They loved it! hee heee
To see our pics CLICK HERE