 Festival
families
Are music festivals best left for those pre-baby days. Tammy Lovell
proves that the opposite is in fact the case when she took her 8 month-old
daughter to a 3 days music festival in Herefordshire
Before arriving at The Big Chill site I have to admit I was feeling anything
but chilled. In fact I was feeling quite nervous about the prospect of
taking my eight-month-old daughter Maisie to her first music festival.
I myself am no stranger to these events having frequented many a summer
festival in my pre-baby days.
These involved copious amounts of alcohol, late nights, smelly toilets
and a distinct lack of showering. It was quite how these elements would
combine with my precious little one that was worrying me.
However, the festival, which takes place in Eastnor Castle Deer Park in
Herefordshire, was billed as being baby-friendly, so we decided to take
the plunge and try our first family festival.
Arriving at the festival
The trek into the site was traumatic in itself with a nearly vertical
climb up a grassy terrain completely unsuitable for Maisie's Graco buggy.
As my husband Jamie struggled to push it up the hill we tried to ignore
the pitying looks of smug parents with their three-wheel strollers.
We discovered the next day that the stewards had completely misdirected
us and there was actually a much easier way to get in through the family
car park, which made it easier for the rest of the weekend.
After half an hour's walk we finally made it onto the stunning festival
site where the majestic Eastnor Castle could be seen gleaming in the Malvern
Hills.
Party baby
Rather than exploring the four fields of music tents, stages, art, and
theatre, my immediate concern was tending to Maisie. I needed to make
sure she was fed, watered and lathered with sun tan cream before I could
relax and enjoy myself.
I wasn't quite sure how it was going to work and started to worry that
the loud sound systems could damage Maisie's tiny ear drums. However I
soon discovered  the
key was to stay towards the back of the crowds and set out a blanket on
the grass with a few toys. Maisie turned out to be a party baby and was
as happy as could be clapping her hands and babbling to passers-by.
With the varied crowd, many in fancy dress, there was always something
for her to observe and she was never bored. She didn't cry once the entire
three days we were there, even though the emergence of a new tooth on
the Monday revealed she had been teething.
We spent most of our time sat at the main open air stage where we watched
Arrested Development, Norman Jay, and Jose Gonzalez, as well as many more
acts I had never heard of.
It was quite surreal to be dancing to a DJ set from Kiss FM founder, Norman
Jay with my baby daughter there, but as Jamie spun her around on his shoulders
she laughed away and clapped her hands to the music.
Time to chill in the Club Mum tent
On Sunday it was very hot and we headed to the Club Mum tent to get Maisie
out of the sun. This is an outside company which provides facilities for
parents at festivals. The company's motto is 'At last a chance to dance'
for parents and the tent displayed a red sign proudly declaring 'Mums
and Dads Welcome'.
It was basically like a mother and baby group in a tent, with the floor
strewn with cushions and toys. There was also a DJ in there, but he seemed
to only play sporadically and the music was not very loud. It struck me
as more a place to chill out than to dance and many parents were lazing
around while their offspring played with the toys.
The tent also had changing mats and baby wipes - much more convenient
than trying to change Maisie on the tiny travel mat which she loved to
roll off causing her bum to get covered in grass.
 There
was also a reflexologist offering foot massages for stressed-out parents.
These were a bargain at the price of £5 for 20 minutes - a snip compared
to the £20 for half an hour being charged in the Mind Body and Soul part
of the festival. Club Mum was next to a much larger kids' tent which ran
activities such as face painting throughout the day.
The festival was well-organised with the children's tents being set in
the field next to the family camp site and the quieter Castle Stage.
Children joined the festival spirit in fancy dress - many sporting fairy
wings and outfits. There was also plenty of healthy food for kids with
lots of organic and vegetarian food stalls - although I had brought jars
of Hipp Organic baby food for Maisie.
Night time
How Maisie would fare in the evenings was one of my main concerns about
the festival. At home we have a strict bath and bedtime routine with Maisie
being put down in her cot at 7pm so I had envisaged having to leave fairly
early.
However on the first night Maisie drifted happily to sleep in her buggy
at around 8pm. I put the rain cover over her to help block out noise and
sat enjoying a drink in a quieter area of the wine tent. There were several
other mums doing similar things - many dancing next to their buggies.
At 11pm Maisie roused briefly and after a quick breastfeed fell back to
sleep again. The atmosphere was so relaxed and non-judgemental that it
felt fine to nurse in public without embarrassment. We finally retired
at around midnight after having enjoyed a full day and not feeling like
we'd missed out at all.
Accomodation
We stayed at Little Marcle Court, in the village of Little Marcle, about
10 minutes drive from the site. The guest house was in a beautiful manor
house set in 16 acres of grounds with a private lake.
Although we felt we were cheating by not camping I have to admit I was
grateful each night when I sank into the comfy bed at the end of a hard
day partying. Our friend Jay, who was camping was also very jealous.
 We
enjoyed a hearty cooked breakfast each morning before setting off for
the festival, which we stopped us from spending too much money on site.
Richard and Irene who ran the guest house were really friendly and happy
to offer advice about the area.
However, it turned out that taxis were few and far between. One of them
was actually the milkman who doubled up as a taxi driver in the night!
Instead of risking getting stuck at the site, Jamie decided not to drink
and to drive back each night. We have therefore decided that when we return
next year we will be braver and camp.
Magical memories
The last night will always stick in my memory. We sat in the Enchanted
Garden, a mini festival within a festival set on a hill overlooking the
rest of the site. It had a bar, a stage playing ambient music (think whale
sounds) and giant screens showing strange images. The music wasn't exactly
to my taste but the atmosphere was completely relaxed with lots of children
around.
At around 9pm I breastfed Maisie before laying her down to sleep in her
buggy. Jamie and I then walked the arts trail - a magical pathway through
the forest which lit up at night, revealing trees decorated with strange
images and digital arts.
We then walked back down to the main stage where a 4Hero and Marc Marc
DJ set was going on. I had never heard of them before but was soon dancing
around the buggy at the back of the crowd. The park was beautiful in the
evening with the lights of the stages glowing in the hills and helium
balloons floating through the sky. It was a serene picture and a moment
of family harmony. I felt really glad to have Maisie there (albeit asleep)
becoming a fully-fledged member of our festival family.
Tips for music festival going-parents
- If you decide not to camp consider how you will get on and off site.
It may be easier to camp if the access to the site is not good.
- Check in advance if the festival is 'child-friendly.' Festivals vary
a lot in atmosphere, crowd and size. Many are not suitable for youngsters
and some do not allow them at all.
- Change your expectations. There's no point in expecting to do the
same things you did before you had your little one. Enjoy it for what
it is - precious time to spend enjoying yourself with your baby.
- Bring lots of baby wipes to double up as toilet roll and to wipe your
hands after going to the toilet. They make the portaloos a bit more
bearable.
Lovebox London Weekender is a family friendly event under 12s go
free. To find out more and buy tickets see www.loveboxweekender.com
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