Sharon’s festy blog: Hot hot hot! (at last)

Woke up this morning knowing something was different today – it wasn’t raining! In fact the 9am sun is beating down on this campervan field exactly as I imagine it would at the perfect imaginary festival.

Yesterday was um, challenging, let’s say. The relentless rain finally gave way in the afternoon to blue skies, but left an ocean of sticky mud in its wake. These can be the conditions most trying for a child-centred family at a festival. After being cooped up during the downpour, everyone is desperate to get out and about afterwards, but most buggies are not up to the job of cutting through the adhesive and viscous sludge that is EVERYWHERE.

Our battered Pliko umbrella-folding street buggy is no exception. With small solid wheels, it’s a no-go at times like this. We spotted plenty of families with rugged and inventive solutions though – pix to follow. What you need for muddy terrain is big wheels, the bigger the better. Bicycle size if you can. Some of the bigger wagons (think market traders’ goods wagons), lined with cushions and blankets, can handle it. Everything else gets stuck.

We tried out or new toy for the first time yesterday. The Vango baby carrier rucksack gave Louis a grand view from up behind Jon’s shoulders while keeping him safely above the chaos. Even when we got caught in the sheep-like exodus from the mainstage after the Specials, he was fine and happy.

We found a good vantage point in front of the Pyramid stage and, with Louis asleep and cosy in his carrier, we managed to watch Neil Young’s astounding headline set. I was so happy – sometimes it seems an impossible task to catch a mainstage headliner at Glasto with tinies in tow – but we did it, only leaving early to avoid the crush at the end.

We’ll take today as it comes – the kidz’ field has a laundrette where you can have a load of filthy clothing service washed for a tenner, right next door to the posh showers. Both seem quite appealing today. And if the mud has dried, we’ll take a stroll up to the Green Fields for some more alternative good times.