Sharon’s festy blog: Busy weekend!

Time for a quick update from Family Festivals Central…

The season is in full swing now, and as usual there are more events than we can get to – but we’re doing our best.

The weekend just gone saw Family Festivals’ Andrea and Andy hit Guilfest, Jon and Sharon covered Larmer Tree and the Southampton Mela and attempted a hat trick for the weekend by travelling to Dorset for the Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival.

Expect reviews and photos up very soon. Meanwhile here’s a few tasters from the weekend:

• We raced across country Thursday night to get to Larmer Tree in time for Frank Turner’s set, but when we got to Salisbury we realised that we had no idea where to go from there, plus it’s a satnav black hole round there. We eventually found the festy and caught the end of FT’s set – possibly the last time we’ll see this rising star up so close.
• True to the St Swithin’s legend, the skies opened on Thursday night with a torrential rain and wind-lashing for the festival. We were glad to be sleeping in our own beds, but getting home was a hair-raising ride in terrible conditions.
• Andrea and Andy stepped in to cover Guilfest and we haven’t heard from them since so we hope they got in okay and had a good time! Watch this space to find out….
• The Southampton Mela had glorious sunshine and a great turnout. The food was simply out of this world. Jon took photos and is writing a foodie-orientated review as we speak.
• Apparently 20,000 people showed up to the Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival and rally yesterday. I’ll take Twitter’s word for it because we were in one of the many cars to be turned back as the site was full to overflowing. Really gutted as it’s one of the best free days out in the South. Has this event outgrown its historic site? I’ll investigate…
• Tolpuddle attempts thwarted, we headed North and back to Larmer Tree to rescue the day’s festival-going. Glad we did. The Sunday sunshine made it like a different festival altogether. Great photos and review by Jon on their way now…

All that and we’re got a belated but fab Glastonbury review about to be uploaded, as soon as the pix arrive, and a brilliant A-Z preview of Camp Bestival.

See you at a festival soon!