Festival!!

Friday 24th July

The alarm goes off at 6.30am, the earliest we've been awake all holiday - but for very good reason. We are off to Camp Bestival! The carparks open up at 8am - and I'd heard horrors of queuing for half a day before getting in - so I was adamant that we were going to get there before the rush. After having our obligatory pre-festival shower (god knows when we were going to get our next one), and a quick pack-up (bed away - check; electric disconnected - check; top down - check), we were on our way - a whole 10 minute journey.

Well, it would have been. After following signs for Camp Bestival, we knew that we needed Purple parking as this is where the campervan field was. After queuing for all of 2 mins (we would have been disappointed if there wasn't a bit of a queue), we arrived at Blue parking. After asking for Purple parking we were waved on and found signs for Campervans. We followed and followed them and arrived at....blue parking! Ignoring the signs we took a few lucky turns and found a farm track - which lead us to Purple parking!! At last! But our efforts paid off as we were directed to the Campervan field and given a prime pitch - along side 3 other VW campervans - we were sure that Lizzy would feel at home.

We set up camp, put up the tent we had (thanks Claire and Rob for the loan), and met our neighbours. Both complimented us on Lizzy - and for a moment I thought about pretending she was ours but I had to come clean. Breakfast was next on the agenda, and this gave us an opportunity to do a bit of people watching. A camping field was in front of us, and it looked like ants swarming across with their belongings for the weekend. Some peoples' expertise in putting up tents was amazing - others not so! A wander round the campsite to get our bearings and then back to Lizzy to prepare ourselves for an afternoon and evening at the festival!

Long and winding road

Thursday 23rd July


We can't believe it is Thursday already! Tomorrow is the start of Camp Bestival!

After packing up, we are on the road again but only for 10 minutes or so. We decided to visit Castle Drogo - the last castle to be built in England. On arriving at the car park, the steward waves at us - something we have become used to, travelling in Lizzy, so we waved back - only to be told after a 'wind down window' gesture, that he was actually waving us onto the overflow car park - whoops!

After a walk round the gardens and a leisurely wander round the castle, we were on the road again - we had a long trek to our next site, Durdle Door Holiday Park - but would only a 10 minute drive from Lulworth Castle and Camp Bestival!

On the route to Durdle Door, we felt like we had entered into the world of Campervaners. We met quite a few - and were always greeted by flashing lights (which we would wave back to as we hadn't worked out which of the two light switches in the van worked the lights!).

Finally, after what seemed like an age, and via Sidmouth for petrol and Beer for lunch which included a near encounter with a very full ford (we chickened out and found another road out), we arrived at the campsite - only to be directed to the cliff edge - definitely the sea view they said we would have. However, the steepness of the slope, both hozitontally and vertically and the gale force wind that was coming off the sea made us feel slightly unsafe, even with concrete blocks behind the wheels. A quick chat with the campsite reception put us on a much more level pitch, but unfortunately with no sea view this time.

Time to stock up on provisions before 3 days of festival living, and a take away of fish and chips, and we were ready to settle down for the night!