Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Lone parents

Use our Single Parent forum to speak to other parents raising a child alone.

Original poster

MN lone parent camping trip/ festival weekend- anyone interested?

112 replies

SuperBunny · 31/12/2009 19:08

I want to take DS to a festival but I've never been to one and imagine it would be much better for both of us if we went with other people. None of my friends with children go to festivals so I was wondering if there are any other MNers in the same boat?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
QueenofWhatever · 31/12/2009 19:23

Good idea, I'd be interested. I'm thinking of Glastonbury or Womad. I live in Bristol, so they're both reasonably close.

StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 31/12/2009 19:50

Isn't Glastonbury sold out? I'd be interested. I took DD to Blissfields last year and it was good but would like a bigger festival this/next year.

Original poster
SuperBunny · 31/12/2009 19:55

I'm also in southwest

Never been to Glastonbury and am wondering if it might be a bit big for our first festie trip?

OP posts:
spursmummy · 31/12/2009 19:58

I'd love to take dd to a festival but as she's only 2 I think she'll probably want to go to sleep once all the decent acts come on

StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 31/12/2009 20:00

Glasto meant to be very kiddie friendly.

StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 31/12/2009 20:05

How about Latitude? Meant to be very good and smaller than Glasto.

Original poster
SuperBunny · 31/12/2009 20:23

Where is blissfields. I am restricted to weekends out of summer holidays so am making a list now of suitable festivals!

OP posts:
Original poster
SuperBunny · 31/12/2009 20:30

Latitude would be fab, would love to go there but is a really long way from the southwest.

OP posts:
StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 31/12/2009 20:43

Blissfields was near to Reading. Somewhere in Hampshire I think. I went past Oxford heading south and turned left.

Kids are free at Latitude! The fabulous Elbow are rumoured to be headlining.

Original poster
SuperBunny · 31/12/2009 20:52

OOo, I love Elbow.

OP posts:
alwaysindoubt · 31/12/2009 21:07

I'm up for lone parent outings.

famishedass · 31/12/2009 21:27

there's always "The Big Chill" at Eastnor Castle. That's supposed to be really child friendly.

Could I come too. I'd really really love to. I'm not a lone parent but I'd come with just me and my kids.

Won't be offended if you say no though, don't worry? All my married friends are boring and never do anything like going to festivals lol.

StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 31/12/2009 21:32

Problem is the tickets for Latitude will sell out before they announce the headliners. At least thats what happened last time. I rememember being gutted I hadn't got a ticket and then laughing my head off when they announced Pet Shop Boys and Grace Jones.

If I spend £150 and Elbow don't play I'd be gutted. Though it does look fab anyway. People I know who went last year had a great time and plenty of other bands apart from the headliners.

StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 31/12/2009 21:33

I'm not a lone parent either but saw this in active convos and didn't realise at first what section it was in. My DH won't got to gigs or festivals either.

Original poster
SuperBunny · 31/12/2009 21:36

Oh yay, more people. You don't have to be a single parent, famished! The big chill is during summer hols so it out for me but does sound good. If you go, please report back to me!

OP posts:
Original poster
SuperBunny · 31/12/2009 21:48

See, I was wondering about the smaller festivals where I don't know any of the acts... would that be crap? Or nice to hear new music? Or will I be running around after DS (4) so much that I won't hear the music anyway?

OP posts:
shockers · 31/12/2009 21:53

I love Womad... been the last 2 years with DS(9) and DD (11) but with sn. The children's work is great and the food and atmosphere are fab. If you want A list bands, you won't get them but the music is diverse and both years I have come back liking stuff that I hadn't heard of before. I can thoroughly recommend it!

shockers · 31/12/2009 21:55

And would be interested in joining other MNers for festival fun

Wastwinsetandpearls · 31/12/2009 21:57

I would love to come, not a single parent but it feels like it in the summer holidays as I am off work and dp is stil working.

AboardtheAxiom · 31/12/2009 22:01

Ooh I would possibly be interested in this, would depend on logistics/location though so would probably wait til you had all decided on somewhere then see if I could make it.

Original poster
SuperBunny · 31/12/2009 22:09

Womad would be good but is in summer hols, so no good for me

OP posts:
StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 31/12/2009 22:42

The thing with the smaller festivals is there may not be enough for the kids. When I went to Blissfields the only artist I'd heard of was Laura Marling and she was the reason I went. 99% of the other artists were fab.

But DD (who was 8) really wasn't keen on the music. It wasn't just that it was loud but it really seemed to vibrate through the ground to you.

I'd bribe her to come to the stage for short bursts but thats all she'd do. Then she wanted to wonder round the stalls (all 8 of them). I was a bit bored with looking round the same 8 stalls for 3 days.

So next festival I want somewhere that has things like puppet shows, circus skill workshops and things so there is more interesting stuff to do between the (enforced) music sessions.

Oh and I'm definetly going to get her some little ear defenders and see if that helps. But then if she can't hear the music she'd be bored and wouldn't want to stay there too long either..........I dunno.

mummyofexcitedprincesses · 31/12/2009 23:23

If you register for Glasto, unpaid tickets will be re-released soon.

Original poster
SuperBunny · 31/12/2009 23:51

Yeah, stuff to do is important... will have a look around and see what might be best.

Ear defenders might be worth a try - you can hear a surprising amount through them it so they might allow your DD to hear the music but it not be quite so intrusive. Good luck

OP posts:
QueenofWhatever · 01/01/2010 09:34

I'm a big fan of Womad because of the sheer diversity of what you can see and very family friendly. They also have a seperate camping area and amplified noise is banned here from 8pm to 8am. Link here for information and review of 2009. It's 23rd - 25th July in Wiltshire, off the M4.

It looks like tickets are £125 (ouch) and camping is £50, kids go free. If we go, I would suggest we contact the organisers and say we're a group of single parents and see if we can get a discount.