Earlier in the year, we got up very early one Friday morning, packed the car with all the necessary equipment for a weekend of dressing up and camping and made our way over the water to the delightful location of Lulworth Castle in Dorset.
The reason for our jaunt was to check out the very first Camp Bestival, the younger sister and tamer version of the rather hedonistic Bestival.
As you will have read on VB earlier in the year, Camp Bestival was much more family focused than Bestival and in our opinion, it certainly delivered what was promised.
An entire field (and we’re talking a pretty big one, not just shovved in the back corner of a field) was dedicated to the little darlings brought along by their parents to experience the joys of a Bestival weekend.
There was tons to do, see and take part in … oh, and there was some music too, such the incredible Billy Bragg and the amazingly enthusiastic Chuck Berry to name just two.
As is usual at this time of year, now the festival season is over, it’s time to recognise and acknowledge the hard work of all those lovely festival organisers.
These people make it look so easy, they put on these events in fantastic locations, manage to convince the greatest musicians to play to crowds of adoring fans, think about the minutest of details (such as padding round the flag poles at Camp Bestial so the little’uns didn’t split their heads open if look not looking where they were running) and still have the energy to fire fight when things don’t go to plan.
Camp Bestival has been nominated in several categories including the Best New Festival, Best Small Festival, Grass Roots Festival Award, Family Festival Award, Best Line-up and Best Toilets.
Whilst Bestival is in the running for Best Medium Sized Festival, Grass Roots Festival Award, Family Festival Award, Best Line-up and Best Toilets.
If that wasn’t enough, HQ tells us that they’re also up up for the Innovation Award for the Cloakroom Bag and Tent Taxi service as well as the Most Memorable Moment 2008 for when Terry Hall and Friends (ie. The Specials minus Jerry Dammers) took to the stage and were followed by mind blowing performance by Grace Jones.
Make sure you take some time out over the next couple of days to cast your vote and hopefully see Bestival get through to the second round and on to winning the accolades they deserve.
Photos: Camp Bestival – shot for VentnorBlog by Annie Leonard
