wilderness

At the beginning of the month I went to Wilderness, a festival in Oxfordshire that was made for people who don’t really “do” festivals. Don’t get me wrong, I am more than happy getting stuck into camping, getting muddy and spending all day roaming the fields however, the luxuries on offer combined with incredible food and a great and endless list of activities made me book tickets last November quicker than you could say “show me the tent”. And boy is Wilderness a luxurious festival to experience. Admittedly I don’t have much of a gauge for festival frolics (this was my first) but Wilderness has got to be one of the best in terms of all round entertainment, cleanliness and fun.

Sarah, Mel and I headed out west in the blazing sunshine on the Thursday and set up camp. We had pre-bought tickets to the opening night feast so after having a good amble around the main site and changing into something a little lighter we skipped into the banquet tent where we were joined by hundreds more to enjoy the tasty food prepared by Woodfire Canteen and Hidden Hut and ample booze to get us started for a long weekend. Entertainment abounds at Wilderness with performers giving impromptu skits halfway through proceedings to a fanfare of applause.

Waking up on the Friday morning we had various plans. Sarah was off to a talk in one of the tents whilst Mel and I wanted to dip our toes into the lake for some wild swimming. I’m an absolute water baby so was more than happy to jump and dive into the lake but Mel was a little more fearful so after a quick paddle enjoyed a sunbathe on the banks. Meeting back up with Sarah we decided to enjoy some of the delicious food on offer. Really, I’d describe Wilderness as a food and wellness festival that just so happens to play great music too. Honestly the food is incredible and you’re never short of inspiration for a different meal each time. We feasted on bao buns (someone help me, I am ADDICTED),tacos, crab rolls, Indian street food, Japanese bowl food and so much more (obviously not at the same time, I’m not that much of a savage!).

Friday night was spent down in the Valley, a hedonistic dance floor filled with happy people, strobe lighting and heavy beats. Admittedly we all found this quite intense and being the ageing 26 year olds we are we struggled to keep awake until 1.30am to see Groove Amada. But we battled through and enjoyed a good bop to the beats before calling it a night and ambling back to our tents.

By Saturday we were in need of a hearty breakfast so whilst Mel snoozed a little longer Sarah and I went in search of baked beans on toast and fried egg sandwiches. The sun over the weekend was relentless and the temperature at 30 all the time so with our sensible brains in gear we decided to take Saturday day easy, taking time to ourselves to watch the cricket (perhaps one of my fav parts!), enjoy more talks and comedy or even enjoy a little nap in the sun. The cricket was a real highlight for me, with the occasional (actually very frequent) streaker enjoy a liberating run across the pitch to break up the morning’s play. One of the most heart-warming aspects of Wilderness is the coming together of all ages and how genuinely happy everyone is. It’s so easy to feel bogged down by day to day drudgery and its easy to forget the pleasure in spending time surrounded by those who are happy and cheerful. We need more people like that!

 Anyway, I digress. Before boogieing down to Nile Roger and Chic we treated ourselves to two hours at the lake side spa, a gorgeous set up with wood fire-heated hot tubs and private access to the lake. We plunged into the hot tubs and sipped on champagne (I promise you, this was a real festival!) before jumping into the lake for a final refreshing dip. Time was ticking by and Nile was calling our names so we hot footed it back to our camp to bejewel ourselves before making a beeline for the Sipsmith Gin Palace, the perfect way to get into the disco spirit (pun intended hehehe).

The rest of the evening went by in a haze of dance moves, singing at the top of our lungs and lots of laughter. Amazing puppets roamed the fields amongst party goers, children and golden oldies. 

Wilderness proved to be an amazing festival and whilst fairly expensive in the end, I'd sign up for another in a heartbeat. Maybe one day when we all have a bit more dollar we could try glamping though I have to admit, I think that is cheating just a little bit too much.

Take be back to the fields, why don't you! 



L.    

the cotswolds or provence?

Waving goodbye to the confetti fields we headed the short journey to Broadway to catch some lunch at the cafe we always go to before driving the short journey on to Snowshill and the lavender fields. I first visited the lavender fields many years ago with mum and I remember how they suddenly came out of nowhere as soon as you get on top of the hills, sprawling out in front of us like a picture postcard of Provence. The intensity of the purple colour is like nothing else and you really do feel like you aren't in Middle England.

We pulled up in the dusty car park and bought our ticket to the fields. It's another tourist trap but thankfully the fields are big enough for you to find your own little patch away from the tourists posing away. We even spotted a wedding party making the most of the views and having their photographs taken in amongst the purple haze. 

The majority of the lavender is of the same variety (Hidcote lavender, I believe) but there is a section at the beginning of the fields that showcase all kinds of varieties, including beautiful white lavender, pinky tones and those with silvery leaves. I loved the white variety and thought I might give it a go next year in our little patio. The lavender is grown at Snowshill for cosmetic and homeopathic use, with the great distilling barn located next to the fields and open for you to have a nose around. 

I'm not sure I actually like the smell of lavender oil as I think it's a bit overwhelming but I love fields of lavender, with the scent gently wafting in the light breeze. We were so lucky with the weather as the lavender's purple hues stood out brilliantly against the deep blue of the sky. It's such a treat to have the lavender fields right on your doorstep and you'd be completely forgiven for thinking you'd hopped across the Channel and found yourself in the South of France. We'll be sure to go back again next year.



L.