The Great Date Change
Hesfes, the biggest home education camp in the UK, has changed dates for next year. For the past five years it’s been in May, and is now moving to June. This has generated a bit of discussion in various places, as the dates chosen are the week before the week that MuddlePuddle Summer Camp has traditionally happened.
I didn’t want to get into debates on any particular email list, but did want to say what I think about it, hence this post.
The new Hesfes dates/venue can only be good for Hesfes. I’ve been to Hesfes for the past couple of years – the first year I went we had fabulous weather during the days, but it was still very cold at night. Last year we had mixed weather but the rain we did have turned the whole camp into a mudbath – not pleasant! With regard to the venue change, well, I can’t believe there could possibly *be* a worse campsite than Manor Farm, so I’m not at all worried about that. Slightly annoying that it will more than likely end up being miles from home (so no quick getaway for me!) but that’s a minor detail.
It is unfortunate that the dates have fallen so close to MuddlePuddle Camp, but, MP has always been billed as a ‘holiday that muddlepuddle families take together’, and as such, I feel that it is more easily moved. Personally, after two years attendance I had tired of Sparky in any case. Again, a personal point of view I know, I found the venue difficult to get to! As well as that, for the past two years *that* camp has ended up with Muddy Puddles of its own, due to rain and field-flooding – which, I confess, put me off camping there even more than camping at Manor Farm!
So, personally, I am really pleased about the date and venue change for Hesfes. It’s unfortunate to clash with another camp, but there are only so many weeks available in a year that aren’t in high summer holiday season, yet still are warm enough to hopefully get some decent weather. I wonder if a solution for those with younger children who don’t want to do a full on Hesfes, might actually be to have a camp *at the same time* as Hesfes, on a nearby site, and negotiate a deal on day tickets?! Then anyone wanting to stay on for another week after Hesfes could easily do so. The organisers have at least given plenty of notice of their date change, and I’m looking forward to a new, improved version of Hesfes, as well as the opportunity for a new, improved MuddlePuddle camp.
September 13th, 2005 at 8:57
September 13th, 2005 at 9:31
From a personal perspective the date changes aren’t great for me, but for HESFES I suspect it will have a really positive impact. I wonder if it will be stuck with given it will clash with Glastonbury and surely all those scruffy hippy travellers will want to be there in 2007.
I still think it leaves a whole in the camping diary that will need filling, whilst it can be colder in may it can be hotter, think back to this May – it reached nearly 32 degrees in London at the end of May. I guess the problem with late May is that there is half-term and bank holidays to push prices and business up.
With regard the clash with MP, well I dunno. Andy is Andy and is never going to change. He could have told other camp organisers in advance but the issues of clashes would no doubt remain, it would have been more cooperative and polite to have done so. How big is the overlap between HESFES and MP camp in reality. I think I am right in recalling, for example, that at least Nic and Merry weren’t going to go to HESFES again until the kids are older. Sarah didn’t go to MP last year. Is it clear that a June MP camp would lose *that* many ‘clients’. One is never going to find a date that all people can always attend and I just wonder whether an MP camp is as unviable as suggested.
September 13th, 2005 at 10:09
I think something had to be done with HESFES, as the venue last year was completely inadequate. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were problems with having a licence issued again. As for the timing – while admittedly I’ve softened off with my camping in recent years, I have been a tent camper for most of my life, and I would always have found September a better risk then May, and pretty comparable to June in terms of night temperatures. If he was to move the date at all, it was bound to be June, really, and I would’ve thought that apart from a hard core of us, there aren’t that many people who go to both. I think it’s also the case that MP has deliberately never been sold as a “camp” and so we can’t really expect now to be considered as one. And as we’ve been under a foot of water both years at summer camp, I’m not sure that we can argue that it’s dryer
If it does turn out to be Essex, then in any case it is going to provide me with a bit of a personal challenge, as along with Suffolk and deepest Cornwall, it’s one of the hardest place to get to from here. Dorset and Devon have the advantages of sitting right at the end of the motorway. But hey – bit of variety and all that
MP summer camp has never been one of my favourite affairs. I’ve come as it’s nice to see people, and it gives Hannah another chance to play with the bigger girls. But to be honest, it’s the journey from hell, can’t be done in less than about 12 hours, and it’s often a pretty lonely week for me personally. Sold as it is as a group of families holidaying together, then as we can never go as a family, I’m pretty much dependant on shoving in on other people. And as I’m conscious that it may be their only chance of a family holiday, I try not to do that too much. The only reason Bob came at the last minute this year was that I suddenly realised I really couldn’t face another year of feeling a bit spare-partish. Melrose has always been a happier option for me, as it feels like it matters a lot less that I’m on my own.
There is Educationsense of course, to consider in September, but as it didn’t happen last year, we can’t really assume that’s “their” slot, and again, I don’t know many people who’ve done both. There are a few, I know, but not a lot. Realistically, when it comes to summer camps, the only options are June and September, and a couple of weeks in May between the two bank holidays, so as HE becomes more popular, and people want to organise communal events, there are bound to be clashes.
If MP still happened, and the venue and timing was OK for me, I would probably still try to go to both, and I hope that with 10-12 months of planning time, depending on when we end up having it, we could still come up with a solution that would work for most people. Or decide that apart from some hard-core nutters that go to both, (looks around, and realises that I’m in the nutter box with very few others!) it’s not going to cost MP that much to just say, well, **** that, and go ahead when planned, anyway, with always the option to do it differently in the future if it really doesn’t work out.
September 13th, 2005 at 10:09
Sorry, Sarah, that turned out to be a blog post in it’s own right, and has ended up in moderation as well.
September 13th, 2005 at 10:24
replied on my blog, it got too long.
September 13th, 2005 at 11:01
Oh, on second thoughts, i’ll put it here, keep it all in one place
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Totally with everyone on it being good for HESFES. I wouldn’t have gone to HESFES in May at Manor Farm again but i would go to a new one in June, possibly, because the things that put me off the most would be improved by better weather etc. I can live with a holiday we don’t full access if the conditions aren’t crap.
The people i mind most about being affected by a clash are people like the Porticos and the TRBs, and Joyce tbh – those people all have kids who would undoubtedly prefer HESFES and i’m guessing MP would lose them. That matters to me because those people are the mainstay of MP, they are the people my kids love being with two, among others, of course, but they strike me as the most likely to choose HESFES. And its would be absolutely right that they did so.
In all honest, its fine to say “find another venue near HESFES” but THAT is the problem – finding – getting Kessingland took about 3 weeks of phoning around. Its too much effort
And yes i could move it earlier, but then i’m creating the exact circumstances i found hard for myself at HESFES – ie freezing cold nights, i’d rather be wet in the day. We have had two freaky summers, the torrential downpours are not typical June really. But on the other hand, Sparky’s is not perfect; it would be easier to start improving MP with the benefit of knowing a site already but obviously i’d be delighted with any help anyone wants to offer in finding somewhere better if we can sort out a date. I can’t see how i can do MP, if it continues to grow, without doing some site visits etc now if we move. I can’t do that on my own.
I’ve not heard from Andy yet but i’m hoping that he’ll move one week further on, then MP could move to the first week of June. That would probably work. With all conscience, i can’t jump it back to the date that HESFES was and tell the people with small kids they will be fine. *I’m* not going to arrange myself a double weeks camping without Max though, but maybe a day ticket arrangement could work.
None of it matters much, i don’t really care if we dump MP, but i do think that a quick UK Google on “Home Education Camps”could have been done. It would have been, well, nice. The whole thing makes me feel tired, i can’t be arsed to put a great deal of energy into starting from scratch but maybe i’m just not in the right frame of mind for it.
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September 13th, 2005 at 11:04
Oh bum, posted it here in the end too and that also ended up in moderation. i think its dashes, must stop using them.
September 13th, 2005 at 11:15
As Chris said, to be honest, MP camp lost me this year anyway, without any hesfes date change.
I still think my alternative idea would work – a camp within a camp, iyswim – get Andy to do a deal on day tickets and have a smaller cosier young-children camp elsewhere, avoiding loud music for those who want to, yet still with availability for all the workshops.
September 13th, 2005 at 12:14
Do we have any idea of where he’s planning on havign Hesfes? I like the idea of running MP alongside but obviously the practicalities of finding something might be a bit hard. I remember trying to find Kessingland! If you know where he’s plannign it we could have a look together tomorrow Merry?
September 13th, 2005 at 13:03
Oh, well maybe its not really worth worrying about then
I think i’ll put it on the back burner, see what Andy has to say and think about it if and when it seems like i need to.
September 13th, 2005 at 13:59
Provisonal dates are Saturday 17th to Saturday 24th June 2006, though it seems that may clash with Glastonbury so maybe they will be adjusted. Guess we don’t know how provisonal they are, but I guess any adjustment would only be a week or so. location as yet unknown on the ‘South coast’
As to running MP camp alongside – a big ‘Hmmm’ from me on that one. I can see the logic in ‘Younger ones’ camp linked to HESFES, but I think that it would unlikley be a MP camp as such, it would end up being a more general cliental even if it started off as MP inspired Nothign wrong with that but MP camp is nice becuase it is MP people, who know each other to soem extent, running more general camp is different kettle of fish, as would attending it. Aghain there is the whole issue of a site….
I want to see an independent MP camp next year, I’m not that bothered about location, i’m not that bothered about dates, I’d be happy with Mid may or September. RE clashing (or close clashing), well I think that is almost unavoidable really given the desitre to be in the ‘summer’ but miss the busy bits. I understand though why you wan tto avoid a HESFES clash
If you really can’t face it Merry, then say so and throw it oopen to some of others to take some responsibility for it.
September 13th, 2005 at 14:17
There is no Glastonbury in 2006 – perhaps Andy got in touch with Michael Eavis and Michael agreed to move Glastonbury or maybe he cancelled it because of the potential HESFES clash
September 13th, 2005 at 14:18
Lol.
I daresay when i get my head around it, i’ll come up with something. Andy is trying to get an email through to me anyway, so we’ll see what that says.
Regardless, MP Summer, if it happens, will need to have some sort of committee. Maybe that way some of the issues i wasn’t really aware of will get addressed because people won’t worry i feel personally criticised.
I’m probably just having a Maddy moment over it all.
September 13th, 2005 at 14:31
I wonder if HESFES is only set in stone as a move for one year, like you say, i doubt he would want to clash with Glastonbury as there really must be lots of people who have a preference over which field they will drown in mud in!
September 13th, 2005 at 18:34
Chris, I think Sarah’s idea was to still have MuddlePuddle the week after, but to have it near Hesfes – so people who didn’t want to move tents etc could camp at the MP place for all or part of Hesfes week and visit Hesfes. Seems like a pretty good plan to me – except, as Merry said – for the finding a new place bit! Ah well, have to wait until Andy has a location fixed for Hesfes I guess.