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.

Stick it on a slide show and enjoy

Their favourite things were: woodwork and copper beating workshops, plus the hot chocolate in the cafe. Oh, and the cabaret.

Worst things: the girls couldn’t think of any, but Josiah did say that he didn’t like the toilets. Our toilets (in the house) are nice though, apparently

I think I’ve already said that I really enjoyed it this year, but I’ll say it again The manky campsite didn’t manage to detract from the experience, for me. Being in the company of friends was great, and as usual I appreciated being able to build on online friendships in real life. I think the kids got far more out of it than they have managed to articulate, as well – in friendships, freedom, and probably lots more besides. Still nice to be home though, and both girls agreed that they liked sleeping in their beds better than in the tent!

We’re still recovering, here, I think – Joe’s just fallen asleep in front of Doctor Who which is unheard of, he must be super-tired. Just as well we didn’t go out to the Devon County Show today – one thing that seems to always clash with Hesfes … I’m wondering if I could just do day visits next year then manage to get to the county show as well … will have to wait and see if it stays in the same place on the same sort of dates, I suppose …

Still, the fact that I didn’t have a tent to sit and drink tea in actually turned out to be rather good, as it forced me to go and do things with the children – we did some woodwork (finishing off a spoon that Anna started earlier in the week), some copper beating which was a combined effort by all three children (hurrah, yet another copper bowl to display in the dresser), and Abbie did some weaving. It’s probably not a good thing that it took for my tent to have disappeared for me to go and do the activities with the children, but there we go.

Anna then disappeared off with a friend, it started really raining, so Josiah, Abbie and I went for coffee in the Blue Laguna Cafe, then ended up watching Wallace and Gromit in the Groovy Movie tent, before the Children’s Cabaret started.

The Children’s Cabaret, from what I can see, is part of Hesfes tradition – during the week children can sign up to get on stage and do their turn, rehearsed or not. The diversity in what the kids do on stage is amazing, but there is still a painful-to-the-ears element to it, and it takes forever! The two eldest HEMUK girls and our two girls had decided to sing something together – Anna nearly chickened out during the afternoon but somehow managed to be persuaded to take part – anyway, they were about 30th in the list of performers, and that was only a third of the way down the list, I think. The four of them did really well though.

After that we said our goodbyes and drove home – I was desperately trying to make it back in half an hour but it took me 35 minutes! The Puddles had made their way back a bit earlier, visiting rellies on the way, and it was mainly quiet upstairs so the children all went straight to bed. We have the ongoing saga of a lost phone, here, despite having turned the house upside down we still haven’t found it, so that will be this morning’s task.

Anyway, back to Hesfes. Although we decamped slightly early I still really enjoyed it this year. The toilets (which were in no way ‘refurbished’) and the field (which was in no way ‘flat’) didn’t live up to promises made by the campsite owner, which was a big shame really. Even the slopey field would have been ok if the toilet block had been clean and big enough for the amount of people there, but it just wasn’t. That aside, we had a great week, and will definitely be going again. Camper van next year though!

So much of this morning was spent tidying/re-packing our stuff, in a leisurely manner. I managed to pop up to the top of the field and have coffee with some of my local friends who were also at hesfes, and on the way met a fellow blogger – all due to my ‘blogging this’ t-shirt, so that amused me somewhat – scroll down a bit on this page for the photo.

Just about managed to collect all the children together at lunchtime and we went over to the beach for the labyrinth building, but it was really windy, so we ended up in the cafe for a hot chocolate/ice cream instead! Stayed on the beach for a bit, but not that long – but it was nice to have been part of something bigger with other fellow hesfesers. Back at the site, we finished taking the tent down and stuffed everything in the car – just about managed to fit it all in so Steve was spared having to come and transport children.

Merry and her family have decamped too, and re-camped in our house! We are planning to go back to Charmouth tomorrow for some of the day, and then we have the pleasure of the Puddles’ company for another night as well I think. Josiah is insistent that as it is Thursday tomorrow, *he* should go to Start Right, but I think he’s way too tired, and I definitely can’t see us being ready to take him at the right time in the morning!

It’s been a nice mainly sunny day, in fact I have caught the sun and have an embarrassingly glowing red nose. Haven’t done much Hesfes stuff myself although the children have been partaking of various activities.

Abbie’s shop is still doing okay although sales have dropped off over the last day or so – there was competition from another scoubidou stall this morning and I ended up teaching the kids there how to do the 6-strand ones … anyway, it’s kept Abigail well entertained and she has enjoyed spending the profits, tonights purchases have included chips from the take-away and I think she was feeding the 10p machines in the bar as well.

Anna has mainly been playing with various friends, they went up to do copper beating today but it was on hesfes-time (similar to African time, for those not in the know – something may or may not happen at the advertised time, in fact it may or may not happen at all), so she ended up making a wooden spoon which still needs finishing I think, it looks like a wooden lollipop at the moment.

Josiah has been playing lots with Master Portico – they have matching hats which are rather cute. He’s mainly been around the tent with the odd excursion to the play park.

Toilets have got marginally better today, I think, although I’ve still been avoiding them really – went for a shower at Nic’s caravan today which was nice, if a little scalding hot-freezing cold and not very much inbetween!

We’re planning to go over to the beach for the hesfes labyrinth building tomorrow, so that should be interesting, we didn’t get to it this year and I thought it would kill two birds with one stone (taking part in some hesfes stuff and visiting the dreaded beach – only dreaded by me, I hate sand).

Think that’s it for now … time for bed, I reckon

This afternoon has been trendy-woolly-hat-buying time, my girls both spent their money on one, and Abigail bought me one too – in the most outrageous colours, but what the heck, it will keep my head warm this evening – last night I slept with one of Josiah’s fleeces on my head!

Haven’t seen much of Anna so I assume she’s been enjoying herself, she’s been playing so much that she missed a dance workshop she wanted to go to this morning, she may or may not have gone to the archaeology one she wanted to get to this afternoon. Last night I had to wait for her to get back before I could go to bed!

Oh, and good news for us this morning – another new cousin for the children and a new niece for me – welcome to Elodie, born at home early this morning

The rain finally stopped around teatime which was a relief – we were starting to get little leaks here and there – and in places the top field looks distinctly festival like – in other words, a mud bath.

Today the weather has been much better so there’s been plenty of sitting around outside. Abbie has had a stall on the side of the road with one of her friends, and made enough money already to fund herself for a while, so she’s happy, and has gone off with friends to do hesfes things – bouncy castle, merry go round, and they’re looking for the face painting too.

No photos yet but I might oblige later in the week, in the meantime the best place to look is here

2. We’re not going too far away, so he’s coming for the weekend, meaning we have two cars.

Quite what we’re going to leave behind when we go camping in the summer, all 5 of us, to the other side of the country, I really don’t know The kids, perhaps?!

Honestly, I have a large hatchback, full to overflowing, including the front passenger seat, and all the footwells. There are a couple of bags left in the house, plus the tent! Better get that Tourneo van I’ve been wanting