Little Chill

We've just spent four days of pure, exhausting fun at Big Chill Festival at Eastnor Castle Deer Park.

This was a very well organised event: entry to and exit from the Festival was effortless, the Crew helped us lug our bags from the car to a camping pitch in the Family Area and two of them even lent a hand in putting up our tent, a feat that is always difficult alone on a (slightly) windy day. The weather was generally OK, with some heavy downpours of rain that didn't spoil the fun as there were so many undercover activities to enjoy.

The crowd was friendly and we met some new friends, the acts were excellent and the Little Chill Kids' Area offered a range of exciting things to do - painting, circus acts, bands, sandpit, model and costume making, storytellers, yoga, Baby Chill, dance ....

And we completed most of the challenges set by you. Thank you to all who took part in our Festival:

On Facebook, Laura said, "Challenge Lestie to skip on stage, and you to host a dinner party!" Sorry Laura, this is the closest we got to this one #fail:

Sweet Meal with Lynette and Tom

Swinging Poi at Deer Park Stage

@CocoBrownsCafe tweeted, "I want to know what your favourite food & drink was or just the best you see @BigChillFest. Inspiration for me!"

Lebanese Mezze of Fool Madamas, Batata Harrah, bulgar and salsa

On the original Weston-super-Mum blogpost, Keith Ramsey said, "Just go with the flow, relax and do whatever feels right"

Home sweet Home

Wheelbarrow Girl, Asleep

On twitter, @KarenBlakeArt said, 'Id like to see a phot of BOTH of you in the circus area of Little Chill, trying something new":

Spinning plates at the Big Top

Unicycle
Proud on our stilts Look! I can do it!

Thank you so much for these challenges, they made the experience all the more enjoyable at a Festival to be 100% recommended!

I've posted more photos on my Weston-super-Mum profile

The Big Chill Festival Website





- by Becky Condron

Little Chill at the Big Chill at Eastnor Castle Deer Park

At the beginning of June, we wetted our appetite for summer festivals as mother and daughter at Sunrise Celebration Festival in Somerset.

I learned a few things:

· That a wheelbarrow adorned with soft and colourful blankets is a very good idea when you have a small child who may want to have a rest/get noticed.

· That it’s sensible to have no plans and to go with the flow

· To eat little and often

· To get there as close to the beginning of the festival as you can, so as to ease small child in gently.

· To not worry if she wants to play in the tent when it first goes up. This should be seen as part of that acclimatisation process; there’s plenty of time for the Madness.

· To dress her in patterned clothing and definitely nothing white

· That asking people to set challenges is really very enjoyable, especially when it comes to the inevitable tweeting-through-festival.

So, as we prepare for our second festival of the summer – The Big Chill at Eastnor Castle Deer Park, Herefordshire – I invite you to link in to their website (link below), have a look around and set us more challenges to do while we’re there. Again, take into consideration that I have a 5 year old with me and limited financial resources.

The Big Chill has a festival within a festival, The Little Chill, which has ‘entertainment laid on especially for younger audiences as well as housing the family camping area and facilities’ - and this is where we are sure to be spending much of our time.

The Little Chill sounds very exciting, with illustrators and authors, dance and drama workshops, a circus area, the Enchanted Garden WITH GIANT UV BUTTERFLIES J, bands and, get this, Caberet! Tom Baker will be there. Tom Baker! One of my Doctor Whos.

The link to the Little Chill is here.

I’ll be documenting much of this via twitter @Dr_Reba

What do you want us to do? We will endeavour to rise to the occasion.