Saturday must have been hard even for our children – they didn't wake up
until 8.45 on Sunday which is pretty unheard of for them at a festival. However, when we make it out of the tent to put the kettle on, it is amazing to see how many tents have already been packed away and there are more still in the
process of coming down.
The deluge of Saturday - as well as a couple of instances of festival belly that we'd heard about - has obviously added to the numbers that are leaving. Although still overcast, the day starts off dry and with a light breeze, meaning that we can dry our waterproofs. The kids are happy to run around with more new friends and make use of the activities available to them. During the day, the campsite offers face painting, stuff to bounce on, climbing frames and a whole host of other children to join in whatever games they want to get involved with playing.
After the somewhat calmer start to the day, we make our way down to the
arena and watch a few acts on the main stage. A trip to the circus skills tent keep the kids happy and burns off some excess energy until we make our way back to the main stage again where we meet up with our friends. They offer to look after the little ones while we go to watch the former Million Dead front man Frank Turner. Not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth, we slop and slide our way through the mud to the Big Top, and then back for the end of Fishbone, and then Idlewild and although I've never really been a big fan, it's really nice rocky music but it's hit me that there are people that I'm with that I've seen a lot over the summer. I'll say goodbye to them tonight or tomorrow and won't see most of them until next year.
Still, Flogging Molly soon dispenses with any melancholy, bringing on the hoolie in advance of the headliners Levellers with a lack of grande finale. There are no fireworks, but again, somehow they have managed to hold back the rain, and that is cause enough for celebration.
Walking back to the tent we meet lots more lovely people. There really is a wonderful quality of 'random' at Beautiful Days. Pretty much everyone had a smile and time for a chat about something and it that that makes this festival special. Again, kids safely installed in the tent, we sit outside and chew the fat over what a great day it has been.
Monday morning and walking back up to the car and leaving the wife and kids back at the tent, it looks like someone has declared war on festivals in the car park. Cars are stuck, slipping sideways being pushed and towed by tractors as showers of mud from spinning wheels are common place. Heading back down and returning to the car with a couple more loads on my own, I try to plan a route out. There is no easy way out that I can see and we are fairly close to the back of the top car park. It seems like a bit of a re-run of last year.
Eventually we are packed and ready to go so I talk nicely to my wife and she agrees to drive while I push. Walking through the car park to try and see the best way out of the mess we're in it becomes obvious that not many cars are getting out unassisted and many stuck ones are blocking other cars. I join a posse of people pushing stuck cars and return to our own - covered in mud but with a helping hand or six. We are aided half way across the slimy mud filled car park and then we're off and away. As the assistance stops, the car continues and I thank them all for help and make off after the car.
It soon becomes clear why they have stopped as the mud slops over the top of my wellies and I'm given treatment that I'm sure would cost a fortune at a health farm. Regardless, I get into the car looking like swamp thing.
We make it off site without too much hassle, muddy but otherwise OK. The car park has reaffirmed my faith in humanity but surely a couple of the tracks that help the loo lorries through the sites would be useful here?
Regardless, we've got soaked, muddy and at times a little cold but those lows are nothing compared to the Highs of Beautiful Days. We'll be back again next year – our kids wouldn't let us miss it!
review by James Tayler photos by Karen Williams / Andy Pitt / Zelah Williams
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