Levellers deliver a fantastic finish to a fantastic festival at Watchet Music Live

Watchet Live 2016

Friday 26th to Sunday 28th August 2016
Parsonage Farm, Watchet, Somerset, TA23 0HS, England MAP
£72.50 for a weekend ticket - SOLD OUT

Daily capacity: 4,500

This was our 5th time at Watchet Festival; following friend's rave reviews we went along to see what it was all about, and it's been one of our favourite festivals since, and we haven't wanted to miss it. Situated in beautiful Somerset countryside, Watchet is a small harbour town and the festival has evolved from their annual carnival, and now 10 years later is a brilliant, popular and successful music festival drawing in a wide-range of music lovers.

The drive through the local countryside from the M5 builds the excitement, and then you get into Watchet, drive up the hill through the site and the stunning views over the Bristol Channel and Wales hit you; it really is the most picturesque festival to camp at.

We arrived early Friday afternoon and the car parks and 2 main camping areas were already looking full, but there's plenty of space to get everyone in and set up. It's only a short walk from the car park to the camping areas which is great, and though the camping area is on a hill (everything is), you can choose to camp up the top near to the festival site to immerse yourself in everything, or at the bottom for a quieter stay.

The festival arena is at the summit, overlooking everything, and is neatly packed into one large area; but wow they pack enough in! 3 stages; the Main Stage, The Udder Stage and the Something Else Tea Tent hosting music from 6pm on Friday to midnight Sunday night, workshop tents, a chill-out tent for teenagers, a craft and play tent for little ones, shops, shops and more shops, a huge bar and loads of food vendors.

We spent the rest of Friday having a good look at everything going on, finding a nice spot on the grass and watched The Real Thing do some funky disco tunes, and I heard UB40 from our tent as my little ones had given up for the day.

We chose to head into Watchet and catch the steam train to have a look along the coast, we were gutted to miss our neighbours, Paul Henshaw and the Scientific Simpletons, winners of last year's Battle Of The Bands.

We got back in time to catch Company B, a stage full of fellas dressed in some rather fetching US Army uniforms and playing some good old rock-n-roll. Neville Staple was next on the main stage, I chose to go over to the Udder Stage for The Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican, and even though I couldn't get anywhere near the tent, I could hear them from outside and a sat in the last of the evening's sunshine with a lovely cold cider.

We did catch the Scientific Simpletons, doing an impromptu gig on The Something Else Tea Tent stage, and they were brilliant! Lots of audience participation and some crazy dancing with a bodhran. The poor guy wore a kilt and lost his pants too!!!

I did fancy catching The Feeling on the Main Stage to end the day, but traipsing up big hills and around a castle, and perhaps a teeny bit too much cider sent me to my bed

Eek, the typical British Bank Holiday weather we'd been warned about arrived Sunday morning, and just in time for dress-up day, which I always manage to miss the details of. The grey clouds loomed, we made it into the children's tent just in time before the heavens opened. We did do a quick stop to add a wish for fostered children for a local charity, which is something Watchet are very passionate about and support a lot of local charities, and national ones too.

The children's tent was packed, with children and with loads of activities to keep them entertained, and some welcome shelter and chairs for the parents. Every age was catered for; the little ones had somewhere to crawl, there was a sandpit and numerous toys and books, and then craft things for them to do; make masks, decorate biscuits or a bag. They could also get a comic tattoo, or their nails painted or free face-painting. My two really didn't want to leave, but we had to drag them back out to see Beardy Keef's Uke Jam; definitely one of the highlights of my weekend. You have to get in early for a good spot, bring your ukulele if you have one and can play, or you can get hold of the song book for the words and a kazoo so you can still join in. It's a bloody good sing song, and the annual dance-contest against Dancing Tim this year was epic; Lord Trotsky and Scott Doonican were dragged up to see if they could throw some bigger shapes. It was quite nail-biting at one point, the moves being thrown out there were…. interesting, someone was about to put a hip out, when a young lady called Connie joined in at the last minute and nailed it! Dancing Tim beaten???

The rest of our Sunday was enjoying the afternoon sunshine after the morning's downpour, having a fab roast dinner at Nana's Kitchen, singing along to the brilliant Doonican's again, watching the fancy dress competition, playing in the circus skills tent and with some giant Lego blocks and enjoying a few more ciders incase they ran out. The Main Stage finished their birthday celebrations on the main stage with 3 Daft Monkeys, Dreadzone, and Levellers. A fantastic finish to a fantastic festival, and with amazing fireworks this year. It was the best ever, brilliantly organized, the loveliest smelling toilets of any festival I've ever done; easy, friendly and awesome music.

Have a lovely year off, we'll miss you next year but will be banging at the gates in 2018.