poppedmusic

Words & Photos: Elena Katrina

Camp Bestival – Shropshire – August 2023
Instagram//2024 TICKETS

This is a whole new direction for us here at Popped Music – this is a fully-fledged family festival review. After our trip to Deer Shed without my little ones, I suddenly felt compelled to take them to their first festival and it needed to be good, it needed to be great. I feel certain we made the right decision. Watching my two-year-old and 11-month-old have the time of their little lives was a wonderful thing. The Poppets have been born and amongst our usual reviews I’ll be reviewing family festivals/music happenings too now – because as a responsible parent, I’m now raising the next generation of music lovers, gig-goers and festival fans.

Camp Bestival has, for many years, been based in Dorset. Far too far for a family like us in the North West to want to travel as far as, with small kids. Last year they launched in Shropshire, Midlands, a more achievable destination for us. At least so we thought – road closures and narrow country lanes weren’t on my mind when the journey planner told us it was an easy hop skip and a jump away but we did make it there late Saturday afternoon. Our arrival to the arena was an enchanting rush to the senses; colourful fun things to see everywhere, the smell and taste of delicious foods all around, laughter and music – and of course, no family festival would be complete without the cries of a small child wanting another go on the (worlds largest!) bouncy castle or a third ice-cream of the day.

It didn’t take long for The Poppets to realise this wasn’t just something new but something amazing and our arms were tugged in all kinds of directions as our eldest wanted to explore her new exciting world. Eventually, we set up a little spot near the main stage right in front of the glorious play robot. She had found her favourite thing for the day and didn’t want to leave – so what if our best view was of the merch stall behind the sound desk rather than the stage. It was actually even more wonderful all lit up though so I was happy with my view – good choice poppet!

Camp Bestival Shropshire had a wonderfully eclectic lineup. One that should suit most families, it most certainly was one that delighted our littlest Poppet as she grooved around in her wagon or on our laps, fully enthralled by the myriad of sounds provided by the ever-brilliant Basement Jaxx and the fabulous set from the Nation’s darling Sam Ryder. She was only occasionally confused by the fancy dress flamingos and zebras that walked past us. The fancy dress theme of the day was “wildlife”. – “Daddy you need to be a crocodile!” insisted our eldest, unaware that one does not simply pluck fancy dress out of midair. We didn’t partake in the fancy dress this year, but perhaps next year will give us another family first!

We found Camp Bestival to be one of the friendliest festivals too – I guess everyone is in the same boat – over-excited and over-tired kids, hyper on more sugar in one day than they’d probably usually have in a month. During Basement Jaxx our eldest took to giving up trying to get on the Robot slide and spotted a kid next to us with a glow stick – turns out she’s a bit of a raver and off she went to investigate. Now this kid, he had moves and our Poppet’s dancing consists of jumping up and down and spinning until she fell over. At least it was until this night. She watched her new friend with absolute glee, and before we knew it she was all but camped out with his family, her delighted squeals just about being heard over the tunes. She came home with glow sticks and a whole new level of love for music. As well as some new dance moves!

Because we had arrived late we were parked what felt about ten miles away and the girls were tired, I was in considerable pain so reluctantly we packed up our wagon (best thing ever) and our camp chairs and began our trip back to the car just as headliners The Human League began their set – I think they were about finishing it by the time we’d packed up the car to leave and I sang along from afar. We got to bed at 2am – next year if we’re welcomed back we will have a re-think on going in and out from home each day!

Sunday was “football day”. Only seeing as I support the opposition (and a 2am bedtime with a vomiting child at 5am) we decided to again arrive late and stay late. This time though we parked closer which allowed us a lot more time to explore and I’m so glad that we did. Absolute delights were mere moments from our robot spot the day before. We walked past the CBeebies tent, which was shut at the time but we since found out that later that evening we missed an absolute treat, as Kate Winslet read the kids a bedtime story! The Poppets didn’t want to go to bed though they wanted to party so I guess it wasn’t such a bad miss. We stumbled across an outside stage and what looked like the beginning of a performance so we set up at the back of the crowd. Well, I don’t know about The Poppets but this might have been my favourite non-music part of the weekend. With help from members of the crowd, we watched the funniest circus act I’ve ever seen. Thanks to Darryl J CCarrington I’ve never wanted to throw toothbrushes into a mug on someone’s head more than I did in that moment.

Later on my inner poppet couldn’t help but make me shimmy my way through a very busy tent to grab a few photos of East 17 – said inner poppet could hardly believe she was so close to her one-time pop star idols. They were actually so good – I say that as if they shouldn’t be. But I had left The Poppets outside with Daddy by the “other’ robot (no slides or sand here so someone wasn’t as impressed). As I left the tent I had a sing-along with several other mums in the crowd – it felt like it was a moment just for me, even if I had rather it had been me in the pit for Primal Scream. My inner gig photographer was undoubtedly disappointed not to be able to do the best bit of my job but there was the plus side in getting to actually enjoy The Poppets enjoy themselves on their first festival – I’ll plead my pit pass case next time around though!

A fun miander through the site with a pit stop for facepaint and glitter, we saw beautiful art installations, people dancing in the Bollywood tent, in the distance to our right someone was hanging upside down in the air from an invisible wire or hoop (presumably), a big pink heart was capturing the attention of several children and there were flags fluttering across the site. The sun was shining and we were all happy but hungry. With lack of phone reception we didn’t really know what was happening when so we headed down to the Paradice Garden to settle in for the night and grab a bite. Ella Henderson was taking command of the stage and I have to say, although I’m not really into pop music per se, I really did enjoy her set. From the back of the garden we had a decent view of the screen which I was happy about because there was no way I was not going to be able to see Primal Scream.

Dinner downed and snacks scoffed it was Melanie C who was about to give me a very unexpected highlight of the weekend. I was never a Spice Girls fan but all of a sudden, finding myself watching my two year old excitedly jump and dance to some of their biggest hits I suddenly became one. Just a little bit. Nothing seemed to sum up our weekend quite as much as hearing a crowd scream along “colours of the world! Spice Up your life!” The energy, the togetherness, the colour, everyone just being themselves in super technicolour sequins, as far as the eye could see.

The bigger poppet was desperately looking around for some other kids to dance with, she had loved making friends the night before but our location was a little out of the way. That was until a family doing the conga came by. The next thing you knew we were in the conga line and an invite to move all our stuff to join this wonderful extended family. The Poppets were an instant hit – everyone loves a baby don’t they and bigger poppet loves making friends with bigger kids so she was her super cute self getting into their wagon, eating their snacks, waving their glow sticks and dancing with anyone who would dance with her. Oh to be a child again!

Primal Scream were fantastic, although perhaps it was with the young crowd in mind that Bobby decided not to talk much. I was kind of thankful in the end because it meant we got a great set – I bet some interesting conversations about “Swastika Eyes” was had back on the camp site that night with parents and their kids! We were just packing up and about to head off when they played “Jailbird” and that was almost me off and away to the front. We stopped long enough for me to enjoy it but headed off after (very slowly with me singing my head off as we went). The biggest poppet had begun to cry saying her goodbyes to our new found Camp Bestival friends. In fact she sobbed her little heart out all the way back to the car saying over and over she didn’t want to go home she wanted her “magical friends”.

We waited at the car to see the finale fireworks, even those couldn’t cheer her up. I have never felt like I have related to her more – I have missed festivals for 3 years and I cried every time I saw a line up, I have definitely cried after a festival because I didn’t want it to end. I knew then, with her tears, that I have to go back, I have to let them keep going too. Raising the next music fans and festival goers is an important job, it’s not easy, it’s tough but challenge accepted! Bring on Camp Bestival Shropshire 2024!

Early Bird tickets go on sale on the 29th September with options to spread the costs.