Wee fun

I think you all know the story....

When our friends John and Alison had kids, they decided that one of the things that they missed the most was sitting in a smoking pub drinking jar after jar listening to and playing folk music. And so Wee Folk was born - a monthly Sunday afternoon in a no-longer-smoky pub where we drank jar after jar and listened to and played folk music while our offspring ate chips, played loud percussion, invented words to songs and generally made merry.

And after a while, the natural question occured - why spend a fortune taking offspring to expensive child-friendly festivals, when we could make our own. And so Wee Camp was born - a weekend camping at a friend's smallholding (complete with compost toilets, outdoor kitchen, giant campfire and rustic stage), with the entertainment provided by us all.

And it was brilliant. So we did it again this year, and to everyone's amazement, it was even better!

It all started in earnest last Monday when we spent the afternoon clearing the site and pacing it out trying to work out exactly we were going to put an extra 5 tents. Nathaniel wheeled his wheel barrow around and snipped and hauled and collected and delivered to the wood pile.

And then he relaxed.

Then on Friday, it was all systems go. Firstly we unloaded and set up the tent. As chief tent-placers we may have grabbed a rather fine location for ourselves and our nearest and dearest.

Then we got some extra porta-loos in and set up PA equipment.

Thea spent a good hour walking round and round the campfire, balancing on the benches with increasing agility. She enjoys a good beam!

And then the fun proper began. Everyone arrived, and we managed to fit all their tents in with space to spare, the kids scattered and started to swing and play with sticks and make dens and run and climb and other important things and we all sat down with a beer until the bring-and-share feast with the first band.

Sorry about the shaky out of focus video!

Then the campfire was lit and the music continued to the light of our amazing lighting rig created from anglepoise lamps and tesco cheapy fairy lights.....

After a good nights sleep, we were all ready for day 2. Yes, Nathaniel wore his dragon costume 24 hours a day, just changing from pjamas to day clothes underneath.

And Ian and Katherine cooked the most splendiferous fry up for 22 people on three stoves in the most elaborate camp kitchen I've every seen at a festival.

And frivolity ensued. How many children can play in the bell tent? At this point, 6 four year old and 3 two year olds.

There were more bands, yoga sessions, the Barbarellas sang a set (almost from memory!), karate, storytelling etc. Beer was drunk and our keg of home brew red ale was the first to be finished.

Cake was consumed, down to the last slither of icing.

More tasty food, more music, another campfire, a good quantity of various whiskeys. Doesn't sound half bad!

The next day, we played, and made balloon-powered boats care of Tim's workshop.

Bunting was made for next year:

And we had more fun until everyone got tired and it was late and it was time to go home.

Until next year...........

[Here's last year's highlights in case you are intersted. Spot a very small girl wearing a duster-yellow babygrow crawling around, and lots of a stripy, dungareed curly boy romping.
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