I’ve got an awful lot of blogging to catch up on!!!!
HESFES has been done fairly comprehensively by almost all concerned now so i don’t think an indepth critique is particularly required. I suppose i would say, that had i organised it, i would have been both extremely proud of it and deeply humiliated by it. I’m not sure if the people who do organise it will feel the second but i do think that both the campsite and the HESFES team were somewhat arrogant in their assumption that that was an acceptable set of conditions for people to live in for a week. Those toilets weren’t, that field wasn’t. That said, i thought that what was on offer was vastly improved and thought had been given to smaller children’s needs, the Groovy Movie being a case in point. However, if i’d been responsible for taking money from all those people living in that field, i’d have felt compelled to hire Portaloos, even if it meant asking every family for £2 to cover it. And i’d have felt that having Site Marshalls from Friday onwards was a neccessity: i objected to being snapped at for pitching on a level bit of field that was an unmarked “games field” only for it to be covered in tents 24 hours later. However.
So, what was my week like? Well, i got there FIRST!!!!! I had a good journey down, including fantastic conversations with Fran about African History, what Max and i were like before we had children, my friends who died and why, LOADS of reading, lots of conversations about businesses and companies, spot the TNT lorry and endless other stuff. She is never normally in the front of the car now and i miss her, so it was nice to have her company.
So anyway. Managed to pitch my tent; needed some help due to the gale and slope but i think on a calm day and on the level, i could have done it myself. It took a long time, but i did it. And it was brilliant. LOVE that tent! Unlike the ReadyBeds – out of an eventual 5 we tried, 3 had fast punctures and 2 had slow ones. They eventually went back and i got a £10 gift voucher for my displeasure 
Saturday was horrendous weather but we had the space to entertain a LARGE quantity of children in our tent and they all stitched very industriously! I think my supply of wool and plastic canvas saved the day there!
The rest of the week merged a bit. Fran had a great time and stretched her elastic a lot – playground and loo trips on her own, socialising with TT a bit, going to Flamenco and Yoga workshops alone, taking her sisters to a film and building up some friendships. She was a bit gutted not to have any wares for the “shop” but nevermind. Maddy had a tough week; i really felt for her. She was very quiet initially and had lots of sensory issues but she did perk up. AND she discovered she likes tomato pasta afterall. Lol. Ammi was a complete and utter gem all week. Nor sure what it was exactly but she was relaxed, happy, nice to be with… just adorable. And Josie was the perfect festival baby.
We had a couple of chilly nights but it was better than before and i didn’t get a sore throat. Unfortuately i developed a sore jaw/tooth/mouth nerve midweek which has now developed into neuraligia to a level comparable with early labour. I kid you not 
Got no idea what it is but i’m blooming glad i happen to have dentist appt on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, Sarah burst into my tent and thrust a laptop at me, which forecast rain, so we decided to pack up and go back to her house (well, i invited myself really but hey.) Really glad we did as i’d kind of had enough and so had Maddy, Maddy got a bad tummy that night, Josie fed all night, the fog, mud and wet the next day when we went to visit was beyond me and i struggled to fit everything in my car and had to repack it as it was! Plus the girls got to enhance a friendship with the Clarkes, Sarah and i got to spend a little bit of proper time together and i got to exchange more than a handful of passing words with Steve, we got to see my BIL and SIL and we ended up extending our holiday by a day and visited Stonehenge on the way back.
Overall, it was my “middle” HESFES experience – my first was very tough and really only saved by Alison’s friendship and another couple i was pitched near, last year was great, this year was saved by friendship and my girls. Not remotely convinced i’ll be going next year though.
Quote of the week was from Fran, who burst into tears late one night: “Mummy, i’m really worried about the end of the world. I’m worried we’ll start again and be cows and i won’t be able to learn about Greek Myths.” Followed the next day by “Mummy, i think i might have been a little overtired last night.”
Oh yeah, i lost 1/2 stone in a week too!
Stitch and Bitch 
Quangle Wangle Hat.
A communing of babies.
That’s the life.
Addicts.
The obligatory sleeping baby in a tent picture.
“I make Sand Castle.” Ammi was disappointed not to get properly to the beach,; TT took Fran and Maddy one day for several hours (we think she just wanted an excuse to play!) but Ammi was very good natured about it and played beautifully in the playground sandpit.
