Adventures
Vintage at Goodwood
22/08/10 15:57
I am pretty ashamed to say that at 31 years of age, I have never been to a festival before. But when my colleague bought in a magazine cutting about the Vintage Festival at Goodwood, West Sussex, I thought ‘that sounds like the festival for me’, so I booked me self a ticket (plus one for hubby). Advertised as ‘the festival of our lives’ celebrating music, art and fashion across 5 decades (40’s - 80’s) of creative British cool, I couldn’t wait.
Well, my first festival adventure was one of the best weekends I have had in a long time. Even the walk from the campsite to the entrance was an enchanting journey through the trees with strings of lights to mark the way. The festival was only in it’s first year but they had managed to organized so much. There was a pop-up vintage High Street complete with traditional pub and indian restaurant, market stalls selling all sorts of vintage clothes and goodies, a vintage fun fair, music tents for each decade, a Butlins for the kids (including a sock monster workshop of all things), a vintage cinema, vintage vehicles and a lot more. The food stalls were just as varied. You could get hotdogs from a converted Airstream done up as a 50’s diner, or strawberries and cream from a vintage cart, or you could enjoy a glass of Pimms in a vintage London bus.
Music wise, we spent most of our time between the “Leisure Dome’ and the ‘Let it Rock’ tent. In the Leisure Dome we came across an a cappella group called the Swingle Singers. Four women and four men made up the group who sang a variety of covers using only vocals and no instruments. The two guys who did the beat-boxing were so good that I had to keep reminding myself ‘there is no drum kit there’. For me this was the highlight of the weekend.
On the Sunday morning I took part in a Jive lesson in the rock tent on the impressive checkerboard dance floor. I love dancing so it was one of the things had ear marked to do. So, as my husband drank beer and watched from the side lines I attempted to Jive, which is actually quite difficult to do in wellies, (the good old English weather had not disappointed so the wellies came out on the first day).
We love camping and what better place to take our vintage style bell tent with us. When we arrived, it seemed everyone else had the same idea and there were quite a few exactly like ours and there was me thinking we’d easily find our tent in the masses. The festival had also laid on a ‘glamping area’ where tipis and bell tents were ready set up. Glamping was available from £500 for the weekend with room services that you would expect of a posh boutique hotel.
I will definitely be going next year if I can and will make more of an effort to dress up. The amount of people we saw in impressive vintage gear were numerous. But it wasn’t fancy dress, you got the feeling it was their normal attire.
Well, my first festival adventure was one of the best weekends I have had in a long time. Even the walk from the campsite to the entrance was an enchanting journey through the trees with strings of lights to mark the way. The festival was only in it’s first year but they had managed to organized so much. There was a pop-up vintage High Street complete with traditional pub and indian restaurant, market stalls selling all sorts of vintage clothes and goodies, a vintage fun fair, music tents for each decade, a Butlins for the kids (including a sock monster workshop of all things), a vintage cinema, vintage vehicles and a lot more. The food stalls were just as varied. You could get hotdogs from a converted Airstream done up as a 50’s diner, or strawberries and cream from a vintage cart, or you could enjoy a glass of Pimms in a vintage London bus.
Music wise, we spent most of our time between the “Leisure Dome’ and the ‘Let it Rock’ tent. In the Leisure Dome we came across an a cappella group called the Swingle Singers. Four women and four men made up the group who sang a variety of covers using only vocals and no instruments. The two guys who did the beat-boxing were so good that I had to keep reminding myself ‘there is no drum kit there’. For me this was the highlight of the weekend.
On the Sunday morning I took part in a Jive lesson in the rock tent on the impressive checkerboard dance floor. I love dancing so it was one of the things had ear marked to do. So, as my husband drank beer and watched from the side lines I attempted to Jive, which is actually quite difficult to do in wellies, (the good old English weather had not disappointed so the wellies came out on the first day).
We love camping and what better place to take our vintage style bell tent with us. When we arrived, it seemed everyone else had the same idea and there were quite a few exactly like ours and there was me thinking we’d easily find our tent in the masses. The festival had also laid on a ‘glamping area’ where tipis and bell tents were ready set up. Glamping was available from £500 for the weekend with room services that you would expect of a posh boutique hotel.
I will definitely be going next year if I can and will make more of an effort to dress up. The amount of people we saw in impressive vintage gear were numerous. But it wasn’t fancy dress, you got the feeling it was their normal attire.