Below are some pics and the daily blog I wrote in word while we were away and have blogged upon our return. TBH it was more for my own blogging habit than any sort of record of HESFES and just my thoughts on each particular day.
We got home today at about midday after packing up and leaving earlier that we anticipated. Kids and I all had a bad night last night and concerned we might still be contagious I thought it better to just come home rather than go and say a goodbye to the rather depleted number of campers left on the field 😉
So, what did I think of HESFES?
Well it was exactly what I expected it to be. It totally lived up to all my expectations – good and bad about how it would be. All of my pre-HESFES worries were justified ; me and the kids missed Ady terribly when he left on Tuesday, I felt quite daunted by the large number of ‘alternative’ folk there; it was totally and utterly disorganised and unclean and the kids were very young for it. Davies did go off twice to the playground – both times with another adult but I was still a bit wobbly about it after about an hour and judging by the hugs from him when we were reunited he had felt much the same. Scarlett did wander off a lot, at least twice to the point of small scale but scary nonetheless search parties; my all time top concern of me or the kids getting ill when I have sole charge of them came true; I didn’t make it to any of the workshops or talks and neither did the children.
However – all of what I was looking forward to also came true – I got to spend time in real life with my online friends – particularly enjoyed spending time with Jax, Sarah, Joanna and The Portico and the evenings with Joyce and Barbara were lovely. I still failed to spend much time with Merry but she was very busy with her 4 🙂 The Saturday night when we had a caravan full was a real highlight for me. It was really nice to see Davies getting straight back into his friendship with Barbara’s B and to see him and Lije getting on too – I also witnessed him dealing with a bigger boy coming over and trying to take something off B which made me very proud.
I also came to the unexpected conclusion that I *could* do camping after all. Not at HESFES and probably not ’til the kids are a bit older but it is certainly something I think I will look into for a couple of years time if the current level of annual camps continues. Also not forgetting the retail opportunity such a past time would provide 😉
HESFES itself I didn’t really do. Being in the caravan park meant that we missed any evening socialising – whether inhouse Muddle Puddle stuff or the entertainment in the marquee and it would have been nice to partake of some of the workshops, but I’m assured by Merry that the talks remain the same each year so as and when I go again I’ll catch those.
I was staggered by how uncommercial the whole thing was – which might just be praise indeed for the organisers as I know that it not what it’s all about but on two levels I found it actually quite offensive that there was no effort at all made to make it as such. Firstly as a self confessed retail addict it was bloody hard work to spend any money there – the hoodies being a case in point. They were rumoured to be arriving on Tuesday and actually made it by Wednesday. They sold out very quickly. Now, the date for HESFES was annouced way back so why exactly they were not there on sale from the very first day – if not on sale on the web pre the event is beyond me. As is why not enough were purchased either – not only that but by buying in greater numbers they would probably have been able to lower the price too. Secondly I just can’t help but see potential opportunities for making more money and improving the service / experience for everyone. I’m not suggesting it gets re-branded as ‘HESFES brought to you in association with Sonlight and Baker Ross’ but I do think there were advertising opportunities given the captive audience of several hundred home educators who may well have been interested in certain related products or services. They would certainly have purchased camping gear / waterproof clothing / pretty much any HESFES branded merchandise and have been glad of the chance to do so. The cost of the programme could have been covered by selling ad space within it, further food and drink concessions within other areas of the sloping fields would have doubtless made both a profit and a happier HESFESer. I can’t comment on the toilets as a confirmed Princess I don’t even know where they were located 😉
I would imagine that plenty of people who went would shudder at what I thought but I certainly spoke to plenty more who would welcome what is perfectly acceptable at many other ‘festivals’ around the country.
Anyway – I think I had decided by about Monday that I won’t be doing HESFES next year – Davies will still be too young – IMO – to be free range, Scarlett will be even more scarily independant and making more considered breaks for freedom, it’s a bloody expensive week if you do the offsite caravan thing and I can’t justify that level of expense again until the kids are old enough for them to get the most out the whole experience and also old enough to allow me to do the adult-y bits of HESFES too.
I’m very very glad we went, it was great to see friends and one of those things I would have regretted not doing if I hadn’t. For the moment there are enough camps and other get togethers arranged for me to consider sufficient meet ups throughout the year to give HESFES a miss and come back to it at a later date.
I am sure Robin dictates exactly what can go on his land, i.e. no shops or anything that would compete with his crappy bar and shop. What you suggest is never going to be an option while the festival is on that site. I guess one of the issues they have is that it is non-profit making so that they can’t take any great risks, it must be the case that they go for fixed costs and fixed income (i.e. ticket sales) rather than other costs and income that might vary. I guess they’d rather 100 people didn’t get hoodies than be left with 100 unsold.
I’d rather they stuck extra on the ticket to sort out the basic services that commercialise in other ways. When I went to Glastonbury in 86′ it was limited in its commercialness and cost £28, it now costs nearly £150 and is basically a small town in terms of commercialism. Worse and more expensive, even allowing for inflation. I suspect it is a slippery slope…….to coin an apt phrase.
Comment by Chris — 20 May 2005 @ 7:08 pm
tbh I quite *like* the lack of commercialness, although i take your point Nic, perhaps there is a happy medium there, and I think they maybe ought to try to make a profit if it would make the whole thing more enjoyable for everyone, but as you say, Chris, a bit extra to sort out the services would do that.
Anyway, Nic, glad you didn’t regret the experience, even if it was hard in some ways. And you got your hoodies 😉
Comment by Sarah — 20 May 2005 @ 8:07 pm
yeah, i think we will be waiting intil SB a fair bit older. also i’m easily intimidated by the alternative!
Comment by HelenJ — 20 May 2005 @ 9:12 pm
I hear that the other Chris’s trousers are pretty alternative….
Comment by Chris — 20 May 2005 @ 9:16 pm
Argh Chris, stop taunting my by being online and commenting on my blog when I can’t access yours! And I’ve asked for a password to the proper email address and everything!
Comment by Nic — 20 May 2005 @ 9:26 pm
Last year I said I wouldn’t do Hesfes again till mine were older but I wish I’d been this year (bloody parents going on holiday – grrr). Although I think that is more to do with socialising than actually Hesfes!
Glad you enjoyed it to a point and got safely home 🙂
Comment by Kirsty — 20 May 2005 @ 10:50 pm
There has been a more commercial slant before – sponsorships from educational retailers – and I think it was a very conscious decision on Andy/the crew’s part to stop that.
I’m really glad you came Nic 🙂 Was lovely to spend some time with you, the boys got on really well, and I decided I really need an Ady 🙂 In fact, even if you don’t come next year, could you just send him along to be the camp househusband? Ta 😉
Sorry to hear the kids got ill though – bit paranoid that we managed to harbour our germs long enough to pass them to you, but didn’t seem to infect anyone else, so perhaps I’ll blame Jenny instead, lol!
Comment by Alison — 21 May 2005 @ 12:01 am
Sorry to hear that illness blighted it somewhat – and actually I felt rather green on and off from Thursday onwards so maybe I caught a little something? Kids are OK though. Mega blog – I can’t compete with that but may get something done later! After the washing mountain reduces a little….
Comment by Joanna — 21 May 2005 @ 10:24 am
oh no Joanna – hope it was not something lurgylike from us – but guessing the Dora fix made up for it 😉
Alison will mail you about that postponed Reading trip – Davies is desperate for E to see his Green Eggs and Ham dvd (I said we’d bring it across to play in your van on Thurs and of course we never got there).
Yeah – there is definitely a market for Ady’s isn’t there? Maybe I should forget all my other money making schemes and start working on cloning – or we could set up an Ady in the making school for sending your small male children to – we seem to be doing a good job on Davies who was quite happy to watch the smaller children, helped me with dettoling the caravan and kept Tarly entertained all the way home in the car bless him!
Comment by Nic — 21 May 2005 @ 7:36 pm