Festivals and fun

When it comes to crowds, loud noises and sleeping in a tent over a hundred miles away from home, it sounds to my other half like her idea of hell. And being the enthusiastic and sometimes forgetful girl I am, I booked us tickets for a weekend festival in Oxford without thinking twice.

In the run up to the festival, I got myself packed and sorted while my other half seemed to busy herself with everything else but packing for the weekend. When I pressured her and got annoyed, she told me she had no idea what to pack. Ever organised I gave her a list of everything she needed to bring, from clothes and sleeping bag down to medication, phone and wallet. Yes, I wrote down absolutely everything in detail. No, not because my other half wouldn't work out she needed to have her wallet with her. I did it as I do the same for myself. If I write down everything then tick it off as I go along, I can't forget anything! Well... that's the theory.

It was once we had got there and set up that my other half became unsettled. The first night was without the music we took a walk to the village and sat in one of the pubs with my family for a couple of drinks then headed back to the tent. It was while walking around that she turned to me and said 'If I still don't like it I will go home tomorrow.' Me thinking nothing of it and knowing what the festival was like brushed it off.

A day later, we entered the arena,  set up our chairs and took a walk around. The first band started and I convinced her to come down to the front for a dance with me. After a few minuets she asked to go back to sit with my family. The relaxed atmosphere and being able to just sit down with your chairs and walk away and come back really helped my other half keep calm. That night, she told me she was glad she stayed and wasn't scared after all. I am not too sure that my 'I told you so' was the best response. But really, I was glad she didn't drive home and I got to spend my favourite weekend every year with her.




Which festival was it?
Fairport Conventions Cropredy is a small Folk festival in Oxfordshire. Every year 20,000 people descend upon the village for the music, atmosphere and people. It's nicknamed the most family friendly festival in the UK and it really lives up to it. It's such a relaxed festival even the police get involved, with a couple of them wearing long cat's tails attached to their belts brought on site. This is one of the few festivals that is definitely an autistic friendly. It's all about having a good, chilled out time. Guess that's why this hippie child loves it so much!

Check out Fairport Conventions' website for more information.