Champagne, pies and hot tubs

We spent last weekend at Elderflower Fields Family Festival at it’s beautiful new home in Ashdown Forest.

I’ve written about what quality Sussex family fun the festival is in 2012 and in 2013 about letting our flock fly free and spreading their little wings exploring and experiencing this great event.

Although Elderflower Fields is very much billed as the focus being ‘all about the kids’ this year I decided that us grown ups weren’t going to miss out.

We booked the kids in to some activities in advance. Arts and sports camps plus some other sessions when we arrived (as many as we possible could actually!). Turns out they were happier hanging with their friends, exploring the woods, building dens, and visiting the lovely Sugar Mice ladies with their delicious Brighton Rock ice-cream and Champagne sorbet (Hunny’s favourite). Lots of the other kids we camped with did enjoy the organised activities on offer and I heard great reports from them all.

We didn’t pack light for this festival. Lots of luxuries, a couple of events shelters, wood burner, duvet, hula hoops, delicious food, fine wine (well, sort of), barbecue, kitchen sink, and about 30 friends.

The site did suffer slightly on Saturday from a few hours of constant heavy rain but we were rather spoilt with our huge gang of brilliant friends, our own camp site bar and the new camper (finally rid of the moth ball smell!). Even those in tents were able to drop all their stuff right at the site for easy family camping.

Despite the rain most people got in to the swing of things with the Elderflower Mojitos from Stoneham Spring. We saw some great music on both stages and finished the night off with the Silent Disco from the Bug Bar (when it finally got started). It’s a shame the festival still went through its fair share of disposable plastic cups but let’s hope they can sort something out for next year and work towards zero waste. Another shame was the state that guests left the field in after the Sunday picnic but they would be my only complaints.

Generally the festival was another blinder. The site was bigger so if you have little ones you needed to be more mindful that they don’t wander too far but luckily there was a big gang of us and we didn’t lose anyone. We even had one of our party (aged 7) returned to us in the middle of the night by the brilliant security staff when she sleep walked out of her family tent. Pretty scary for us so thanks for being so amazing.

So what was so special about this weekend?

Time to relax, enjoy our family and friends and take in the beautiful surroundings.

I took time out for one of the best masages I’ve ever had in the woodland spa from a Brighton based lady who’d I’d really recommend. Then we enjoyed the famous So Sussex Sunday picnic which is included in your ticket.

My favourite thing of the weekend was the addition of the Bathing Under The Sky wood fired hot tubs. Just gorgeous and those guys really know how to look after you. What a perfect way to end the weekend. Glass of bubbly with friends (and no kids) while the sun went down over Elderflower Fields.

Feeling fully relaxed we returned to our camp and the carnage 14 kids can make in one campervan in 2 hours. Special thanks to those friends watching the kids. Still finding pretzels now!

Trouble is, having had such a luxuriously decadent weekend in a field somewhere, I now have high expectations for the rest of the summer.

Champagne, pies and hot tubs all the way!!

some of these photos are courtesy of Pete Holmes who also attended the festival. Thanks Pete.