Monday 26 August 2013

Festival Fun!

Number 1 son is away this weekend at Reading Festival, the first time he's been away with friends apart from organised school/college trips. He's a sensible boy although slightly empty-headed at times - for example the college trip he went on to Brussels a short while ago which I described here.
 
He's never been to a festival before and as a family we never go camping so it was a steep learning curve - added to that he didn't want to take anything which was deemed to be "un-cool",
 like a waterproof!
 
Camping isn't the type of holiday I've ever wanted to try, partly because due to the family's cricket commitments the optimum holiday time for us is January/February. Much as I like the scenery of the great British outdoors in say Derbyshire or even on our own Norfolk coast it wouldn't be ideal camping weather in January!
 
Anyway we packed him off on the coach last Thursday with a tent (borrowed and possibly not waterproof!) a sleeping bag, shorts and t-shirts as it was going to be hot - he refused to consider the possibility of rain, and some biscuits!
 
I requested 1 text a day, if it failed to arrive I promised I would start to phone all of his friends before I called the police! The texts have arrived, very brief ones saying "all is ok, I need a shower"!
 
He did cause some amusement at the cricket club by texting a team mate, at 3am on Saturday morning, to ask how the match was going! The reply he got was something along the lines of "I'll let you know once the match has started; in roughly 10 hours time!"
 They all had a giggle and assumed he may have had a half of lager - it is possible of course that he'd managed to get a drink on his very limited funds but I do know my son - he never knows what day of the week it is, his head is permanently in the clouds!
 
We're expecting him home later today (Monday), we have to pick him up at 3pm in Norwich; well I say expecting him home, he may not arrive despite the fact I booked him on that particular bus.
The last thing he said to his Dad as he dropped him off last week was "see you on Thursday".....

19 comments:

  1. If only his first tme at the festival had been a couple of years ago he could have come to our house for a shower since we lived just a ten-minute walk from the site.

    Hope he gets on the right bus and that he's had a wonderful time.

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    1. He'd have turned up for a shower, breakfast and a little nap if you'd have let him!

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  2. Fingers crossed he had fun and arrives home safely this afternoon.
    Talking of empty headed we went out today leaving T to get himself to the train station down the road as he is off to visit his Grandma and the silly boy left his wallet indoors and didn't have a key to let himself back in and our neighbours who hold a spare were out. Not impressed!
    Lisa x

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    1. Oh no! I think it's a boy thing - I hope he got to grandma's in the end.

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  3. Best not to think about what he's getting up to. My two have both been in past years and it sounded really grim to me what with the lack of washing, very basic toilet facilities and God knows what else. They seem to have a great time though!

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    1. I've had a description of the toilets already & grim is not a strong enough word!

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  4. Haha - my daughter has "worked" at Reading this year - ie it was a way of getting in for free. I've just spoken to her - she's on her way home - and I sense it might not have been all it was cracked up to be. Apparently, her job was to "basically tramp round fields and make sure everyone was okay. Dead boring" !!

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  5. It doesn't bode well, does it? Hope he's managed to get home ok. My 18 year old has never expressed a desire to go to a festival, though the 15 year old is already asking why she can't go. I think I'll have my hands full over the next couple of years.

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  6. The scatterbrains always make life SO interesting, don't they? My oldest causes me to worry SO MUCH.

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  7. I remember the first time my son went off to Reading festival, a few years ago now. I hope your son had a great time there too. If he's anything like mine it will be the first of many. It's always more difficult and worrying when the oldest one does something new.
    Sarah x

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    1. I think it will be the first of many and I'm secretly pleased about that (and a little envious!)

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  8. I remember camping on some beach in Cornwall eating cold lobster (though we had forgotten it needed to be cracked) blustery blowing gales and torrential rains - luxury!

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  9. Have to smile at this. Joe went to Reading festival for the first time too with eight friends. I wonder if they " Bumped " into each other ? Joe had a horrible sweat soaked T Shirt from a thing he went to in a tent - yuck - I thought it was rain soaked.

    He wasn't too tired compared to a friend whose daughter went - it seems the girls really partied & did all nighters !

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    1. I wonder if they bumped into each other? The bag only got emptied yesterday & it's a bit grim! The hand wipes & suncream were unopened though!

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  10. Glad he was safe and sound... what is a reading festival???
    xoxoxoxox

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    1. Hi thank you for dropping by. Reading festival is a bit lost in translation I guess, Reading is a place near London (pronounced Redding) and it hosts an annual music festival. It's a big one, eminen headlining this year.

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    2. I was envisioning a bunch of young adults laying around reading books all day! Hahahaha!!!

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  11. I am so going to remember that line....
    "Text me or I start calling your friends before I call the Police"... LOVE IT!
    LOL
    That will get them to do what mum says!
    I also had a giggle when you said that the tent may not be waterproof... ahhhhhh... camping.
    Have a great rest of your week,
    Tammy xx

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  12. Love your attitude to telling him to text! Something my mum would do!

    Victoria
    FlorenceandMary.com

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