Torchlight - The Beatles

The time for our second motorhome festival had come around already. This one, the Camping and Caravanning clubs ‘Torchlight’ was to be held at Walesby Forest near Ollerton. Just a 45min drive from home. Ian worked as normal while I loaded Dame Shirley up and as soon as he arrived home at 6pm we were off. I was so excited that I forgot we were taking Misty with us! Luckily Ian remembered. As we drove the short way we mused whether this would be a lower class of festival, being that tents were allowed too. We decided that it cost so much that it would put off the riff raff. Sir Georgie Kelly directed us unerringly till we got to the A1 at Sherwood Forest. We then spotted yellow signs for Torchwood in a different direction. We decided to follow those and arrived in half the time to be met by a very nice steward. He directed us on to a lovely flat pitch only two rows back from the heart of the festival. It would be noisy but very convenient. Sadly it was raining a little so we left the canopy, chairs etc till the morning. I threw my homemade lasagne in the oven and Ian went off to do gas; fine, electric; fine, and water. As he was setting up the waste water container he noticed that the fresh water was leaking from the pipe! The plug wasn’t sealing properly! We had lost a lot of fresh water and more was going all the time! Desperate times called for desperate measures. He had to open a bottle of wine, pare the cork down, and stuff it in the hole. Job done, no leaks, and a nice bottle of wine for the lasagne.

After tea we fed Misty and had a little walk around the site. Everything is so much closer together than Clubfest, and there are actual toilet and shower blocks. This must be some kind of camp site or scout camp normally. There is a festival pub near the stage that was open, and a quiet pub a bit further away. Also some food outlets dotted around. Back at Dame Shirley we hunkered down, watched a bit of telly, drank the last of the wine, then went to bed.

We are quite close to the generator, the only downside of this pitch, so there was a constant drone all night. I still managed a good nights sleep before I arose early to put the kettle on, feed Misty and take her out early because I was under the mistaken impression that Ian was working. But no, he had fetched some work, but was not actually going to do it. Never mind. I will lie in tomorrow.

Early morning feeding

The stage from Dame Shirley

After the usual pfaffing we got up and I made porridge for breakfast. We also had pastries. Misty laid down under Ian’s gravity chair and he swore he couldn’t move so I had to wait on him hand and foot for what seemed like hours. Not impressed. I had also bought a new tablecloth for the outside table, we feel it gives Dame Shirl a Champs Elysee look.

Breakfast

Paris in the spring

Ian going nowhere

After breakfast I rushed over to the clubhouse to get my wristband and festival guide. The action was to start at noon with some DJ set in the pub. As I walked back I noticed the erection of a huge bouncy castle on the front row. I can handle the loud music, but screaming kids not so much. We then got our lights out and spread them about a bit. Ian had lights envy the previous night so was happy to help for once. Torchlight is all about the lights, everyone is encouraged to go large, and a lot of people have.

We had a quick walk up to the arena to see the first act, a bit too Carribean for us, then around the site a bit and back to Dame Shirley. Ian then decided, at noon, it was time for a foot long sausage and cheesy chips. I had a cheese sandwich.

Big sausage

As the sun moved across the sky it began shining under our previously cold canopy and warmed us up lovely. I began the cross-stitch that Kathy got me for my birthday, while listening to The New York Brass Band playing some well known tunes. We can hear everything in our poll position. Then we both reclined in our anti gravity chairs, me snoozing and Ian reading. What a way to spend an afternoon.

Eventually we decided to load Viktor up with chairs and beer and go up to the arena. We passed the Torchlight sign and came across a sea of chairs. We had to go right down to the front to find a little space to plant ourselves.

Set up near the front

‘View’ from the back

It appears it was a day for tribute bands. Fake Amy Winehouse, then Fake The Jam, then Fake The Beatles. All were good and got the crowd going. In between Fake Amy and Fake Paul Weller we had some gyros from the stall right behind us.

Gyros

We got talking at one stage to a couple who had come over to stroke Misty. They said how lovely it was to stroke a good dog, as they had a beagle! We mentioned Sam and our hope he would get better with age, but no they said, theirs is nine. The man did take his running though, cue a long, technical, lead based conversation. We also spotted a couple with a dog around Mistys size, and two St Bernard’s. Two! What kind of unit must they have. Monty and Amy, there’s hope for you yet.

As the sun set and it became a little chilly we nipped back to take Misty to bed and get a blanket for me and a Dry Robe for Ian. We finished off the evening with a roaring rendition of, yes you guessed it, Hey Jude.

Keeping warm with wine

The Bootleg Beatles

Alas, the evening had shown how poorly I had planned for this festival. If you recall from my Clubfest blog (I know, I can hardly recall that and I wrote it) I was going to fish out my bucket hat. I had forgotten and everyone was wearing them. Most people also had some kind of light up paraphernalia. Some had headwear, light up flower bands, light up hats etc. One lady, the St Bernard mum, had a pair of light up wings that actually opened and closed. (See above photo). The best were the two girls with long, light up cloaks. That’s for next year.

As we dragged Viktor back to Dame Shirley, we realised what a shower of rubbish our lights are compared to everyone else.