When you hear the words ‘music festival’ you automatically think of iconic events such as Glastonbury, or Latitude. Huge events with big headliners, thousands of people, and extortionate ticket prices.
The last festival I went too was BST in Hyde Park, and afterwards I swore that I would never go to another one again. We were hemmed in on all sides and couldn’t see a thing that happened on stage thanks to people sitting on other’s shoulders in front of us. If you wanted a drink you had to take a mortgage out, and if you needed the loo you faced massive queues at the smelly portaloos and the possibility of never seeing the rest of your party again.
After the show you had to walk miles to the nearest tube station and fight to get on with everyone else; and if you were lucky you’d just make it on the last train to get home in the early hours.
It’s just not fun.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not a party pooper. I love music and having a boogie, as my friends at my Zumba class will confirm. But I just can’t deal with the rest of it.
So, no more music festivals for me…except one.
Every year, my home village of Quainton holds ‘QuaintFest’ at the end of June which is a mini music festival on the green.
Of course, there are no big headliners, but the villagers still turn out to have fun in the sun, enjoy a drink, and listen to local bands, which are very good. There are stands dotted around, and as you can imagine, the local pub and food vans do a roaring trade.
We attend every year, and this year will be no exception. We should be able to find a seat, or we can just bring a blanket and relax on the grass with a bottle of Prosecco (or two). We won’t run the risk of being crushed to death, as while plentiful, the crowd is manageable, and you can use the toilets in the pub with only a small queue.
I was going to say that the best thing about Quaintfest is it’s a free event. No ticket required. But, that isn’t the best thing. The best thing of all is when the event finishes and you’re worn out from dancing you can just take a short walk home and go to bed. Perfect.
