We set off early for the campsite at Standlake and lucked out with a fantastic pitch — right near the clubhouse and, best of all, overlooking the lake. Couldn’t have asked for a better view.
Tash and Tiff’s kids arrived soon after. It was their first time there and, before they’d even stepped fully out of the car, they were asking if they could come again! They helped me sort a few bits, but I still had a couple of hours’ work to get through. So I retreated to the clubhouse with my MiFi — love that flexibility — and got stuck in. Worked like a charm.
By the time Nik, Gaz, Danny, Vic, the kids, Paul, and Pauline rolled in, it was 4:30pm and I could finally clock off. A few drinks later, I was in full relax mode. We wandered around the lake, had our pre-cooked dinner, and ended up back in the clubhouse with more beers and even a disco to round things off.
Odd moment later on — around 8:30pm, they all suddenly said “See you tomorrow” and headed off to their caravans. Tash popped round to see them later and found them eating and drinking together. She was upset; their uncle had died and it felt like they didn’t want to spend that evening with us. I was disappointed too, but not quite as bothered as she was.
That night, the kids stayed in the van with Tash while I slept in the festival tent. Not the greatest night’s sleep — mattress wasn’t pumped up enough and it was chilly.
Up early the next day, we had breakfast before heading into Standlake with the others. The road was busy (and not ideal for walking) and it turned out to be a longer trek than expected. Found a nice pub, though, and — strangely — sat inside despite the sunny weather. It wasn’t busy, but the service was painfully slow. Thankfully, when the food eventually arrived, it was worth the wait.
Back at the campsite, we made our way to the usual spot by the lakes for swimming, inflatables, and splashing around. Stayed for quite a while before heading back for dinner and another evening in the clubhouse. The girls got a bit tipsy — the weather was too nice not to. Didn’t see much of Gaz; he popped in for one drink and then disappeared back to his tent. Live music carried on until about 10:30pm, then we had a slightly questionable “health and safety” walk around the lake in the dark.
Elwood wanted to try sleeping in the tent that night, so he joined me while the girls stayed in the van. Much better sleep this time.
We were up early again — on a deadline to get to Manchester for Lewis and Emily’s baby shower. I started packing up straight away. After breakfast, we hit the road, but not before saying goodbye to the festival tent. It had served us brilliantly over the years, but this trip was its last. Ripped and beyond repair, it had to be binned. Definitely going to replace it — it’s the perfect spare room on trips like this.
Dropped the kids at Paul’s in Bicester on the way. They were worn out but absolutely loved it and are keen to go again. Nice to see Paul too — he’s in a lovely part of town.
Got home, barely had time to breathe before we were back on the road again… but that’s for the next entry.
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