You can find the story of day one at Kendal Calling here.
Full up on latte and disco hits, we decided to call it a night and hit the hay. Trudging back in darkness, we became distinctly aware of the dip in temperature when we could see our breath. Foreboding crept in. Our tents were no different, everything was damp to the touch with the night’s dew. Burrowing down in our sleeping bags, teeth chattering, I struggled to think of a night I’d been colder. It was a long night, one that I couldn’t wait to end.
Finally, morning arrived and we all struggled to get our aching bones moving. The lure of a hot coffee and a bacon barm is a powerful motivator and I rose, Kate Bush hair in tow. Inside the arena, we managed to bag this kitsch table to brunch at. Let me tell you now, this is probably the final shot of us that we took, vain much?
Pleasantly full, we settled on a grassy mount to watch a Liverpool band I’ve wanted to catch for some time now, The Tea Street Band. These Liverpudlians are the sound of summer. Sun shining, sunglasses on, wellies aligned, we watched the entirety of their set whilst chatting about the upcoming sets of Dutch Uncles, Ash, London Grammar and The Charlatans.
I don’t know if you know, but Kendal Calling holds a fancy dress theme each year, this year’s theme was ‘Kendal Calling goes to the movies’. So, whilst we milled about we saw a eclectic mix of characters; Wayne and Garth, Velma, Minnions, Pink Ladies and of course, Superman, everywhere! They were trying to break a world record, the largest gathering of people dressed as Superman They smashed the previous record of 566, with a total of 867 people dressed as Superman. Super, hey?
By tea time, the sun was still shining as I devoured my pie, chips and curry sauce, an odd mix perhaps but anything goes. I needn’t have fretted about burning, because just as Ash too to the stage …it started to rain. Nevertheless, it was worth getting soaked for Ash. They remind me of my college days, so when they played Girl From Mars, oh how my floral boots stomped in the mud.
The rain was constant as we waited for I Am Kloot. Fed up and drenched, we decided to head to the Calling Out tent to get to the front for London Grammar. I am so glad we did! If you haven’t heard of them, I suggest you stop reading right now and click here to watch what I saw. Magical, simply magical. Hannah, the lead singer, has an incredible voice. I see big, big things. Plus, don’t you think Dot looks like Harry Styles? One Direction fans need not thank me.
After being spellbound, we darted right over to the main stage to catch The Charlatans. Ah, it’s no secret, I admire Tim Burgess. He’s had an amazing life and can do no wrong. Genuine top guy.
The rain just didn’t up, so we decided to head for the warmth of the much loved Tim Peaks. I’m so glad we did! Warm, dry and cozy, we arrived just in time for musical bingo. We didn’t win, but even so it was exciting. I typed that and thought, ‘I need to get out more!’
Absolutely shattered from our previous night’s sleep, we decided to head back and assess if the tent was waterproof. Turns out, it wasn’t entirely. On the brighter side, it’s true what they say, it is warmer when it rains. We layered up, burrowed down and prepared for another long night. Ironically, I slept better in our damp tent than I had the night before. If you minus the occasional drip on the forehead and a wet sleeping bag, it was all but perfect.
Clare can now safely tick this off her bucket list. I doubt we’d ever go ‘wild camping’ again. Kendal Calling is fantastic, but next year you’ll find us glamping.
Have you been to a festival this year? Did you camp? Would you camp?
As always, much love,
Donna x (I’m a happy camper!)
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