DAD.info
Free online course for separated parents
Forum - Ask questions. Get answers.
Free online course for separated parents
DAD.info | DAD BLOGS: Mrunal | Festival Time

Festival Time

My worst fears were realised as I pulled into the car park. The Nissan next to me had a sticker in the window which proclaimed: “I love the Peatbog Faeries.

We had decided to take the children to their first proper festival and, against my better judgement had chosen the Cambridge Folk Festival on the basis that it had a reputation for being family friendly.  I had nightmare visions of men with beards wearing sandals and socks, interminable accordion solos and the dreaded Morris men.

I am basically a city boy and so it took every ounce of willpower to stop myself slamming my black golf GTI into reverse, winding the windows down and exiting the car park with a handbrake turn and blaring out urban garage.

The previous weekend we had given the kids a small taster of festival life when we took them both to the acoustic stage at the Bedford River Festival. Both had a thoroughly good time – Arun, taking after his old man, got down to a rock / blues band and Meri loved dancing to a swing band. In fact she insisted on being twirled around by Daddy copying the other ladies and their partners in the audience.

Upon arrival at Cambridge, the first thing we did was feed the kids. Clare tended to Arun and his special food whilst I took Meri off to find some lunch. After perusing all the stalls ranging from fish and chips to Caribbean, she settled on pizza. Meri particularly enjoyed the prosciutto, rocket and mozzarella pizza drizzled with balsamic proving that you can take girl out of Islington but you can’t take Islington out of the girl. She then proceeded to eat half of my curried goat proving that she really is a Daddy’s girl.

We settled down to listen to some genuinely eclectic music ranging from new wave folk (fiddle solo after fiddle solo) to some Indian / rock fusion. In the round, the kids enjoyed it. There was a lot of clapping, a lot of dancing and no major tantrums, although Arun did need a few time outs from the intensity of it all but that was expected given his autism. All in all, a result.

At the end of the day, hand in hand Meri and I made our way back to the car. I asked her, ”Meri, did you enjoy the festival?”

She looked up at me with her big brown eyes and said, “Meri had pizza!”

“Great”, I said, “we try to offer you a life enriching cultural experience and all you remember is the pizza.”

She looked at me and a big smile broke out onto her face, “Meri did dancing and singing!” she said.

That made it all worthwhile. We’ll be back next year. I might even be persuaded to listen to the Peatbog Faeries…

 

Related entries

Too old for this

Too old for this

It was late on a Thursday evening and Rodger and I were walking up Upper Street in Islington, looking for a Thai restaurant. We were a little worse for wear   “You OK?” he asked looking at my awkward gait. “Yeah,” I said with that little inflection that indicated...

Too old for this

The big day

I could hear the rustling from the room next-door and glanced at my watch: 6:30 am. I groaned to myself but there was a certain inevitability about it   The kids bounded into our room moments later. “Is Uncle Steve here? Is he here?” They asked excitedly. “Yes,...

Too old for this

The big questions

I was walking home from school with my five year old daughter. As we approached our front door she looked up at me   “Daddy?” she asked in that tone of voice that all dads will recognise as a precursor to something that they’ve been pondering. “Yes?” I answered...

Latest entries

Life after divorce: legal tips for men

Life after divorce: legal tips for men

A divorce is one of the most life-changing events most people will experience, and isaccompanied by a lot of emotional, financial, domestic and legal considerations. Thinkingabout life after divorce may be exciting, or daunting, or a combination of both, but it is...

De-escalation: how to calm kids down before they explode!

De-escalation: how to calm kids down before they explode!

Did you think that tantrums and explosions would be left in toddlerhood? Sadly, they're not. While older kids and teens are less likely to throw themselves to the floor because you didn't buy them a lolly, they can still be just ask explosive. In a bid to quell those...

How to deal with tantrums

How to deal with tantrums

Tantrums are one of the most stressful parts of parenting. Even the calmest dad can be pushed to their limits by a screaming child in the middle of Asda! Here's some helpful information on how to deal with tantrums to help you manage those miserable meltdowns: Are...

Pin It on Pinterest