Your Silver Cross

Your guide to the summer’s festivals.
When you become a parent, some things become less attractive. Mud and food poisoning, for example. Queuing for half an hour to use a toilet is another.

Nowadays, festival organisers have sorted these problems out. And what’s left – the great music, sunshine, the relaxed, carefree attitude – is every bit as good as you remember. There’s also plenty for kids to do, so festivals can be a great way for the whole family to have fun and spend time together. Of course, like everything when you’re a parent, a little preparation goes a long way.

Below are some packing tips and our run down of the best festivals.



What to pack:

• Wet wipes – think of how many you might need and double it 
• A sling – or reigns for toddlers
• Lightweight trousers for crawling babies
• Snack food – like dried apricots or breakfast bars
• A pre-cooked dinner – like chilli for the first meal
• Water bottles, blankets and rugs
• Wet wipes. Seriously, lots of them.
• ID bracelets for your kids with contact details – try www.childsafezones.co.uk or www.identify-me.co.uk
• A bucket with liners – in case the toilets aren’t great.
• A wheelbarrow – for transporting luggage. (You might as well, you’ve got everything else in the car.)
• Something to do when it inevitably rains.
• Oh, and some festivals don’t let you take glass into the site. This includes baby food jars, so do check first.

So, where to go?
Below are some of the festivals on this summer.

Wychwood 30th May-1st June 2008 Cheltenham Racecourse, Gloucestershire The Independent says: “Wychwood is like a bijou Glastonbury.” We say: “Bijou means small and exquisitely formed.” Enjoy. www.wychwoodfestival.com Glastonbury 27th-29th June 2008 Glastonbury, Somerset The original and best. Fortunately they’ve sorted the drainage problem out and these days you generally don’t have to pack your snorkle and mask. www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk Guilfest 4th-6th July 2008 Stoke Park, Guildford Last year included a special guest appearance from Jimmy Cliff. You can get there if you really want. www.guilfest.co.uk WOMAD 25th-27th July 2008 Charlton Park, Wiltshire WOMAD stands for World Of Music, Arts and Dance. So if you want music, dance and art from around the world you won’t be disappointed. www.womad.org Cambridge Folk Festival 31st July-3rd August 2008 Cherry Hinton Hall Cambridge Folk Festival is one of the premier music events in Europe and one of the longest running and most famous folk festivals in the world. Their words, not ours. www.cambridgefolkfestival.co.uk

The Big Chill 1st-3rd August 2008 Malvern Hills, Herefordshire Previous artists include Zero 7, Royksopp, Mr Scruff, Lemon Jelly, Amy Winehouse and Goldfrapp. Not much for metal fans, sadly. www.bigchill.net Innocent Village Fete 2nd and 3rd August 2008 Regent’s Park, London As the name suggests, it’s more of a fete than a festival. Not only do you get music, but there’s also welly-throwing, duck-herding, ferret-racing and barn-dancing. Not a festival for the malcoordinated. www.innocentvillagefete.co.uk The Green Man Festival 15th-17th August 2008 Glanusk Park, Brecon Beacons This has nothing to do with the giant who advertises sweetcorn, and everything to do with good music, good food and (surprisingly) good toilets. www.thegreenmanfestival.co.uk Solfest 22nd-24th August 2008 Tarnside Farm, West Cumbria Walk this way for face-painting, pizza-making, hulahooping, bubble-blowing, fancy-dress and balloon animals. Oh, and there’s a whole festival for adults too. www.solwayfestival.co.uk Bestival 5th-7th September, 2008, Robin Hill Country Park, Isle of Wight Great music, and they’ve even got a Breastival baby temple area for new mums. See what they did there? www.bestival.net