There's a difference between the imagined version of a trip, and the reality: primarily in that in the imagined version, we see only the end result – getting to the destination - rather than the time spent packing and travelling. We look forward to the arrival, trying to peer over and beyond the logistical planning required to get us there. But behind every brilliant holiday there is probably an evening of frantically running around shrieking “I can’t find any matching clean socks!”
When going to a music festival, the forethought required ramps up a notch. Tent? Sleeping bag? Cash? Tickets? Ample dressing up materials? All sorts of small things become very important: the pump needed to blow up mattresses, or that easily losable small wind-up torch that you know was kept in the drawer of the dresser in the hall, but has gone missing just when needed. Bags are plumped out and the car is filled. Everything required for living in a field for three days must be accounted for.
Luckily it’s rather easy to forget this rush once it’s done. It gets brushed aside. There might be the slightest of inverse echoes post-event when sorting out muddy boots and dirty laundry. But these are just like the book ends scaffolding the main experience. Necessary but not worth dwelling on.
In this instance, that main event is Wilderness Festival. I've spent this week in preparation for a magnificent-looking few days of music, food, theatre and literary events. I have amassed my outfits: velvet mini-dresses, spangled shrugs, silk camisoles, sturdy shorts, translucent fabrics. Underpinning each of these layered looks there’ll be a pair of Hunter wellies – an Original short pair in chocolate and a long orange Headlinerpair (pictured here). As long as I can both tramp and dance, I’ll be content.
It’s hard to pull out a definitive list of favourites from the line-up, but things I can’t wait for include seeing singer Sam Lee, eating foraged food for Sunday lunch in the St John Dining Tent, popping across to the Idler Academy stage and swimming in the lakes. A great array of sounds, sights and activities await.
Thanks to Hunter for sending me off to Wilderness festival.
In anticipation of festival-style costumes, my clothes above are a rag-tag mix of second hand silk and linen. All are from charity shops apart from the vintage turban-style hat, which is a rather dazzling Christian Dior number. It was originally owned by my mum's late Great Aunt Violet (which is just the sort of name for someone in possession of a silk Dior turban).
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