By: Blonde Two

There are all kinds of getting outside aren’t there and on Saturday I tried one that previously I have avoided like the plague (I have never had the plague), I went to a festival.

To my (apparently uneducated) mind the word ‘festival’ indicates an outside space that has been made to look and behave like an indoor space via the medium of overcrowding, loud music, disorganised campsites (I prefer straight lines) and poor toilet provision.

However, when I was invited on Saturday to join one of my favourite families at the Venus Company’s Loving the Beach Festival I didn’t hesitate to say, ‘Yes please!’ My reasoning was thus, I do love the beach (especially this particular one) and a whole day full of tiny yellow pebbles, azure (yes really) seas, live music and great company sounded like a great deal for a Blonde who likes getting outside and spends a lot of time working on her own.

I have no idea if all smaller festivals are like this one, but I have to say that for me it was a great experience. Blackpool Sands is a stunning beach about 4 kilometres south west of Dartmouth and (maybe more importantly) on a beautiful and historic section of the South West Coastpath.

Copyright Ordnance Survey 2017

As you approach it from the cliffs above you would be forgiven for thinking that you were on a Greek island, the sand (actually small pebbles) is so golden and the sea is so blue. When you set foot on the beach this stunning colour palette is heightened by the thick green of the surrounding trees and the glimpses of patchwork fields.

As it turned out this festival was anything but overcrowded, there was a friendly, family atmosphere, some great musicianship and impressively clean toilets and I spent a fair proportion of the day in the sea and some of the rest of it dancing on the sand. If all festivals are like this I will definitely consider going to one again. I usually like the outside for its solitude and isolation but, in this case, I am prepared to make an exception.