By: Blonde Two
It’s about time the South West had her very own outdoor festival. Down here we have so much wonderful outside to show off; but an unreasonable proportion of outdoors events happen in Up-North and out of the reach of us poor southerners.
So well done to the National Trust and her band of willing volunteers for putting on this weekend’s most excellent event. Situated in the stunning Heddon Valley on Exmoor (we will be returning for some walking), the South West Outdoor Festival was just lovely.
Imagine happy outdoorsy people wandering round, with happy outdoorsy children and even happier outdoorsy dogs. While you are imagining, send this happy bunch on foraging walks, hear them splashing in streams, watch them cooking dampers on the fire, join in their chatter and listen with them to inspirational speakers (inspirational speakers, by the way, are those who help you to realise that you can actually have a go yourself. Phoebe Smith and Monty Halls both achieved this).
The above might not be quite your cup of tea (although we should all try different types of tea from time to time), but it was all right up Blonde Street. We only visited for Sunday, but next year we will definitely be staying all weekend.
We definitely need more events like this down South. After spending last weekend up North at Alpkit’s (other outdoor brands are available) Big Shakeout these events are fantastic fun and great at getting us doing the outdoorsy things that maybe we’ve always wanted to try but never gotten around to.
There were certainly lots of things to try – including axe throwing (which is coincidentally what I felt like doing yesterday!) Viva La Sud Oest! (I may have mixed some languages there!)