Beautiful Days Festival 2009

[Badgers]

So far have not booked tickets for this despite doing the last few. Not because I don't want to go but just financially unable to plan that far in advance.

Just had the latest email though and a few old favourites on the bill:

The Pogues, Levellers, Hawkwind, The Saw Doctors , Gong, Lamb, Dreadzone, Imagined Village, Dub Pistols, Pendulum DJ’s, Cara Dillon, The King Blues, Eliza Carthy, Imelda May, Lau, Edward II, Kris Drever, John McCusker & Roddy Woomble Trio, John Smith, Sonic Boom Six, Les Truttes, Chris T-T, Jay Jay Pistolet & Ruarri Joseph

No mention of Hobo Jones & The Junkyard Dogs but if I was a betting man......



Anyone going along this year?

 

[zenie]

It's an August one isn't it?

 

[Badgers]

Yep...

2006 was really great weather
2007 was a fair bit less great
2008 was pretty wet all over
2009 is bound to be a sunny one

I really like it as a festival but it gets knocked a lot.

 

[William of Walworth]

We're booking ASAP.

We were in doubt for a bit for budget reasons, but one of the tipping points decision wise was Deb finding out on Monday about the full Gong reunion malarkey

Pogues and all, wonder whether it's the full Shane McGowan lineup?

See you down there Badgers, maybe for more than a few minutes this time , what with there bound to be a lot more sunshine and that

 

[Badgers]

We're booking ASAP.

We were in doubt for a bit for budget reasons, but one of the tipping points decision wise was Deb finding out on Monday about the full Gong reunion malarkey

Pogues and all, wonder whether it's the full Shane McGowan lineup?

See you down there Badgers, maybe for more than a few minutes this time , what with there bound to be a lot more sunshine and that

McGowan is playing so Pogues look good.

Was suprised about Gong too

 

[bouncer_the_dog]

I want to go but am too skint to fork out for a ticket at the moment..

 

[pogofish]

So far have not booked tickets for this despite doing the last few. Not because I don't want to go but just financially unable to plan that far in advance.

Just had the latest email though and a few old favourites on the bill:



No mention of Hobo Jones & The Junkyard Dogs but if I was a betting man......



Anyone going along this year?

This line-up looks very tempting.

 

[Badgers]

Was discussing last night
Now the brain is kicking into gear as to how to get ticket money put aside

 

[Tort]

This line-up looks very tempting.

It certainly does! I'd love to get back down to Escot again one day but I'm afraid it's unlikely to be this year.

 

[wiskey]

We're going.

 

[Badgers]

We're going.

Another reason to go

 

[Badgers]

x a lot

 

[paolo]

Tempted. Lineup doesn't do anything for me but that might be a good thing. Nice to stumble across stuff and all that. Is there much to see and do, outside of the music? What's the deal with travel? The website suggests you can take your own booze... true?

Basically, I'm saying: Someone sell it to me. I *need* a late festival this year, to stave off the post Glasto blues

 

[Badgers]

Tempted. Lineup doesn't do anything for me but that might be a good thing. Nice to stumble across stuff and all that. Is there much to see and do, outside of the music? What's the deal with travel? The website suggests you can take your own booze... true?

Basically, I'm saying: Someone sell it to me. I *need* a late festival this year, to stave off the post Glasto blues

We have been three years running mate and (last two damp years aside) have really liked it. The line up is very folky but I have never been bored and also I find the line up (like yourself) not essential to a good festival.

Setting is the grounds of Escott Park and the Guardian voted it the Best for getting back to nature last year.

Access to the site is easy and we have always had enough camping space. The site is small by comparison to some (especially Glasto) but big enough for you to not get bored at any point.

One of the common complaints about the festival is the 'Levellers Factor' but I never get bored of seeing them. They organise it and it is their party, if the last few years are anything to go by.

Travel is pretty easy but the gates don't open till Friday morning and the music starts at midday-ish so is a but tighter than some places. There are festival buses running and a few urbs are driving up

 

[William of Walworth]

To add to Badgers' excellent info above, yes paolo you can definitely take your own booze, and you're allowed to carry your cans all over site.

In any case there are several great beer tents run by the excellent, local Otter Brewery (Honiton, 4 miles away) whose prices are pretty reasonable

The Bimble Inn always has some cracking gigs, best stage for impromptu discoveries although it does get packed at times. Maybe less so this year if the weather improves as it surely will ....

 

[Biddlybee]

Pendulum still any good?

 

[JTG]

Pendulum still any good?

Never were any good really, though this is a DJ set so can't possibly as bad as the live stuff

 

[Biddlybee]

Couple of tunes were alright

 

[wiskey]

no, they weren't

 

[Biddlybee]

maybe I'm getting confused, I'll check my CDs when I get home

 

[Mungy]

we're really hoping to get to this one. hopefully for free*



*will probably involve some minor begging

 

[paolo]

Badgers & William - thanks for the info.

Will, how does it compare with EndorseIt? (Escott Park sounds prettier, and I really prefer a free-roam festival... then again EndorseIt has a better line up for me. Favouring BD at the moment.).

 

[kittyP]

We're going.

With baby?

 

[wiskey]

BD is much bigger, it has things like doughnut stalls and people selling glowing necklaces at night. Edid is smaller and more intimate, the food is less commercial and two years ago there were only 6 food stalls. BD is landscaped stately home grounds, Edid is in the middle of fields you can crunch across - you can just walk out. But then BD has nice old trees.

Its hard to compare the two.

 

[wiskey]

With baby?

yep. Am starting to be a bit nervous about it actually, all the other festivals we know loads of people going but they all seem to be unable to come to BD. So we might have to suppress him ourselves all weekend. And work

 

[paolo]

BD is much bigger, it has things like doughnut stalls and people selling glowing necklaces at night. Edid is smaller and more intimate, the food is less commercial and two years ago there were only 6 food stalls. BD is landscaped stately home grounds, Edid is in the middle of fields you can crunch across - you can just walk out. But then BD has nice old trees.

Its hard to compare the two.

That's given me a general picture - thanks.

 

[Badgers]

Badgers & William - thanks for the info.

Will, how does it compare with EndorseIt? (Escott Park sounds prettier, and I really prefer a free-roam festival... then again EndorseIt has a better line up for me. Favouring BD at the moment.).

Endorse it in Dorset is an U75 favourite so there must be some mileage in it. I guess that (without having been to Endorse it) the difference based on feedback is that Endorse it is very small with more of a private party atmosphere. Both are smaller than Glasto (of course) but BD is a good halfway house so gives you the best of both worlds.

Where we have got camped the last two years allows you to watch a stage clearly from your camp-site/tent but in surroundings not unlike a less crowded smaller Pennards as a setting.

No doubt both are good and I can't give a balanced opinion as I have only done one while getting feedback from the other.

 

[Biddlybee]

yep. Am starting to be a bit nervous about it actually, all the other festivals we know loads of people going but they all seem to be unable to come to BD. So we might have to suppress him ourselves all weekend. And work

If you need some time off give me a shout

 

[William of Walworth]

Its hard to compare the two.

Yep, as said above they're both excellent. So hard to decide between the two that you'll have to come to both!

One thing's for definite, both are very friendly, both are pretty laid back, both are more or less free roam. Although at Endorse It (unlike at Escot), you're not meant to carry your own booze into the central arena and this is checked to some extent.

 

[Badgers]

Although at Endorse It (unlike at Escot), you're not meant to carry your own booze into the central arena and this is checked to some extent.

I think you have just made up Paulo's mind William!