Belladrum Festival
By guest writer Josephine de Lucca
A Music-free Festival
Managed to blag a free ticket to Belladrum Festival for the Saturday so set off clad in waterproofs and wellies expecting to get wet but luckily the skies were blue. I was helping at a stall so didn’t get to listen to much music all day – but that was ok because it was free – right? I was helping kids paint and decorate recycled cups (why??!!) so that we could decorate a ‘house’ with them. I only seemed to manage to paint my hands but hey orange and green hands can look cool at a festival. It was fun to watch the kids concentrating on pink paint and fluff but it was even more fun to watch the parents get all serious about their creations.
Anyway I was free at 4pm so went off to a debate about Green Energy – so glad I purchased a big chocolate muffin and a coffee to keep me going throughout although I must say it was pretty interesting. Then it was off for a free spiritual reading where I was told that I had to get some direction in life (yeah I knew that one) but that they couldn’t help me with that – great – glad it was free and I hadn’t just spent £10 to get a fairy reading (yes really there was a fairy card reading stall! Do they just say dance more?!). Then I went off to a creative dance class where you just express yourself through movement – man! It was pretty cool actually. My friend Lesley finally found me frolicking about on the dance floor but she couldn’t laugh as she had for some reason decided to dress up as Pippy Long-stocking and her freckles had rubbed off. We then lost each other again and after a lot of frantic mobile phoning were reunited so we went off to their van to munch. Lesley had got herself lost the night before and had to beg a bed in a wigwam for the night – as you do!!
We finally decided to venture back out at about 8 to watch the Lemon Heads but only lasted about 5 minutes until the food hall called. There was so much to choose from but having turned veggie again that morning I chose some delicious veggie stovies. Yum. Then of course we promptly lost everyone and spent the next hour at the bar (good place to be) in a flurry of texts trying to find people again – how hard could it be – very hard since some of the party were a bit tipsy and probably forgot that they had even been with us in the first place! Anyway by the time we got over to the Waterboys they were playing there last chord and suddenly it was time to get the last bus home – oops – all the way to a music festival to listen to 5 minutes of music – oh well there’s always next year. There’s just so much to do at Belladrum that you really can spend a day there without needing to resort to mere music listening although next year I’ll be hanging out in a few more music tents and trying not to lose so many people! Definitely recommend it especially for those of you with a family.