If you’re not jetting off somewhere warmer this Summer, and/or have made little progress with your plans why not take a look at some of the more kooky things to do right here in the UK. There are activities to take up and places to see to suit any budget; so whether you’ve spent this year saving your money, or splashing the cash on nights out, take the time to do something less run of the mill. It may not be saving the rainforest or trekking the Great Wall of China, but we all need a bit of R&R every now and again. Laid back weekends with friends make for a great summer and taking up a new skill is proven to boost your overall happiness.
If music is your thing but you don’t want to follow the crowd and head to Glastonbury or V or Reading/Leeds, there are plenty of smaller boutique festivals that are growing in popularity. The more zestful, shall we say of the largest festivals include Bestival – already an alternative giant the festival won Best Major Festival last year at the UK Festival Awards (who knew they existed?). This years theme is ‘rock stars, pop stars and divas’ so prepare for vivacious attire in abundance. If it wasn’t such a trek to the Isle of Wight, I would be snapping up a ticket.
So, onto those boutique festivals. The wackiest that I have come across so far has to be ‘The Secret Garden Party’ – check their website, looks crazy. The theme for 2011 is “where do we come from?”, “what are we?” and “where are we going” – sounds hmm, philosophical… Do we really want to ponder on “where are we going” over the summer – there’s enough of that in term time, thanks. However aside the mind boggling, it looks pretty good; set in a 10 acre landscaped garden, bordering a river and lake the site looks fairly dreamy, the overall setting described by eFestivals as ‘surreal and fantastical’.
Another winner at the 2010 Festival Awards was Kendal Calling, which looks set to be a fantastic small festival to get too. Set in the beautiful rolling hills of the Lake District, Kendal Calling is a must for those wishing to get into the festival fever and escape in the fresh country air; plus the small capacity means less crowds and an overall less manic feeling. Their line up for 2011 includes Frank Turner, Chase and Status, Frankie and the Heartstrings and Nero plus many others.
For something less fast paced, really taking off this year is Glamping – Glamourous Camping; for those who hate mud, dirt, cold, wind, uncomfort and the rest of the like – this particularly intrigues me. Fforest in Wales looks out of this world beautiful and describes itself as ‘still camping, but only the best bits’. However idyllic, it also looks very pricy, so unless you have deep pockets, it may be slightly out of your range. Vintage Vacations on the Isle of Wight also looks pretty fabulous; set on a working dairy farm they offer a stylish alternative to the somewhat overdone campervan. Their collection of retro American Airstream caravans have been restored to a tee and come complete with retro decor, crochet blankets and cupboards filled with sweets! Also on the expensive side for the student but I’m sure there are ideas to be taken from these inventive happy campers.
If you’re yet to make summer plans, don’t sit about at home – plan a weekend away with mates, visit a city you’ve never seen or camp in stunning countryside, try a new crazy activity, who knows, you may uncover a hidden talent!
Summer isn’t about festivals for everyone though. Learn to surf at Fistral Beach in Cornwall with the Escape Surf School (naturalretreats.com), they offer £30 a pop for a single lesson but £65 for a session of three, all taught by the coaches who train the British National surf team – plus they promise to have you standing in one lesson… Easier said than done I assume! If surfing is not for you, there are plenty of other water based activities to learn in the UK including wave skiing, kite buggying and power boating. Kite buggying looks particularly fun and apparently dates back to 13th century China!