Both new and old.

My sister and I have birthdays within days of each other, so this year my brother decided to get us a joint birthday gift. My brother is an original acid rave and festival goer. Started in the 80's and never really stopped. He is what is known as 'an old timer' on the dance floor, purely because it's obvious he has been there for much longer than most of the dancers. He bought all three of us tickets to a weekend festival. It was not a huge one like Glastonbury (he's not made of money, these things are not cheap anymore) but a nice small one that is trying to keep local and family accepting.
My initial response when he phoned to tell me he had bought me a ticket to a festival and i was to spend the weekend in a tent on a cow field completely panicked me. I had not been to a festival or done anything like this since i was a teenager. My pastimes these days are far from festivals. The closest i get are family weddings and there really have been a shortage of them in past years. It had become way out of my comfort zone.

So here i was with my siblings at Brownstock festival. And i enjoyed every moment. I had forgotten how much i love to dance, and i mean really dance, for hours. I realised how much my comfort zone was just my perception. There were some great bands and DJ's, families everywhere and i even had feathers weaved into my hair. Everywhere my brother went people shook his hand for being an old timer.

The toilets were something else though. Young people have changed festivals. Their version of roughing it is quite different to what our version used to be (gee sounding older every minute). It's always said the best thing after a festival is a bath, or maybe even your own bed. But it's lies, the best thing is the moment you sit on your own toilet seat.

I plan to go again next year, and possibly take Vivienne.