Just say…yes!

Since our return from France,there have been a plethora of adverts for festivals amongst the now verdant hedgerows – more jazz and folk music than you can shake the proverbial (drum)stick at. So what would our first one be like? An unpromising start – meeting in a run-down car park at the back of town, clouds menacing overhead accompanied by a stiff breeze, was brightened by the cheery greetings from our party and the appearance of flower garlands for hats and heads. What followed was a solar powered boat trip on the river; ‘motley’ would be the best word to describe the crew, or perhaps ‘eccentric’ or rather ‘interesting’. Gliding along the stream peacefully, we were treated to a very different view of familiar countryside. Next step of the trip was a carriage, drawn by a pair of Suffolk Punch horses; travelling through the country lanes to the festival ground, past the semi-derelict abbey, we delighted in holding up the traffic as the world clip-clopped by.

The festival itself had a couple of excellent beer tents, selling local brews of various colours and strengths – the local cider was at 6.5%, so needed to be nursed rather! There was a range of interesting and unusual food on offer; burgers, yes, but also some very good Indian samosas and pakora, alongside a dumpling stall, local cheeses, freshly baked breads and pastries – plenty for all tastes. The centrepiece was the scything competition: men, women and children of all ages and sizes wielding their scythes with more or less skill and precision. The resultant piles of freshly cut grass provided an excellent playground for kids, as well as for some who had been enjoying their cider! Toilets as ever provided a talking point – the eco urinals (think bed of straw) for both men and women were somewhat reluctantly frequented! Displays of thatching, wood turning and willow weaving were informative and led with an infectious enthusiasm by stallholders and we were tempted by the range of local handcrafts – leather goods, pottery, glass etc. Two music tents provided an eclectic mix of folk, rockabilly and jazz to keep the punters happy, especially the free-spirited, bare-footed expressionist dancers, channeling their inner Isadora Duncan.

So a memorable and magical day and our decision to say ‘yes’, to get involved with our community paid off. Am I losing touch with my cosmopolitan, liberal elite London roots? No, but the day we had certainly sells the country experience in style.

Eating: Inspired by the presentation of the starter we had at a restaurant in France, which they called ‘cagette apéro’, my own take on it – basil oil, slow roast tomatoes, red onion chutney and rustic oat and treacle soda bread, which accompanied Sweet potato and goat’s cheese frittata – recipe from Skye Gyngell.

Drinking: The above, a really good accompaniment for the goat’s cheese frittata, sourced from Virgin Wines – an aromatic white, which I love really chilled. Still part of my ‘not Sav blanc’ efforts.

Listening to: Inspired by a band we listened to at the festival, called Such Sweet Thunder, presumably after the Duke Ellington song, Spotify (other streaming services are available!) search came up with a playlist of the same name. Favourite songs: Hiding by Breakstra and Bei Mir Bist Du Schön by Dick Hyman.