Tuesday 28th August 2018

By the time we left the festival site this morning most people had packed up and gone. Before leaving Shrewsbury we dropped in at Andy and Shradhabha's to say goodbye. 

We stopped at Strensham Services on the M5 for a cup of tea and a biscuit or two or more.

We arrived back at Widecombe about 16.30.

Today we travelled 235 miles (378 kilometres).

We were away for 7 days and in all we travelled 485 miles (781 kilometres).

Monday 27th August 2018

Here's the programme in the main tent at the Folk Festival today.

I went along to watch Skerryvore - a highly rated band from NW Scotland - but couldn't relate to what they were playing at all and left after a few minutes.

Back at the van Andy dropped round to see us. We are all going to meet up at 18.00 at the Beer Tent for a discussion. Just as Andy was leaving the people camping next to us found that they had run their car battery flat charging up mobile devices so we helped them jump start their car. Judy left about 15.30 to go home to Bangor.

After having deliberately missed the Fishermans' Friends who I knew I wouldn't like I wandered up to the main tent to see the Galician band Budino. I couldn't seem to appreciate their music at all and left after about 5 minutes - I really should have tried to give it a chance but I  just couldn't face it!

Back at the van some swans were passing,

We all met up in the beer tent. We had beer.

Julie (on the left) was keen to discuss a mutual health problem with me.

Shraddhabha (on the left who previously was called Annette) reckoned that the festival wasn't up to much and she was dubious about coming next year. My thoughts exactly.

Sunday 26th August 2018

It rained a lot this morning and for some of the afternoon.

I had some vegetable samosas from the Indian food stall and scampi and chips from the Yorkshire place pictured here.

I had a quick look in the Berwick Bar where there always seems to be an impromptu jam session. They have a very wide range of real beers.

And a wide range of ciders.

The rain has been on and off this afternoon so it's difficult to know which way up to have our chairs!

Later on I went out to listen to Gretchen Peters. I didn't particularly like her songs but she denounced Trump which was nice (she's from the USA).

After her I listened to Jon Boden and The Remnant Kings - good musicians but I didn't like their songs much. Maybe Shrewsbury Folk Festival generally isn't really to my taste?

Saturday 25th August 2018

A bit of a late start today.

Eventually I got out and about.

I went to see a band playing - Peter Knight's Gigspanner Big Band - I did't think they were much good.

When I got back to the van Andy from Shrewsbury came round to visit. He's planning a trip to Spain in his campervan.

The food stall named Food Tent is a fish and chips place. I queued up for a while later on when it was crowded but gave up when the queue didn't move. Ann was more persistent and queued for a very long time and eventually managed to buy some fish and chips. Many thanks Ann for your patience.

I went out again later on to the big tent.

I listened to Show of Hands playing. Very good!

Friday 24th August 2018

We left Corbet Wood at about 8.30 this morning and arrived at Shrewsbury Folk Festival site at about 9.00. We parked in exactly the same place we were at a year ago next to the River Severn. Here's the view from our van.

 

At about 12.00 our friend Judy from Bangor turned up in her campervan and parked next to us.

Judy's van has a pop up top.

One of the highlights of the Festival is the Sludge Gulper. It comes around every couple of hours to empty the tanks which the toilets drain into!

We went out to the food stalls area but when we got there high winds and heavy rain arrived.

Ann and I abandoned our table as the rain was coming in under the side of the tent. Judy stayed on a while to eat her food.

The weather wrought havoc with the seating arrangements. Eventually the storm died down and Ann and I got some food. I had curry goat and Ann had jerk chicken. Both pretty poor in our estimation.

Ann and Judy have gone off to listen to music. I've stayed in to watch telly.

Today we travelled 11 miles (18 kilometres). We are at N52.71433 W2.76547

Shrewsbury Show Ground      Street view of showground entrance

Thursday 23rd August 2018

It rained quite a lot in the night. In the morning Ann took a walk up to Wapley Hill Fort.

As you can see the monument is quite overgrown and it is difficult to see the ramparts.

She saw some interesting fungi along the way.

There were some good views from the fort. From Wabley Hill we moved on north to Shrewsbury. We briefly visited the Shrewsbury Folk Festival site but weren't able to stay there.

We stopped for the night at the Car Park at Corbet Wood. This area is a wooded escarpment with numerous old and new quarry workings. It's very popular with dog walkers and mountain bikers.

We took a brief walk. There are some good views.

Today we travelled 54 miles (87 kilometres). We are at N52.80930 W2.70604

Corbet Wood        Street view

Wednesday 22nd August 2018

This morning we loaded up the van and set off.

We headed up country towards Bristol and stopped for a cup of tea at Gordano Services on the M5.

We headed to an overnight parking place on the Wild Camping database at Queens Wood Country Park near Leominster. When we got there we found that overnight parking is no longer allowed. Maybe the "Golden Age" of campervaning/motorhoming is drawing to a close? 

We moved on to Wapley Hill Wood - also on the Wild Camping database.

This is a really pleasant spot high up on a hillside via a steep narrow road.

There are picnic tables and forest walks here and there is apparently a prehistoric hill fort up at the top of the hill. We had a nice meal and are settling down for the night.

To day we travelled 185 miles (298 kilometres). We are at N52.25379 W2.94135


Wapley Hill Wood          Street view