Writing in my camper-van at the Sidmouth Folk Festival in Devon

Promenade dancers during Sidmouth folk festival in Devon

One of my most often visited web sites is my Folk Music, Festivals and Sessions blog which provides me with an ideal excuse to get away regularly for weekends and the occasional week under the guise of writing up various folk festivals.

One of my favourite festivals to visit in my camper-van is the Sidmouth folk festival which lasts a whole week. Almost every pub has sessions where folk musicians and singers play their instruments, sing or even sometimes dance. The sea front promenade is alive throughout the day with traditional dancers of all sorts. There are lots of paid for folk music events and traders galore to keep the shopaholics happy.

Thorn Park temporary camp site at Salcombe Regis, Devon

I generally park up at the Thorn Park Golf Centre near Salcombe Regis close to Sidmouth which offers a large field for caravans, camper-vans and tents during the Sidmouth folk festival week. There is a dedicated bus that takes festival goers between the camp site and the town avoiding the horrendous hill. Generally, there is quite a party atmosphere in the bus but the only downside, for me, is when somebody starts singing “the wheels on the bus go ’round and ’round”

So when August comes around each year, I will be checking again for the dates of the Sidmouth festival and be looking forward to a week playing my instruments in the pubs and writing on location about my thoughts in-between

Bye for now

Rob

Rob Hopcott – online author, camper-van blogger and folk musician