Maia Mi

Maia went to her first ever festival in August - The Big Chill at Eastnor Castle in Herefordshire. Of course, this is where Mamma used to DJ and work on the website - and now Daddy is working as stage manager, so of course we HAD to go!

We drove up in our big blue volvo - it took us just over 6 hours, but we took a nice long break at a services place and ate lunch and played in the playground too. Maia was supergood in the car and slept or looked out of the window, and didn't get grumpy until just at the end. Which is fair enough really.

At the festie, Maia thought the tent was just the best thing ever - bouncing around in the 'bedroom area' and although she wasn't sure about the bedsharing on such a floppy mattress the first night, she slept really well the two other nights once we got our airbed pumped up properly.

One morning at 6am Maia made her bid for escape - while Mummy and Daddy snoozed she poked her head, then her whole body out of the bottom of the tent flap and took a little wander dressed but in a shortsleeved bodysuit. Imagine our panic! Luckily a little girl some 10 tents away from us had spotted Maia and was asking everybody if Maia was their little girl. Phew! Think we better 'brand' Maia with her phone number asap like all the other camping kids.

First evening Maia couldn't believe her freedom or the amount of people grinning at her saying hello - there was so much space to run around - and she spent most of her evening running up and down the viewing ramp by the Castle Stage and then dancing at the top. She also made friends with Belle (strangely enough Belle is actually called Isabelle Maia and Maia is called Maia Isabelle!!!) and they had even more fun the next night when they both ran around on the dangerous structures backstage. Terrifying for Mamma but hilarious for Maia.

One day we took a visit to the toddler tent but outside was far more fun - especially the paddling pool. On Sunday morning we visited Linda and her friends and they had a bright red bucket in which Henriette, Maia's new big friend, was going to wash her feet. But Maia had other ideas - it might be small - but this is surely for me to have a bath in & plopped herself in!

All in all a top weekend away - and perhaps, if we can get it together, Maia will have her second ever festival experience at Green Man!