Meeting the Tudors at Camp Bestival

Camp Bestival is known for hosting some fabulous events and in previous years we have seen knight’s jousting and cowboys doing some amazing tricks whilst riding their horses.

This summer, we were in for a treat with Henry VIII’s arrival at Camp Bestival from Hampton Court Palace with the unmissable Tudors on Tour.

Presented by independent charity Historic Royal Palaces, this ‘festival within a festival’ was a big hit with kids and adults alike, allowing us to step into a living Tudor world.

There was so much to do that we visited everyday to see the magnificence and splendour of the Tudor court through a spectacular mix of theatre, games, and live craft demonstrations.

the-tudors

I loved strutting my stuff in the height of 16th century fashion in the Tudor Costume Tent, although was secret relieved I didn’t have to wear it all day as it was rather warm. We also go to travel back to 1540 and meet Henry VIII in The King’s Pavilion, acting as we would have at that time – you must bow and never turn your back on the king, but he did answer Isaac’s cheeky questions with humour and a glint of mischief in his eye.

tudors

We also got to wield a deadly weapon and test our aim with a cross-bow and were able to see the skills of the master crafts-people and stonemasons who built and maintained palaces as magnificent as Hampton Court and the Tower of London and dipped our own candle to help bring light to the palace.

the-tudor-dance

My only disappointment with it was that we could see how the Tudors cooked their roast beef for the King in front of their roaring fire however we were not able to sample the meat due to the health and safety ruling.

Isaac now wants to go to Hampton Court Palace to see how the Tudors’s lived in the palace and I plan to do that very soon.

Camp Bestival

Our Favourite Things to see at Camp Bestival 2015

I have written about the kids favourite things to see and do at Camp Bestival, but going to a family festival doesn’t mean there isn’t things for the adults to enjoy too.

Part of the fun of a family festival is watching the kids have fun, but there are plenty of chances to let your hair down too. Not only is their fabulous food and drink on offer – I had the most delicious Pimms I had ever tasted thanks to the Beales Tent, but there are the acts to see, a chance to relax in a hot tub after a relaxing massage or learn a new skill.

As we have young children in tow, we didn’t get to take part in the relaxing bit, but we did get to see some fabulous acts including my favourite band Kaiser Chiefs. The teen enjoyed Professor Green, Clean Bandit and Wretch 32 whilst hubby and I relived our youth with Soul II Soul, Level 42 and Alison Moyet.

Camp Bestival

The only band we didn’t enjoy was Underworld as I didn’t feel their style of music suited Camp Bestival and we were trying to enjoy the fairies in Lizzie’s Way and the music spoiled it for us, but there were plenty of places to escape to and one of our favourites was the Travelling Bar who played a good mix of music.

Camp Bestival

Of course there is also the carnival atmosphere to enjoy too and you just get swept up on the welcoming vibe. The inflatable church was great fun and we got to take part in a “wedding” which was just brilliant – they even had clothes for the wedding party to get dressed up in. We also get the chance to meet up with fellow bloggers in the Bollywood Bar.

The entertainment goes on until the early hours of the morning and the kids would fall asleep in the trolley if we were out late, although we tended to get back to the tent around 11pm as it is a long old day.

The star attraction in the culinary fun is The Feast Collective, a food lover’s haven packed with the very best street food from around the country! Many are open ‘til late and/or open early so will be ready to serve the night owls returning from the silent disco or early risers with kids tugging at their legs for breakfast.

The highlight of Camp Bestival for us is always the fireworks display on the last night. Simply spectacular!!