Sidmouth Festival: Camp or B&B

Subject: Sidmouth Festival: Camp or B&B
From: Cllr
Date: 09 May 02 - 02:35 PM

After twenty years of having a house for my use during Sidmouth festival I am, sorry to say, no longer in this position. The sale will probably completed in July so I need to decide on alternative accommadation now. So has any one got any suggestions which is better camping or B&B/ hotels Cllr

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Festival: Camp or B&B
From: Wyrd Sister
Date: 09 May 02 - 02:41 PM

Camp. You get wetter.

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Festival: Camp or B&B
From: Wyrd Sister
Date: 09 May 02 - 03:12 PM

on second thoughts, just found this in another thread. Read, and make your own mind up!

'Lying in an uncomfortable tent being woken up bymusic is one of the pleasures of a festival. Ilike the nice blends of music you get.The drunken rowdies for the post pubhours, the gradual mellowing as the bluesy hippy dopeheads take over, the dawn chorus of children screaming and the melodeon and shorts wearing contingents starting there efficient camping breakfasts, punctuated by people falling over your your guyropes as the hangovers stumble out for the morning piss, cigarette and helpless vomit. If you dont like it, stay home. '

Not sure of etiquette of attributing. I think it was Greg Stephens. If not, apologies to him + true author.

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Festival: Camp or B&B
From: MMario
Date: 09 May 02 - 03:17 PM

are you a "long into the night" festival person - or a "keep my regular hours" festival person?

the former would probably prefer camping the latter B&B - and the B&B people would probably prefer you camp if you are the former! *grin*

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Festival: Camp or B&B
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 09 May 02 - 03:35 PM

If you're mainly into the dancing and Late Night Extra, maybe camping is closer. But otherwise it's one hell of a long trudge up the hill.

And if you don't want to have to lug everything you might need around with you all day, having a room down in the town is very handy. (And you wouldn't want to have to drive a car after a day folking about would you? - even if you could guarantee a parking space.)

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Festival: Camp or B&B
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 09 May 02 - 04:08 PM

Cllr - you must be psychic, I was just wondering today whether the house had been sold.... the other bummer is losing out on a resident's season too.

I stopped camping at Sidmouth when I was about your age, but that was after a particularly damp and windy festival, when the weather was bad all week. I miss the craic at the campsite, but not the loos - and I remember seeing the poor half-drowned survivors of the great storm on Thursday night a few years ago. The other thought is that you don't need a week's season ticket if you're not camping (and if you're paying more for accommodation you may not want a season) and you could just pay for the events you go to (or get a day ticket to get to LNE...).

Check out what B&B is still available, because the nice ones get booked up the year before.

Kitty

PS Thanks for letting me stay in the house while you had it!

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Festival: Camp or B&B
From: Morticia
Date: 09 May 02 - 04:17 PM

I was going to ask you about the house too, hope it went to nice people given that I couldn't afford it( did my sums seven times, still couldn't do it, damn it!).

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Festival: Camp or B&B
From: treewind
Date: 09 May 02 - 04:33 PM

Might be too late now to find a B&B for this year. If you can find a house to share and the right people to share it with that's a good option, but both self-catering houses and B&B's can get re-booked for the next year during the festival.

The campsite's not as bad as it could be, and I'm also told it's better than it used to be. There's a burst of noise as the revellers come back from the LNE and that dies down after a while, though the noise level depends on which part of the camp site you are on, and there are designated (relatively) quiet areas. The Festival campsite is also reasonably secure.

I survived the rains and mud of '97!!! It wasn't too bad for me, but there were some affected by serious flooding.

This year, Mary and I are staying at the Red Lion in Sidbury. It's run by an ex Holt Morris man, and he welcomes music and dancing there - we had a terrific sesh there one night during last years festival and intend to have several this year.

Anahata

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Festival: Camp or B&B
From: Cllr
Date: 09 May 02 - 06:07 PM

I posted earlier to get the pain out the way, Sidmouth got me into folk music and is now part of my life and for me it is an end of an era. I have had some of the most amazing times, holidaying with some of my favourite people (Hiya Kitty) and some great parties. I used to have between 8 and 12 people staying during the extended folk week which meant drinking, music, drinking, conversation and drinking would go on for about ten days every August since I was old enough to laugh/drink/sing/fallover. I would like to camp but I don't think I can take 10 days under canvass. I'm a very late night get up late type person, my day begins when the anchor middle bar session starts at lunch time. I will try for a hotel but I think I'm a bit late. Cllr

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Festival: Camp or B&B
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 09 May 02 - 06:14 PM

Treewind

Yes well, Cllr knows about the Red Lion in Sidbury - and it's the venue for the Anchor MBS Winter reunion Sunday survivors session. But ideally, once the pubs in sidmouth have shut (or you've been to LNE), you want somewhere within staggering rather than driving distance to crash out. I booked the same self-catering flat for several years, until I tried ringing in May for the following year's festival and was told it had already gone and was booked for several years in advance... the Tourist Info office said it's dead man's shoes....

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Festival: Camp or B&B
From: Morticia
Date: 09 May 02 - 07:04 PM

So where are you staying Kitty? Are you roughing it? ( in which case I might be persuaded to join you) or absteming altogether?

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Festival: Camp or B&B
From: Gervase
Date: 10 May 02 - 04:38 AM

Mike,
Don't let soggy canvas put you off camping - it's not really as bad as that, you know! The site at Sidmouth is pretty good for a festival site, with hot showers going 24/7 (a great place for some impromptu singing - though not recommended at 5.30am!), plentiful clean bogs, ample water (not all of it falling from the sky) and a heck of a lot better than Towersey.
Annie's Mexican food stall does an amazing heart-starter breakfast until late, with real coffee, and the craic there also goes on until the wee hours (does she never sleep?) and the Middle Bar crew are well represented (where else would you get to see Tony Day repeatedly falling off a plastic stacking chair, for heaven's sake?).
Give the Red Lion a buzz to see if they've any rooms left, certainly, but why not give camping a try for a few days at least. You never know, you may yet get to enjoy it!

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Festival: Camp or B&B
From: alanww
Date: 10 May 02 - 05:53 AM

Hi Mike
Since I gave up buying a ticket (wow, what a price! Is it £160 now?) I have been staying at the York for about £40 per night B&B - its expensive but I don't have to pay for a season ticket any more, the wonderful breakfast keeps me going all day and its very comfortable!
You say you are too late to get a hotel but there are always cancellations, some at the last minute. Try ringing round all the hotels, small and large to get put on a waiting list - and then ring round again in June ... and July ... and with two days to go ... You could be lucky (a single room cancellation won't be good enough for a couple further up the waiting list!)
All the best. Hope to see you there.
Clouds are upon a summer sky, there's thunder in the wind ...
Alan

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Festival: Camp or B&B
From: treewind
Date: 10 May 02 - 06:38 AM

Kitty, I would agree most of the time about staggering out of the LNE and not having to go too far before falling into bed. It's a bit different this year cos we are performing and I need to keep my head together a bit more than usual. We discovered the Red Lion last year when we had a gig at Bodmin on the Friday and found that there was nowhere you could just run through the programme let alone practice anything seriously. Also my (new) partner hasn't taken well to camping (it's her only fault....).

Gervase - I'll miss Annie's breakfasts. They were a highlight!

Anahata

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Festival: Camp or B&B
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 10 May 02 - 02:40 PM

Morty

I have to confess I'm "roughing it" at the Bedford - I've decided this will be my "proper" holiday this year, and just to show Mr Heap there are no hard feelings over the Theatre Bar (as recorded in hijacking Theatre Bar thread) and to fill the gap left by not running singarounds, I've bought a season ticket. Of course I'll probably end up spending lots of time in the Anchor.

Alanww - if you're getting B&B at the Royal York for £40 that's actually quite cheap for the standard and location. I must remember that for next year.....

Cllr - hope you're feeling a bit better. I guess another factor to add into the calculation is whether you're planning to go to Okehampton afterwards. Kitty

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Festival: Camp or B&B
From: Cllr
Date: 11 May 02 - 06:40 AM

Grief, I hadn't thought about Okehampton.I really am going to miss having accomadation in Sidmouth. Cllr

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Festival: Camp or B&B
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 11 May 02 - 02:09 PM

In the words of CBS,
The rich man's at the Bedford, the poor man's on the front
The young man's on the campsite, looking for accommodation.......

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Festival: Camp or B&B
From: Gray D
Date: 11 May 02 - 08:28 PM

Just go for one day.

(remember 'cats, pick out the middle aged man with the beard and glasses, say "You are Gray D and I claim my free pint", and you could get a free pint . . . or stared at as if you were some kind of lunatic . . . I'll decide at the time.)

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Festival: Camp or B&B
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 12 May 02 - 05:38 AM

Gray D - have you SEEN how many middle aged men with beards and glasses go to Sidmouth these days? And some of them are women!!

Gervase - just what is wrong with Towersey? It's not flooded since 1986, it's level, the loos are really close and you can guarantee the tea fairy being on duty before 10.00am.

Cllr - Manitas and I got accomodation at the York in one year, cost us less than 2 season tickets, which we wouldn't have used anyway (I spent all week in the Middle Bar and he spent it in the top bar and the York Tap)and we didn't even consider going until July. And breakfast was stupendous!

LTS

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Festival: Camp or B&B
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 12 May 02 - 05:21 PM

LtS and Gray D

"Middle-aged man with beard and glasses" is no clue at all. Would be a great fine in the Anchor though.

Kitty

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Festival: Camp or B&B
From: Cllr
Date: 12 May 02 - 06:00 PM

I'm now hoping that the buyers will pull out (no justification just hoping) I might try "The Riv" on the front Cllr

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Festival: Camp or B&B
From: Gervase
Date: 13 May 02 - 07:43 AM

What's wrong with Towersey?
The unsavoury sorts that hang around outside the bogs and serenade you when you're communing with nature, that's what! ;^)

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Festival: Camp or B&B
From: Morticia
Date: 13 May 02 - 11:28 AM

Oi, I read that! And it was a lovely serenade...you should be honoured....or something.

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Festival: Camp or B&B
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 13 May 02 - 04:52 PM

At least we were outside - one or two wanted to come in and serenade you over the walls of the stall!!

LTS