There was a very nice setup for art projects and the kids spent many hours making and decorating beautiful shapes such as this heart:

River and I collaborated on this hula hoop.

My capoeira group did a demonstration and workshop at the festival.  It was fun to play capoeira in the sun and I enjoyed hanging out with the folk from capoeira outside of our normal training routine.  Sage really enjoyed the workshop.

There was also some elaborate costume making and a semi-successful theatre workshop.  River transformed into some sort of purple monster.

Another thing we particularly enjoyed was the giant hammock constructed in the woods.  Easily big enough for the four of us, we rolled and bounced and played and relaxed.

There was some very good music at the festival as well, ranging from punk to old-time Appalacian and Irish tunes to drum-and-bass and electronica.  In addition to listening to these high calibre musicans and djs, I managed to have a little jam at the campsite with a friend from capoeira who is an excellent violin player.

Overall, it was a very enjoyable weekend.  The weather was amazing, for England.  The moon was almost full and there was hardly a cloud in the sky revealing more stars than I’ve seen in quite some time.  It might have been even better without the mud, but perhaps that’s just part of the experience.

After the knitting group, we set off for a music festival in the Peak District. As part of the celebration, there was a green parade. The kids enjoyed the festive atmosphere, marching all around the stage and through the camping area.

I was a bit disappointed with the music at the festival. England seems to be enjoying a renaissance of 80’s / punk culture. Overall, though, the festival was very nice. There was a friendly atmosphere, loads of kids, and the weather was beautiful. We enjoyed the storytelling by our friend Rachel who we’ve seen perform several times before.

Sage found a comfortable spot to listen:

You might think that three people wouldn’t be able to fit in one sleeping bag, but I hope you didn’t bet too much on it.

On Sunday, we packed up and went for a walk at Dovedale.

The kids were fascinated with these logs studded with coins. Perhaps they were left as offerings for the wood folk?

We climbed up through the archway to Reynard’s Cave.

This time I remembered to bring the headlamps and we explored the dark tunnel which was very exciting.

The trail is very popular, especially on a bank holiday weekend, and there was a queue at the stepping stones.

Despite the steady drizzle, it was an enjoyable walk and a nice way to end the weekend.