Victorious is a great festival – shame about the loo queues | Rick Jackson

Queuing, that’s what’s not to like.

I understand once you enter a festival you are a captive audience for the high priced food and drink, I get that, it’s the same at every festival – but hour-long queues?

It was my first ever experience of this festival, as it was for one of the other two couples we went with.

We were all very much looking forward to it as all our kids were with grandparents for sleepovers.

Well done Gosport Ferry for operating two ships all day right up to midnight and to Xelabus, which always seemed to have a bus at the ready.

Things were going like clockwork as we approached the main gate, we showed our ‘Covid Passports’ on our NHS apps when we entered the arena, feeling like excited children on Christmas Day!

We explored all the areas.

It’s so impressive for a festival of this size – taking in some wonderful Indian music from the World Music Village and a brilliant covers band at the Castle Stage.

It was only then we discovered our first queue for the toilets.

It was taking over half an hour and with three mums, all of whom have had two children, when you’ve gotta go, you gotta go!

The problem seemed to be not enough toilets for the amount of people there.

It was the same for the food outlets too.

We missed Blossoms, Morcheeba and Reef as we queued for relief only to need to go again after each drink.

Oh the delights of getting old!

That’s the thing, the amount of toilets may well have been fine for a festival of 50,000 revellers in their twenties and thirties but Victorious definitely attracted an older more mature audience and we need the loo a lot more!

The atmosphere when the sun set was magical though, and our highlight was Rag’n’Bone Man – what a voice that man has got.

Yes we’ll go again, but next time I’ll be bringing a camping toilet!

Summer holidays have changed

It’s the last week of the school summer holidays and what a wonderful six weeks my two have had.

A week camping in a field on a farm, a week with the YMCA at Fairthorne Manor, day trips to the Isle of Wight and days to the beach and splash park.

Today’s parents think long and hard planning for these holidays but maybe we try too hard and spend too much?

In the 1980’s we never went on holiday, we may have gone to the beach but that was it. We’d play with friends, go to the rec or play in nearby fields. Were we hard done by? No. Would I let my kids do the things I did? No way.

Besides those fields are now housing estates!

Golden girl Lauren’s a true inspiration

I was delighted to see Lauren Steadman finally win her gold medal at the Paralympics in Tokyo.

She’s a true inspiration. I’ve met her a couple of times as she’s been at my gym in Farlington for bespoke training sessions.

She is just as lovely and down to earth as she seemed when on Strictly Come Dancing. I say ‘my gym’ but I’ve not been for ages.

What with summer holidays, an illness and a large dose of zero motivation, I’ve let it slack.

After a brilliant summer of watching sport, people like Lauren have inspired me once again to loose the lockdown weight and get fit and active. When the kids return to school it’s dumbbells and diet books at the ready!