WORKHOUSE FESTIVAL PART ONE: the setting

Local bands stage, in the court yard of the old workhouse

I cannot remember the last time my first festival of the season was not until the end of June, but the Workhouse was well worth the wait.

Apparently this is the third festival they have held, but after only being there a few hours I could not help thinking that it will not last long before word spreads and they cannot cope with the numbers wanting to attend.

The festival is in the grounds of the old Llanffelyn Workhouse, North Wales, which was a competitor on BBC’s Restoration series last year. It is a small site and can only cater for 3,000 or so punters and sold out in the week running up to the gig. The site was almost perfectly laid out.

Three stages, a dance tent, a kids area, cabaret tent, craft area, healing area, bar, cafe and market were all somehow squeezed onto the site without seeming crowded.

The atmosphere was laid back and chilled during the day but livened up in the night… just how it should be.

Unusually the festival literally abutted the little village of Llanffelyn, so it was possible to nip into town for a pint, a bag of chips, to buy beer or just sit on a proper toilet.

Sunset over the village, right next to the festival site

A wider selection of food would have been nice but all in all the site was just right.

Don’t tell anybody about it though, keep it as our little secret.