Not only was it our first festival as a family, it was our first time taking the boys to London on the train. Just a trip to have a burger at Euston Station and then come home would have been treat enough for Presley, 3, and Cash, 2. They were so excited on the train. Our nerves at being out and about in London with no buggy were calmed by a gentle journey in 'that man's car', also known as a taxi.
We arrived at Lollibop just before it opened and had a plan for the day. We would go straight to the main stage to get a good view of The Zingzillas and Rastamouse, then we would go straight to the Meet and Greet with Bob The Builder. We thought this would be enough for the boys and we were right.
Rastamouse and Da Easy Crew were brilliant, slick, cool and fun. Also reggae is perfect for a festival. The Zingzillas looked quite poor and under-rehearsed by comparison. We couldn't stop laughing at one of Tang's eyes, it was permanently closed. It looked like DJ Loose had punched him for being late for the Big Zing. They went off after a couple of songs, maybe to fix his bulging eye. They came back and 'Bhangra Beat' was a highlight. The boys loved it all.
We bumped into the lovely Babes About Town and her gorgeous family on our way out and then had an easy journey home. It occurred to me afterwards that we didn't even spot the VIP tent, let alone look for it. It would have been lovely for me to catch up with the other bloggers there and have a free drink, but it was a day for the children, not for me - and I had to drive home from the station.
I know there have been complaints about prices and queues and it was very busy. We planned our day well and took a picnic, we only had to queue for a few minutes to see Bob The Builder. If we'd had to pay £100 for our tickets we may have spent longer at Lollibop to get our money's worth, but we experienced quality over quantity and I still feel weepy when I remember how excited Presley was to hold Bob The Builder's hand. I've never seen a smile that big.
Here are our highlights:
Cerrie from CBeebies:
The Zingzillas:
Tang's broken eye, still makes me chuckle:
Rastamouse:
"Give it up" Live:
And finally, meeting Bob The Builder:
