Our first trip of the year had arrived, and I cannot tell you how excited we were! A festival in a Campervan, two of my favourite things.
What is a Hygge?! It is a Danish word that roughly translates as
“a quality of cosiness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being (regarded as a defining characteristic of Danish culture)”
Deepdale Camping in Norfolk have run their Hygge for a few years now, and it certainly embodies the above definition. A group of like-minded people, getting together round campfires, listening to some music, telling stories, sharing food and company. Stuff that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside!
Deepdale’s version of the Hygge combines all the above elements, and also throws into the mix a love of the local area, local businesses, and lots of activities that celebrate North Norfolk. There were star gazing talks, nature walks, poetry sessions, storytelling, a yarn workshop and loads of live music. In fact, the whole event is kicked off with the annual Deepdale Barn Dance with a Ceilidh band in the brick barn. Not to be missed, and it sets the tone for the whole weekend. It’s where everyone first congregates (around the local real ale bar first), and you pretty much get a chance to dance with a bunch of strangers and laugh the night away when the routines become increasingly more complicated! All the kids couldn’t get off the dancefloor, and the patience of the ‘grown ups’ who danced with them was admirable.
It is one of the most friendly and welcoming festivals I have been to. Everyone stops for a chat, you make so many friends, and there is a real feeling of a community getting together.
So, ok, the weather wasn’t great.
But this has never stopped us before! The vans come into their own when we need to be warm and toasty. We had pitched up next to our friends and dived between our vans for cups of tea and games, whilst the kids roamed around the site finding sticks and getting into mischief!
We weren’t completely confined to the Campervans though, one of the attractions of Deepdale Campsite is their facilities and location:
The shower blocks are immaculate, heated and so well looked after, (AND they are a warm place to go for that midnight toilet run!). There are numerous food and drink options around the site, from regular visiting food trucks with gourmet pizzas and curries, to the local café and pubs down the road. There is a supermarket and a row of shops at Dalegate Market at the bottom of the campsite, and a few minutes further away takes you to the coastal walks along the salt marsh. Brancaster beach is literally just down the road, and Holkham and Wells are the other way!
A huge shout out to the staff too, frankly, they make the place. Always smiling and helpful, (no matter what the weather), and so well organised it makes your stay with them effortless.
We stayed pitched up on the Saturday, and enjoyed the festival, the shops and the events, and between the raindrops, we walked the coastal path along the marshes, bought some smoked fish at the Staithe Smokehouse (where it is cooked there and then for you) and enjoyed a few pints in the White Horse, whilst playing an epic game of Cards against Humanity! Dashed back to the campsite to enjoy some handcrafted Poetry/Comedy, some more real ales from The Moongazer Ale Bar and dance the night away to the bands in The Brick Barn with our new Hygge friends.
What a fabulous start to the season for us!
Thank you Deepdale for hosting a splendid Hygge.
Original review by VanGlorious – www.vanglorious.co.uk/campervans-and-festivals-at-the-hygge/