As a working mum, I am so lucky to work for an organisation that not only celebrates the great outdoors but that also has a great family ethos, which is why I found myself taking my son to work with me on an adventure to the Kia Oval for the launch of the fantastic family fun filled Big Little Tent Festival 2018.
The Big Little Tent Festival (BLTF), now in its fourth year, has previously been nominated for a Family Traveller Award for ‘best family festival’, and encourages families to come together to create their own little festival, spend quality time with each other and camp out in the comfort of their own home. The Caravan and Motorhome Club have put together some fantastic festival packs which are free to order so you can get festival ready in time for the weekend of BLTF which runs from 25th to 27th August 2018. The packs include bunting, flower garlands and wristbands – the rest is up to you and your imaginations.
Last year my son was just 1 years old. The weather wasn’t great but that didn’t deter us. Our little 2 man tent was the perfect getaway for the night. During the day we put the bunting up, had a teddy bears picnic, went for a walk in the woods and did some nature craft, followed by a BBQ and a few cheeky drinks for the grown-ups. Much fun was had by all, despite a spot of rain we carried on, whatever the weather, so I was delighted to hear that BLTF would be returning for another year and couldn’t wait to find out more about this year’s festival at the launch.
The first part of our adventure was getting the train up to London. Sam LOVES trains so he 
was one excited boy (whilst I was slightly less excited and more nervous about changing trains at busy London stations with pushchair and excited 2 year old!) I shouldn’t have worried though, Sam was a dream, excitedly telling the poor passenger who sat next to us that ‘Sam is going through tunnel’ and ‘Sam on train’! He loved pointing out things to me which included ‘shops’ when we passed Sainsbury’s, ‘planes’ when we went past Gatwick airport and ‘more trains’ every time a train went by. A quick change at Clapham Junction and then we were embarking at Vauxhall train station. It was a bit tricky getting off the train with a pushchair as the gap between the platform and train is quite big at these London stations. Thank goodness for the kindness of strangers who helped me get Sam safely off the train.
We were a little early as I had allowed plenty of time in case there were any delays on the line so we went for a stroll around Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens, where I came upon a little gem, the Tea House Theatre. This little tearoom was full of character and charm and I had the best cheesecake EVER (I know – the diet starts Monday)! I didn’t realise then the history of this building, which used to be a public house in the Victorian era. It is said to be the public house in Thackeray’s famous novel, Vanity Fair. At night the tea house transforms into a theatre and I imagine it is quite an experience to watch a performance as the building is very quirky and has a great atmosphere. By day it is a superb place to stop for a cup of tea, cake or lunch and after our giant cheesecake break we were ready to head over to the Oval.
It was easy to find the Kia Oval. You can see the iconic cricket ground from behind Vauxhall train station. Such a stunning sight and as we approached the Oval, I was amazed to see the beautiful climbing and trailing plants growing along the boundaries of the grandstand, a 220m long and 20m high ‘living’ screen. We made our way through to the Micky Stewart Members Pavilion and were blown away by the sight of the tents pitched on the iconic cricket ground. What a sight! With such hot summer days and the grass in park’s being turned to brown in the hot sun, to see such a beautiful green space was just too much for Sam and he couldn’t believe his luck when he got to run around the ground and play in the tents.
About the Oval
Brief history
I know cricket might not be everyone’s cup of tea but whether you like cricket or not there’s no denying that the Kia Oval is an impressive sight and rich in history which I discovered during the guided tour.
Did you know?
- There’s a kids zone where families can go to watch the cricket – what’s more there’s even an exclusive parent’s bar which sounds like an amazing idea, making it easy for parents to get a drink whilst looking after the kids.
- The Kia Oval Cricket ground has been leased from the Duchy of Cornwall since it was formed in 1845 – which means that today the landlord of the Oval is Prince Charles
- The Kia Oval and Surrey County Cricket Club are making a conscious decision to reduce their environmental impact, which is amazing and so good to see such a great initiative. The club has banned plastic straws, moved to compostable coffee cups and are phasing out the use of plastic bags. There are also 20 new permanent water fountains installed at the ground so people can refill their water bottles.
- In just one year an incredible 1.2 million pints of ale and lager is sold at the grounds. Surrey County Cricket Club uses re-usable plastic cups. People pay a £1 deposit on the first cup of the day and then return with that cup, to receive a clean one for each following drink. Once they’re finished with the cup they have the option to either return to one of the return points and get a £1 refund or take the cup home as a souvenir. Another great idea to help reduce plastic wastage
We didn’t stay the night in a tent but we did have a wonderful few hours playing games and exploring the Kia Oval. I’ve never been a fan of cricket but I can certainly see the appeal of watching a match here and am now planning on taking Sam to a Twenty20 match in the future. Sam was excited to be on the train again on our way home but was so tired after so much fun he fell asleep for the most of the journey. The launch was amazing and we can’t wait for our very own BLTF in our back garden over the August bank holiday weekend.
To find out more about Big Little Tent Festival and to order your free festival pack visit: www.caravanclub.co.uk/whats-on/big-little-tent-festival/
