We received tickets free of charge to this event
Over the weekend we headed down to Blenheim Palace for Countryfile Live.
Firstly, I have to say that this is one popular event! It was busy, and yet I felt they did a great job of managing traffic getting into the event and there were so many car parking stewards it was easy to understand where to go.
Once in, it was something of an assault on all senses. There were tempting sights, sounds and smells coming at us from all directions. We were fortunate to be there on a lovely, warm day, so with the sun shining, we embarked upon our Countryfile Live experience.
There were lots of places to eat, there must have been every kind of street food there that you can think of, and cookery demonstrations taking place for most of the day. There were also loads of tents and stands offering pies, cheeses, jams, cakes, meats, wines, you get the idea. Lots of food that we wanted! In fact, I think we had only been there for five minutes when the kids had their first treat, an ice cream each.
When you move out of the main food area, there are activities to watch and try everywhere. That’s how I would sum up this day, in fact, you are immersed in all things country, from the food to the animals to the activities to the shopping. The kids were jumping into hammocks, having a go at croquet, looking round the farmyard, sitting on tractors, watching pony racing, going on nature trails and more, there was so much to see and do.
There were talks and demos going on all over the place, all day. The Countryfile presenters were there (we spotted Matt Baker chatting with visitors as we walked around) along with many other experts and skilled craftsmen. The events programme is jam-packed, you could easily spend your time there moving around watching all of the stages. There was also a fairground, village green, National Trust nature section, water fun, the list goes on an on. As you turned a corner, there was something fun to try, something interesting to listen to or something tempting to buy.
We took Herbie with us as it is a very dog friendly event. There were plenty of drink stops dotted around for him and he was welcomed everywhere. He met loads of other dogs whilst there, it was a good experience for him. I would say that it was very busy, crowded in some places, so I am not sure how well a nervous dog would do there. Herb was fine, in his element in fact as he loves to get attention.
I think we were there for around five hours. We could easily have been there for another five and gone back for a second day. We barely scratched the surface, but were very mindful that we had Herbie with us and didn’t want to overdo it for him. We had plenty of rest stops and carried him from time to time, though he tended to fight us to get back down!
Over the course of the day we managed to buy homemade apple and blackberry jam, a new family board game called The Good Life and more brownies than I care to count. The game will serve as a lovely reminder of our day out, as we work our way around the board collecting pigs and chickens in our wheelbarrows! All in all, it was a brilliant family day out as it offered something for everyone.
There are two Countryfile Live events running over the summer, the next one is at Castle Howard, 15-18 August.
Would this be a day out that you’d enjoy?
Disclosure: We received tickets free of charge to this event
This looks brilliant! I love Countryfile and had no idea they put on a show. I won’t get to one this year but next year for sure! Looks like you all had a great time.
We really did, so much to see!
OOh yes and we love Matt Baker. Have never been to Blenheim
It was so good!