HESFES 1999 at Monkton Wylde

The Home Educators’ Seaside Festival ran from Thursday 13 to Tuesday 18 May 1999. Its Dorset field covered 15 acres, with the beach about three miles away. Organisers Andy and Mary Blewett later counted 138 families camping and about ten more families visiting each day.

A family ticket and a stamped envelope

In December 1998, prospective campers saw a family price of £30. By April the advert quoted £32 for advance bookings and £40 on arrival. Visitors could request a paper programme and booking form by enclosing a stamped, addressed envelope. The two notices explain why more than one price appears in the record.

Between the field and the beach

There were woodland walks, sandcastle building and games, with marquees for music and workshops. The advert mentioned vegan meals, hot showers and caravans available for hire. Those details give a sense of the practical choices the early organisers were making for a family staying several nights.

The August newsletter also records a result from a festival game. Cards attached to balloons came back from Devon and Cornwall. The most distant return came from Perranporth, winning the family responsible a ticket to the next gathering. It is one small detail of the week that survives in the organisers’ own words.