HESFES field guide
HESFES festival year archive
Find HESFES by year or venue, from Monkton Wylde and Mersea Island to Rougham Airfield, Stonham Barns and Pembrey Country Park.
Remember a place better than a year? The venue list brings together dates from contemporary notices and the accounts families published after returning home. Early notices sometimes spell the name HES Fes and call the gathering the Seaside Festival.
Find a gathering by place
| Place | Festival records |
|---|---|
| Monkton Wylde, Dorset | The original 1998 camp and the May 1999 gathering |
| Charmouth, Dorset | A visitor from the US in 2000 |
| Mersea Island, Essex | The beach labyrinth in 2007 |
| Near Tonbridge, Kent | The move to Paddock Wood in 2009 and the 2010 gathering |
| Rougham Airfield, Suffolk | Workshops and stages in 2011 |
| Stonham Aspal, Suffolk | The showground in 2012 and the 2014 programme |
| Pembrey Country Park, Carmarthenshire | The final festival in 2015 |
Reading an old programme
An advance programme can pin down a workshop title or the price advertised at the time. For what actually happened on a given day, look for a dated report from a visitor. Each record links to the material it draws on. Historical tickets brings together the costs for several years, and the history follows the festival across the different venues.