When you tell people you’re going to a music festival at a naturist club, some people can’t resist the obvious: “They haven’t got any G-strings on their guitars, then?” inquired a former work colleague.
Actually, they had; the three-day Merryhill Music Festival, held at the hugely popular and high-quality Merryhill Naturist Club just outside Norwich, features the finest local bands from the Norfolk area - and while the audience is made up of Merryhill members and hundreds of naturist visitors from around the country, the bands are resolutely clothed (or textile, as we say in naturist circles).
Last weekend’s event was a corker. The sun, so notable by its’ absence throughout much of this summer, put in an appearance on all three days and by the time the festival hit its’ peak, late on Sunday afternoon, the temperature was in the 80s, the swimming pool was packed, the sunbathing lawns were crammed and the marquee where the bands played was full of the good vibe that only music can bring. Oh....and Mrs W and I were nicely sunburnt.
This was the tenth staging of an event which is the brainchild of Alan and Sylvia Avery and Jenny Thurston, the owners of Merryhill. From tentative beginnings, it has now become a mainstay of the British summer naturist calendar, with caravan and tent pitches booked out months in advance.
The names of the bands won’t mean much to my readers but let’s just say that with 1960s and 70s tribute bands on the Friday and Saturday evenings (along with a fancy dress party theme to the audience on both nights), the atmosphere was never less than lively.
Saturday afternoon, though, was a particular highlight. The action kicked off with a performance by the City of Norwich Pipe Band, one of whose musicians is a Merryhill member; it was quite a sight to see 16 men in kilts, sporrans and full Scottish musical uniform marching across the park playing traditional bagpipe music in front of hundreds of naturists. At first, they got a tentative reception but after two more sets punctuated the afternoon, ending with a storming rendition of Scotland the Brave, they were resoundingly cheered out of the marquee.
Ska and blues were the remaining ingredients of a wonderful afternoon. There can be nothing better than lying in the sun, bottle of cider in hand, listening to some storming music - a big cheer to ska boys Monkey Spanner and the Paul Tinkler Blues Band for their efforts.
This was our first visit to the Merryhill Music Festival but we’ll definitely be going back. Merryhill’s clothes-optional ethos means first-time visitors don’t have to jump in at the deep end, as it were, while there is enough going on as well as the music to keep people entertained even if the weather doesn’t play its’ part.
See you there in 2012?
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