Wigfest

04/09/2024

Wigfest Announcement:

Thanks to all once again for helping to make Wigfest such a success. Special thanks to Louis and Dave for the lighting and sound. River and Kimmie for the lovely food from the nest. Bruv for all his help setting up, arranging the fire and with the breakdown. Rob, Sharon and the Leicester boys and all those that helped tidy up on Monday. Matt, Vicky and the team who were so brilliant at the bar (especially tolerating me). Thanks also to all the performers who are definitely my extended family now ( that sounded a bit League of Gentlemen)!

Finally, through all your kind generosity and the amazing £1000 donation from DCE Agency, we are donating £1684.51 to the Lucy Phillips Arts Fund and £500 to Rowcroft Hospice. We are also hoping to secure a matched amount donated to the 2 charities, from Barclays, which would make a total donation of over £4200 🙂

See you in Leicester next Summer hopefully, then back at the same venue in 2026 where I will be celebrating my 60th! X

21/08/2024

Wigfest Announcement: Here is the amazing line up. The weather looks changeable so we are making provision for most activities to be in the hall. We are creating a Photo Booth so if you have any props please bring along. We are also bringing board games that people can play over the weekend (when the bands aren't playing obvs). If anyone has funny games to play please bring along too.
Looking forward to catching up with you all. If you need to pay for your ticket at the weekend please come and find me, I'll be the one with the hi vis jacket on xx

16/08/2024

Announcement: If you haven’t bought a ticket yet please pay on the gate now. Please remember to bring bin bags and leave no trace and please bring your own plastic cups for drinks

06/08/2024

Wigfest Announcement: Saving the best announcement to last. We have the amazing Leicester bands back with us this year to make up a Super Sunday. Geoff Davison , Chris Evans and all the other wonderful ensemble are such an important part of our Wigfest family. Also Eek is returning for some afternoon shenanigans, not to be missed ❤️

04/08/2024

Wigfest Announcement: Not long now. We are happy to have the amazing Man from Funkle back featuring the Queen of Wigfest, Gemma Bott. They will be headlining the Saturday night followed by DJ Oxy and DJ Jay Ledingham fighting for your allegiance on the Silent disco.

01/08/2024

Wigfest announcement: only 3 weeks to go now everyone. Please can people buy tickets if they haven’t already done so. Having a year off next year so please come along for all the great bands and lovely vibes.

Please can you all bring money for the bar, if possible. and please bring your own plastic festival cups, if you have any. We have no disposable cups and would appreciate any reusable cups that we can use for the weekend x

30/07/2024

WIGFEST ANNOUNCEMENT: We have the amazing Nestaurant back again to cook delicious veg/vegan food for you https://www.facebook.com/TheNestaurant. Unfortunately our meat cook has pulled out. We would love you to be veggie for the weekend but if you need meat you're welcome to use the kitchen facilities, at your own risk ! Please do not allow your children into the cooking area. There is a microwave and oven/hob available for pizzas or breakfasts. Please use crockery/cutlery and wash up when finished. Alternatively, if there is anyone out there who would like to provide this service please contact me directly.

24/07/2024

Wigfest Announcement: This year any profits raised from Wigfest will be split between Rowcroft Hospice and Lucy Phillips Arts Fund. If you are not coming to Wigfest, and have a few pennies, please make a donation in Lucy's memory via the link xx

Funds are being raised in memory of Lucy Phillips, a much-loved friend, family member an… Liz Blyth needs your support for Support the Lucy Phillips Arts Fund

18/07/2024

WIGFEST ANNOUNCEMENT: What a line up, looking forward to seeing you all again soon . If you are coming, but not yet bought tickets, please can you let me know on this post asap?

22/06/2024

Yesterday was a very sad day as we were part of an enormous crowd of people who said goodbye to Lucy.

For me the day emphasised the importance of the love we all have for our family and friends. It's so important that we make the most of every single second with them as you never know what is going to happen when you walk out of that door

That is why I feel so grateful for the beautiful community that we have created with Wigfest. Thank you for making it such a relaxing, supportive and caring environment, you are all wonderful x

Wigfest will be taking a year off in 2025 and, during that time, I would love you all to think of ways that we can change it a little. Keeping it low key but adding creativity, family activities, fun ideas and ways to enhance the weekend and keep that smile on our faces.

Love to you all and see you in August you wonderful extended family.

P.S Please DM me if you still need a ticket, I will be adding a poster with performer details soon. Cheers Keith x

03/06/2024

Hi all, we have some great music for you this year including Dr Meaker and Palooka 5. It’s on 23-26th August at the usual place. The Nestaurant is back with its scrummy vegan food and I’m sure you’ll agree that £60 for a 3 day festival is great value. U16 are free and day tickets are £25. We have the usual bar, children’s activities and fire pit too.Please DM Keith McDonagh if you want tickets asap.

30/01/2024

Wigfest Announcement: I've booked the same venue again for the 23-26th August, bank holiday weekend. The venue rental has doubled in price but I still think you'll agree that it's the perfect size for us. Bruv is helping me this year and we have got lots of ideas that I hope you will enjoy. I'm not advertising it externally as I think we have a great group of friends, vibe and collective family with the perfect ambience. Dr Meaker all booked in to start the weekend off in style on the Friday night. Obviously Geoff Davison, Chris Evans and all the Leicester loveliness will be with us. We have also asked River Ki Taylor and Kim Taylor to provide their wonderful food again too. Tickets will be £60 (over 16) and free for U16. Slight increase to cover venue increase. For tickets please pay the same bank account and let me know via PM when you have done so x

03/09/2023

Wigfest Announcement:
What a fantastic time was had by all. Here are some of my thanks and final figures.
1: First thanks go to Geoff Davison, Chris, Tim, Haz Haswell and all of the Leicester collective. Every year we are treated to a broad range of diverse and quality music by musicians who show us their love for music, support for each other and huge generosity towards the festival and charitable causes.
This generosity is shown in many ways including often giving us back their performance money donating it to the charities and sharing their drum kit out to all the other bands. This year a total of £760 was given back and £200 of this has been donated to Changing Faces https://www.changingfaces.org.uk
2: Thanks also to River, Kimmie and the lads for an amazing variety of food in the kitchen and from the Nestauraunt. We loved the food so much that we had to make them a permanent fixture for future events. Please can you leave your reviews/comments/messages below or at https://www.facebook.com/TheNestaurant.
They have also donated £230 back to us and I have asked them to use the money to help support vulnerable people through their support groups https://www.hertfordshiremercury.co.uk/.../nest-cic...
3: Thanks Jamie for all your hard work behind the mic.You even managed to sing for us again too!!!
4: Thanks Dave Woods - davejamesaudio and Louis of https://www.facebook.com/nlslightingandsound. The sound was always first class all weekend and the lighting complimented it perfectly. I don't remember the electricity tripping once either!
5. Thanks Rosie Clampett for being the smiley face behind the bar. The bar is the main way that we raise funds over the weekend and you do such an amazing job. Thanks also to Bays Brewery for donating a Cask and to Ian for helping us restore the ale on Saturday afternoon.
6: Thanks to you all for leaving no trace in the field. Also thanks for your superb community spirit, your honesty and your humour and caring nature. It's a wonderful thing when the booze at the bar can be left out all night and the phones and computer can be left, unattended, in the hall. Your smiley faces made me extremely proud of the event. A special thanks needs to go out to James Pinnington the First-Aid rapid responder. Thanks also to Rebecca McDonagh for your unwaivering support xx
7:Thanks to Al McDonagh, Susan McDonagh, Anna Grafton Beaker Whitefield, Paul Templeman, Rob Lamb, Donna, Bex Rebecca McDonagh etc.... for helping with the install and tidying up.
8: Charity News:
A huge thanks to John and Amy of DCE Agency https://www.dceagency.com for their amazing donation of £1000towards the running of the festival. As a result the final figures are as follows:
£1500 + Gift Aid to Rowcroft Hospice
https://rowcrofthospice.org.uk
£300 for Buckland St Mary Village Hall Fund.
(by the way they're getting Broadband and a card reader for early next year)
£200 for Changing Faces
£230 for the Nest Support Group
Finally I have booked the venue for next year's August Bank holiday weekend so please keep the date free. Also please leave any suggestions for next year's event in comments below
Love to you all xx

Rowcroft Hospice Devon 2,500 patients South Devon life-limiting illnesses South Devon palliative care hospice Devon Hospice

01/09/2023

Calling all Pinningtons. On Sunday night's silent disco Keith was trying to get us to listen to a track that summed up Wigfest for the Pinningtons, but we were busy jumping about and singing to Danny Nedelko by Idles (UNITY!!). Can you tell me what that track is please? 🙂 love Al xx

31/08/2023

23/08/2023

Wigfest News: Hi all, we are keeping the bar prices the same as 2021 and there will be 3 Wigfest Cocktails on offer too

01/08/2023

ANNOUNCING: Only 3 weeks to go and Wigfest will be here 😀have you bought your tickets? DM me if you need the ticket info

01/08/2023

ANNOUNCING: Only 3 weeks to go and Wigfest will be here 😀have you bought your tickets? DM me if you need the ticket info- KeithMcDonagh

27/06/2023

Here is a poster of acts and info for this years Wigfest. Loads of new acts and a load coming down with Geoff and his crew, including a brass band! Please contact me for tickets x

27/05/2023

WIGFEST ANNOUNCEMENT:
Our friends River and Kimmie, who you may have seen at previous Wigfests, are bringing their delicious vegetarian and vegan food van down to this years event. Here are some photos to wet your appetite. There will be meat dishes on offer from the kitchen too over the weekend, before the carnivores start moaning.

24/05/2023

What a great photo

In 1908, Houdini stood at the edge of the Harvard Bridge—commonly referred to as the Mass. Ave. Bridge—and was shackled by a Boston patrolman. His hands were handcuffed behind his back and chained to a collar around his neck. According to a Boston Globe article chronicling the feat, a signal was tooted from a towboat, and Houdini went overboard into the chilly waters below.

“There is always the possibility that I will be unable to free myself, as one never can tell what will happen to a lock,” Houdini told the newspaper. “However, I am a good swimmer, have confidence in myself, and I hope to perform this feat successfully.”

The Globe estimated some 20,000 spectators gathered to see Houdini’s leap, including the mayors of Boston and Cambridge. They waited 40 seconds for the magician to resurface, which he did with the shackles in his hands.

24/04/2023

Hi all, Wigfest is August bank holiday weekend this year. Please PM Keith McDonagh if you would like tickets :)

11/10/2022

Announcement: Wigfest is on August Bank Holiday 25th-27th. 3 nights of music and camping from the Friday to Monday. At the usual place. U16 are free, Adults £50 per ticket. Please DM me if you would like a ticket :)

22/04/2022

ANNOUNCING: Bank Holiday Weekend, 25th-28th Aug 2023 Wigfest booked in. Usual site. Please keep the date free people x

24/01/2022

WIGFEST ANNOUNCEMENT: I have decided to take a year off and intend on booking the site for August Bank Holiday weekend in 2023. Save the date and I wish you all a great 2022 x

13/01/2022

Wigfest Announcement: Hi all, I'm thinking of booking same venue and price for either 12/13th or 19/20th Aug. Which would you prefer?

26/08/2021

WIGFEST ANNOUNCEMENT:
Hello all my lovely friends and family.

With your help we have been able to make a donation, including Gift Aid, of £500 each to rowcroft hospice and the SamarItans. We also made a small donation of £40 to Mark of Zetan Spore.

Thank you all for sharing, what I think, was one of the best ones yet.

Special thanks to all that helped including:
Beaker Whitefield, Anna Grafton and Al McDonagh for supplying and setting up the marquee
Dave Woods - davejamesaudio- brilliant sound throughout the weekend
Louis Sullivan-great sound and lighting
Lee Fairhurst- cleaning materials and barrier
Jenny Clampett- lovely food created throughout the day by her team with no profit for herself
Rosie Clampett- The star behind the bar who helped us make a small profit
Jamieandruth Twognomes for your compere expertise
Peter Bonetta- for helping out as usual with bar work, wood etc
All the wonderful performers who played for us
All of you who helped clear up on Sunday, leaving the site spotless.
All of you on the camp site who took your rubbish home

Love to all ###

01/08/2021

Wigfest Update:

Entry
People can turn up from 2pm on Friday 13th August.
Please take Lateral Flow Test before coming and do not come if test positive.
When you arrive please go up the side road on the right of hall, into the camping field. Park as close to the nearest car at the top of the hill, facing the right hand hedge. You can then camp in the camp site, on the other side of the barrier, and come and look for me in a high vis so I can tick you on my list.

There will be a bar open, in the outside campsite marquee during each afternoon, and then the bar will be open in the hall during the evening.

Food
Friday Night
Vegan or meat Curry with garlic bread
Childrens Menu
Chicken Nuggets
Fish Finger
Vegan sausages
Both with chips
Pasta Bake (veggi)

Saturday/Sunday Breakfast
Breakfast Rolls
any combination of
Bacon, sausage, egg, tomatoes, mushrooms, vegan sausage

Cereal, Cornflakes, Rice crispies,

Saturday Lunchtime
Burgers, hot dogs, chips including vegan option

Saturday Night
Pie Night
Chicken and mushroom
Steak and Ale
Vegan
Cottage Pie/Pasta for the children
Mash and peas.
All meat locally sourced from a farm in the village
Fruit bowl also a possibility

Coffee and Tea will also be available.

As for timing.
Breakfast 8/8:30 till 10.30
Lunch 12/2 pm
Dinner
Hopefully we will be ready to start serving dinner from around 6/6:30
We will close the kitchen at 8:30/9 pm
These times are very flexible. Please be patient with your food order as it is a small kitchen and Jenny will be doing her best.
Unfortunately because the kitchen is small there will be no entry to anyone but staff during the above times.
Please let us know of any food allergies asap.

The hall will be open at all times and there are male/female/disabled toilets here. No toilets in the camping field.

There will also be a campfire in the evenings and a bouncy castle during Saturday. This needs to be stewarded so if your child is on the bouncy castle, please monitor them. There will also be a football and goal.

Amplified music will be turned off at midnight in the hall.

Please take your campsite rubbish home with you as this, in previous years, has cost us a lot of money to get rid of, money that should be going to the charities.

Exit
Please leave the site by noon on Sunday 15th August

Looking forward to seeing you all soon x

25/07/2021

WIGFEST NEWS:
Not long now. Only 15 people left to pay too.
Information on COVID safety procedures.
All participants to take a Lateral Flow test a day before the event and after the weekend. Any positive results should not attend.
The hall will have plenty of ventilation with windows and doors kept open.
There will be a one way system in and out of the hall.
Please use hand sanitisers and wash your hands regularly.
The hall bar will be accessed via a hatch to the main hall.
Please bring your own pint glass and reuse if possible. Glasses will be available but we would like to cut down on waste this year.
The hall crockery will also be used, for the same reason, so help with washing up would be greatly appreciated on occasions.
If you are up for a bar shift too please let me know 🙂
All music on Saturday afternoon will be in the marquee in the camping field and there will be a bar here too.
We are really looking forward to getting together with you all soon.
There will be a bouncy castle and camp fire as usual.
Camping available from noon on Friday and please leave by noon on Sunday. Please also take your campsite rubbish home with you and leave no trace.

19/06/2021

WIGFEST ANNOUNCEMENT:
We have been granted the TENs Notice for the weekend so now have Council approval to go ahead on the 13-15th August (assuming that all restrictions will be lifted on the 19th July).
In order to get the TENs notice we have had to put COVID Health and Safety Procedures in place that will hopefully make everyone feel that the environment is safe. These are as follows:
COVID Precautions for the weekend
For Contact and Trace
A list of all participants, in advance, to include, names and contact details.
All participants invited to the event, aged 11+, will be asked to take a Lateral Flow Test (LFT) the day before the event with only negative results being admitted.
All participants will also be asked to take a LFT test after the event with any positive cases being reported to host so that all attendees can be notified if this case arises.
Please order your test from https://www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests if possible. We will have some tests available at the venue for those who have not taken the test in advance.
Hall Precautions
All rooms will have signage indicating hands/space/face and all will have hand sanitiser dispensers for general use.
The hall windows will be open at all time for ventilation.
Field Precautions
The majority of all activities, weather permitting, will take place in this area to help with restricting possible transference. Evening entertainment will be within the hall with the above precautions.
We are really sorry to say that if you are unable to follow the above procedure you will not be able to attend. Please can everyone that has been secured a ticket private message me with their acceptance of the above and give me a contact phone number. We will reply to your message with our bank details and we would appreciate payment asap to secure your places.
With a negative result from all participants, in advance, this will enable all participants to move around venue without masks, although you are welcome to wear if you feel more comfortable to do so.
We've got 11 bands now, food and bar sorted and children's entertainment so really getting excited and feel confident that we will be able to get together soon.
All profits this year are going to be split between Rowcroft Hospice, The Samaritans and Mind.org.uk in memory of Ian Hasdell from Zetan Spore who sadly passed away earlier this month.
Love to all x

How to order coronavirus (COVID-19) rapid lateral flow home test kits for twice-weekly testing.