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I had the best start to the extra long bank holiday weekend 🙂 I went to the Big Church Day Out at Wiston House in West Sussex. This is the third year I’ve been now, but the first year as a paying guest rather than working for Compassion at it. So that, combined with the fact that my two favourite bands, Phatfish, and Rend Collective Experiment were playing meant I was pretty excited!

I was a bit sad to be driving down on my own. Initially I’d tried to get a whole load of people to go for the weekend and camp, but none of them were interested. I’m now glad I didn’t put it as a birthday thing as then people may have come who didn’t want to, and I didn’t want anyone to feel obliged to. But the drive was much easier than last year as I looked into the route options more thoroughly and so went a much more sensible way! And it was ok, because I met a friend from church, and a friend from work and her group once I got there, including a couple more people I vaguely knew, and amongst the thousands of people there, you’re always going to bump into some others you know!

The music was great! Just to give you a bit of a taster, especially as I’ve just called some of them my favourite bands, here’s a bit of what you missed (obviously not live versions as the quality would be pants!)

To God be the Glory – Lou Fellingham & Phatfish

Second Chance – Rend Collective Experiment

Cannons – Phil Wickham

He Reigns – Newsboys

Mighty to Save – Israel Houghton (and make sure you listen to the chorus!)

Dance – Tim Hughes

By the time Tim Hughes was on at the end, we’d gone through the one hour of the day where we’d managed to get more sunburnt than we realised (I’m still lobster faced!) and reached the evening. It was cold, it was raining, we were soaked through! We’d seriously talked during Israel Houghton about going home. We’d said we’d probably leave early anyway to avoid crazy traffic, but with the cold and wet we were thinking about missing an act or two. But we held out for a bit, and saw a bit of Tim Hughes & Worship Central, and it turned out to be exactly what we needed. We sang “Dance dance, everybody dance”, and we did!! No better way for the crowd to warm up in the cold, and in the wet, and in the dark, then to jump and dance around in worship!!

I still ended up leaving early because of the cold and the wet, but also because of how early I’d got up and how I had a long drive back on my own. And I’m glad I did! The rain got heavier and heavier. It got so bad that on a 70mph road I did 40mph for most of the time, and even 30mph for a while, because that was the only speed that felt safe, and everyone was doing it! And even then, I had my windscreen wipers on double speed, and that wasn’t enough for me to be able to see properly. Easily the scariest driving I’ve done so far!

Felt very strange not having the Compassion focus, but still went to have a chat on the stand and had a good look around the market place. Normally I go to these things thinking, “rubbish! I didn’t bring any money with me and there’s so much here!” so this year I allowed myself a small budget, went to the tesco cashpoint in the morning, and so bought myself a couple of bits and pieces, and a present for a friend from the lovely Heaven’s Attic. I also had time to visit the petting zoo! What a great idea!

All in all, a fab day, and as long as the line up is even half as good next year then I’ll be going back – the sense of community of a few thousand Christians sat on a hill is amazing!