Tonic Music were honoured to attend the worst kept, most enthralling secret of Abbots Ripton last weekend as we were welcomed into The Garden!
Secret Garden Party is an 18+ event brimmed with marvels, mischief and mystery as festival goers gathered from far and wide to unveil the secrets contained within the fields of Huntingdon. The Tonic Team watched on as the non-assuming grasslands of Peterborough were transformed into the transcendental cove known to many as the Secret Garden Party.
The festivities commenced on Thursday, as tents and teepees began to trickle onto the once barren landscape, along with the eclectic anticipation of the attendees, with their whimsical weekend in The Garden on the horizon. As the final lights were hung, and the initial cans cracked open, the secrets of the garden began to materialise, as the darkness of the night drew attention to the sparkles and sins that, over the weekend ahead, would unfold.
We, too, at Tonic Music, had Ts to cross and Is to dot, putting the finishing touches to our merchandise and information stand and vinyl-encrusted lounge. As our front of house and backstage positions became poised to proclaim the fundamentals of Tonic Music, we hit the hay in preparation for the secrets and mayhem the Garden may have had to throw our way over Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
As Friday unfolded, we equipped the less funky, more forgetful punters with all of the glitzy festival gubbins that they could possibly imagine, whilst spreading the word about the work of Tonic Music, and how our charity may benefit themselves or those closest to them. With multitudes of sunnies, bucket hats and sequin endowed rah-rah skirts, it’s needless to say that our Tonic Music merchandise stand was rife amongst the roysterers. It’s worth noting that the brollies and the ponchos were what pulled-in the punters at points throughout the festival, because no matter how much escapism a festival provides, you can’t defer the odd downpour.
Saturday brought sunshine and striking costumes. We ventured into the depths of the forest to greet the secrets dashed to the darkened corners. With 15 stages across the festival, it takes more than a weekend to explore, which explains why many return year upon year to the Garden. Significantly smaller than previous years, making the event childless and more intimate seemed to go down a treat with those that managed to secure a ticket, providing an element of exclusivity to the event, multiplying its mirage of mystery. Throughout the day our backstage Tonic Team caught up with Beans-on-Toast and Ashton Browne, discussing their festival antics and how Tonic Music could help to distil their inevitable post-gig blues.
As the festival began to simmer down on Sunday, the party vibes remained high for the punters on their final full day in the Garden. From raving in the sunflowers to two-stepping in an igloo, no sight can be found shocking at the Secret Garden Party. A weekend truly eye-opening to the realms of unimaginable possibilities, the all-engulfing madness that ensues in this quaint corner of the UK can not be conveyed with words. The perils of the party simply have to be seen to be believed. For the Tonic Team, our weekends to follow will be spent attempting to distinguish the fantasy of the Garden from the fiction, because in the brutally contrasting light of Monday, the secrets of the Garden are entirely intangible…. Until next year.
