Vicki Steward's Blog, page 7

Glastonbury Christmas Windows 2021

Glastonbury shops never disappoint when it comes to decorating their windows for the Winter Solstice. I went out on a couple of evenings last week to capture them for you. It was cold and raining, but no great hardship as I get such pleasure from seeing the ingenuity and design skills that are put into every one. Most look their best at night, there’s less people in the way and less cars so I can generally get a better picture. I hope you enjoy these.

Yin Yang

Starting off with my favouri...

Glastonbury Frost Fayre 2021

How was everyone’s Glastonbury Frost Fayre 2021? I had a lovely day in the end, albeit that it was not quite the event everyone planned. For some days before, a storm warning was in place for the town, with the forecast of winds gusting in excess of fifty miles an hour. Like most people,  I hoped that the storm would pass over the night before without incident; blowing itself out; as they say. After a second difficult year, of lockdowns,  uncertainty and worry, it seemed singularly unfair for t...

Yule Gifts from Glastonbury

#shoplocalglasto

This year I’m not only encouraging you to shop in Glastonbury for your Winter Solstice or Christmas gifts, but also to choose items that have been designed and created locally too. Here’s a small selection that I hope will enthuse you to come for a shopping trip, or check out some of our online shops if you can’t make it to the town. This is not an exhaustive list! I hope the items I’ve chosen give you a flavour of what’s on offer. Wishing you a magical yuletide.

Sue Cr...

Glastonbury Tor Festival Memories 8.8.88

A little of my history

I thought it might be fun to share the story of my first time visiting Glastonbury Tor and Town with you all, but to put it into context I’m going to reveal a little of where I come from too.

Visiting Glastonbury in 1988 was to change my life, but naturally I didn’t know this until several years later. I arrived, an insecure, but consequently mouthy and opinionated twenty year old, for a 8.8.88 free festival on the Tor.

It was my first time in the town, but not ...

Red Brick Building Community Garden

Blooming Marvellous

I’ve written about the Red Brick Community Garden before, back in March 2019 as part of a post I wrote about Beckery Village.

Beckery Village, a Creative Hub on the Edge of Glastonbury

There’s been loads of developments in the Village lately, with work on Building C taking shape, the Bocabar becoming the Old Tannery restaurant and the gradual resuming of activities after the lockdowns of the past year or so. I revisited the garden recently on my way back fro...

Magical Music in Hallr Woods

Getting Lost in the Woods

I love spending time in the woods. When I lived for a few months in a community in Shepton Mallet, the view from my bed in my little Shepherd’s Hut was of the path into Ham Woods. In less than a minute I could cross the garden, go through the gate and be submerged in leafy greenness. The woods had overtaken an abandoned railway line and old quarries, so there were wonders of our industrial past to be discovered, as well as an abundance of flora, fauna and numerous v...

Camping at Bob’s Field

Glastonbury Campsite, Cantina and Event Space

There’s a new campsite on the outskirts of Glastonbury run by Sadie and her partner Kevin. I know Sadie is a down to earth Somerset lass, great fun and a fantastic cook, so I was excited to hear that she’s running a campsite and cycled there from town to check it out.

The campsite opened in mid July, they are affiliated with Freedom Camping, which is part of the Duke of Edinburgh scheme to get people back into nature. as the couple really like...

Glastonbury’s Avalon Club

The Cheapest Beer in Town and a Warm Welcome to All

When I mention to some of my friends that the Avalon Club has asked me to write about them for Normal For Glastonbury they are surprised and curious. They wonder at what goes on behind the stately facade of this Edwardian building in Glastonbury’s High Street, having never set foot inside themselves. I must admit I shared their reticence, being under the impression that it was still the ‘Conservative Club’, imagining it as a haven for born ...

Glastonbury for Vegans

Veganism is nothing new in Glastonbury, the town has been home to vegans for decades and attracts many vegan visitors. Nowadays vegan options are appearing on menus everywhere. Thanks to John Higgins, founder of Glastonbury Vegans for helping me compile this guide, along with Normal For Glastonbury’s facebook followers who gave me their own suggestions. Nobody has paid me for a recommendation in this guide and I’m not a vegan myself, but you can be assured these are genuine recommendations from...

A Life in the Landscape with Photographer Peter Longden

A Life in the Landscape

I love meeting people and hearing their stories about how they came to live in Glastonbury. Some arrived as if by accident, others fell in love with the town many moons ago but were not able to make it their home until later in life, like photographer Peter Longden. 

Peter tells me he first became fascinated by Glastonbury in 1972. He was in the sixth form at school  and working a Saturday job in his local public library, where he came across the newly publishe...