The Good Life Experience returns to Hawarden for its fifth year this September for the biggest party yet.

The family event intends to be a celebration of artists and artisans, debates and discovery, action and adventure, rock and roll revelry and relaxation, family fun and feasts and carnival and culture.

It takes place in the unusual historic setting of the Hawarden Estate against the backdrop of two castles.

The festival was founded by Cerys Mathews MBE, founding member of multi-million selling band Catatonia, award winning DJ at BBC Radio 2, 6 Music and World Service and author of the best seller Hook, Line and Singer.

Her co-founders were Steven Abbott, arts consultant and manager of Lang Lang and Max Richter and Charlie and Caroline Gladstone, founders of online store Pedlars, award-winning pub The Glynne Arms, Hawarden Estate Farm Shop and co-authors of The Family Guide to the Great Outdoors.

The Good Life Experience takes place this September. Credit Bruce Stanley
The Good Life Experience takes place this September. Credit Bruce Stanley

NC

Expect raucous music from all over the world curated by Cerys, axe throwing, foraging, campfire cooking sessions with world class chefs, daily feasts, wild children, mass sing-a-longs, more than 40 expert craftspeople, beer served by experts, talks by explorers, abseiling, a free 1930s fairground, tree climbing, poetry, literature and endless How To talks.

From September 14-16, the Good Life Experience will invite a host of entertainers, artists, creations, makers and thinkers to the Hawarden Estate to share their knowledge, skills or performance.

The eclectic 2018 line-up includes iconic DJs Trevor Nelson and Norman Jay MBE, brave adventurer Ben Fogle, poet Hannah Jane Walker, pioneering grower Alice Holden, motivational designer and author Gavin Strange, Purple Ronnie creator Giles Andreae, social activist Joshua Coombes, who pounds the streets offering London’s homeless free haircuts, and many more, with further names to be announced.

Chester Pride will mark their first year at The Good Life Experience by throwing a colourful parade through the festival site.

Cerys said: “It was an ongoing discussion about The Search for the Good Life that led the four of us to create a festival with a difference. Our focus is on music, art, food, culture and nature.

“It’s a festival for every generation with an emphasis on discovery, exploration and adventure – a combination of The Great British Bake Off, meets Bear Grylls meets The Tube.

“It’s about passion, making memories and getting back to nature. To learn something new is what life’s all about. Once you stagnate you’re not living life to the full.

“The festival invites people to reconnect with life and reconnect with nature.”

One truly immersive activity comes from the festival’s brand new Lake area, complete with Victorian boathouse and picturesque landscaped grounds.

Artist, educator and outdoor swimmer Vivienne Rickman-Poole, recently listed as one of Britain’s most inspiring adventurers, heads up an aquatic programme ideal for any water babies.

Vivienne, who lives in the mountains of Snowdonia and is an award-winning filmmaker, will lead small group swims in the Hawarden Estate’s tranquil lake, with each 20-minute swim immediately followed by a session where swimmers will use their experience as inspiration to create – be it a drawing, a poem, or some other form of expression through art.

There’ll also be fire walking, axe throwing, canoeing and rambling around an unspoiled nature area.

As part of a programme of new attractions, the team has announced fire walking for this year. Guests will be able to learn and practice this amazing ancient, mind-boggling activity.

For those who prefer learning new skills, crafting and expressing their creativity, the festival’s Makers Row will again play host to a variety of creators and traders from all over the world to introduce their wares, and give demonstrations talks and classes about their labours of love.

Planned participants include print maker and illustrator Tom Frost, Helen Gittins Raku Ceramics, Margaret Markland Weaving, the Amazing Scene Machine Model Making and many more fascinating artisan producers.

Festival co-founder Cerys Matthews MBE

Festival-goers can also kick back and enjoy themselves on the free vintage fairground, take part in yoga or tai chi session and get involved in all manner of creative workshops and group activities.

To make sure their time at the Good Life Experience is a stress-free as possible, most activities are free at point of entry and under-12s don’t have to pay to attend the festival at all.

Co-founder Charlie Gladstone said: “At its core the festival can best be defined as The Search for The Good Life; a life that’s fulfilled and considered but is also fun and values the things that matter - family, friends, a real connection with The Great Outdoors, books, proper food and drink, discovery, music that comes from the soul, great books, craft.

“All the things that don’t cost a great deal but that make life richer, more rewarding and better fun.”