NFOL at Houghton Hall, Norfolk

The National Feast of Lanterns, NFOL, is an annual event organised by a local C&CC region in different parts of the country and was traditionally the last club meet of the year. As its name suggests it has a lighting theme with illuminated vans and street scenes, a torch light parade and a Mardi Gras parade. In the early days it was mostly tents and a decorated lantern. Now an arena hosts a fun dog show and various displays, whilst the lanterns are replaced with LEDS and lasers.  A number of marquees provide venues for bars and musical entertainment. The whole event was staged in the grounds of Houghton Hall, an 18th century house and estate built by first prime minister Sir Robert Walpole.

We arrived around 1:00pm and were directed to our pitches in row C5. There had been a lot of rain a few days earlier and by now the tracks around the site were getting pretty muddy. We both lost traction getting on to the field, but just made it. Libby went off to register and there was a heavy downpour which later caused problems with motor homes trying to get on the field.

We went up to the arena area once the rain had stopped to find Libby and register for ourselves. Thursday is basically an arrivals day so there were no events other than tombola and raffles in the admin tent where Rosemary won a portable magnetic darts game on the tombola.

I put up our windbreak, on our pitch, to make it more cosy, the evening was sunny but breezy and we made chicken fajitas on the Jamie grill and ate them outside.  The club brass band played in the evening and at various times throughout the event. They were pretty good and the conductor very entertaining.