Formula 1 – Silverstone

Formula 1, a sport known worldwide which has a loyal following and watched on TV by millions!

Mr B has been a fan since he was young, but never made it to watch a  race in person so for his 40th Birthday I took the plunge and booked four-day tickets for Silverstone with camping at the official campsite Woodlands.

As someone who is used to luxury hotels and has never been camping, to book five nights away in a tent was a bit of a gamble. But after researching and reading up on all the campsites available, Woodlands definitely stood out as the one to book and I am so glad I did.

The one thing I learnt about camping is that it is all about having the right equipment, and we had nothing! But we have some great friends who lent us all that we needed and things we didn’t even know we needed!

The campsite is huge, really, really huge! But what Mr B and I really loved was the people and atmosphere. Everyone we bumped into and got chatting to where so friendly, always up for offering advice, lending a helping hand or just having a chat.

The entertainment was fantastic. There were three tents offering a variety of entertainment every afternoon and evening. We saw a fantastic comedy act showcasing 10 stand-up comedians, watched Wimbledon on the giant TV screens at the Petrol Head pub, danced the night away listing to a brilliant live band called Grand Theft Audio, watched an eye-watering chilli-eating contest, enjoyed a variety of other live artists and of course kept up to date with the F1 when we weren’t at the track.

The food was also another big hit for me. I wasn’t worried about the food on offer as I kept up-to-date about the food stands that were going to be there and there were some great gourmet food trucks, from ‘Barnaby Sykes Pies’ where we had hearty delicious pie with chips and gravy, to ‘Bandit Streetfood’ where we had melt-in-the-mouth gourmet pulled pork burgers and moreish skin-on homemade fries. But our favourite was ‘Notso Events’ who served delicious homemade chicken katsu curry, which was so good we had it two nights in a row!

Now onto the reason we went camping in the first place . . . the Formula 1! Not being a fan, I was prepared to be bored watching the practice and the racing whilst Mr B was in his element, however, I couldn’t have been more wrong! By the race on Sunday I was shouting, cheering and nervously watching, totally enthralled with the whole thing!

A lot of people asked ‘what is there to do except watch the race on Sunday?’, but as well as the race, practice and qualifying there are a huge variety of things constantly going on at the circuit.

The Fan Zone is where all the off-track action happens. Of course there are plenty of stands to buy merchandise, keep refreshed and refuelled, along with  interactive activities where Mr B tested his fitness against that of a racing driver . . . and he came impressively close!

The main stage is always buzzing with life, from driver interviews (where Lewis Hamilton got a very loud welcome!) to the entertainment, my favourite being ‘Just Can’t Get Enough 80’s’ with Sara Cox. On the Saturday England played Sweden in the World Cup quarter finals and won 2-0, which was played on the giant screens in the Fan Zone. That was a moment I won’t forget in a hurry!

We did so much walking at the track. With a Sunday grandstand seat you can sit in any of the grandstands on all the other days. There were good points to each one, some for watching overtaking, others for corners and some for speed so it was great trying them all out.

The overall attendance for the weekend was 340,000 people! The atmosphere on race day was electric . . . it was also very hot and very busy! Before the race the Red Arrows put on a full air display which was absolutely magnificent to watch.

The atmosphere was electric and there was such a buzz in the air, especially as Hamilton was starting in pole position. We sat in Vale grandstand which gave us a fantastic view. The race was nail-biting, but absolutely brilliant to watch.

Mr B had an amazing time. He really loved every minute which was what it was all about, but as I’m sure you can tell I was a total convert! Would I go camping again? . . . no, I’m just not cut out for camping! Would I go camping at Woodlands again for the F1 at Silverstone? . . . absolutely!

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18 Comments

  1. Bejal August 2, 2018 / 7:47 am

    OMG Laura this looked amazing on your stories but really enjoyed reading about your experience. I am a MASSIVE fan of Formula 1 and converted Dr C when we first met! I have been to the F1 in Singapore for the night race but am hoping to check more off my list in the future. So glad you’re a convert and the camping really looked fun x

    • thetravelsofmrsb
      Author
      August 2, 2018 / 12:02 pm

      It was honesty so much fun, before I went I didn’t really see how people could love it so much but now I completely understand!

  2. Mostlyfoodandtravel August 2, 2018 / 9:56 am

    This sounds like you had an amazing time… I think the camping just adds to the whole experience. I love f1 but not to the extent that my husband does. What I like it the vibe. You need to go Singapore it’s amazing. An expensive but worthwhile sport to follow x

    • thetravelsofmrsb
      Author
      August 2, 2018 / 12:03 pm

      It was fantastic! I am still surprised at how well I coped with the camping!

  3. Em August 2, 2018 / 10:27 am

    I’m so glad you enjoyed it. It’s such an amazing experience isn’t it? Sounds like you really made the most of your time there x

    • thetravelsofmrsb
      Author
      August 2, 2018 / 12:03 pm

      So much fun! I would definitely do it again!

  4. Elaine birkin August 2, 2018 / 3:39 pm

    It sounds very exciting, glad you enjoyed it and I bet you had a very happy husband xx

    • thetravelsofmrsb
      Author
      August 3, 2018 / 12:35 pm

      He was very pleased! Like a kid at Christmas! xxx

  5. Lydia August 2, 2018 / 5:58 pm

    Seems like you had a blast, Laura! I loved your pictures and you whetted my appetite. Camping there seems like an exceptional idea!

    • thetravelsofmrsb
      Author
      August 3, 2018 / 12:36 pm

      It was fantastic and the camping was certainly a fun experience!

  6. binita shah August 3, 2018 / 3:08 pm

    What a fun experience. The best present xx

    • thetravelsofmrsb
      Author
      August 5, 2018 / 7:01 am

      Thank you! He absolutely loved it! xxx

  7. Claire Leech August 6, 2018 / 3:12 pm

    I’ve never seen such a glamorous camper, glad your first experience was a success… looks like you both had an amazing time and you’ve certainly scored brownie points with Mr B 😃xxx

    • thetravelsofmrsb
      Author
      August 6, 2018 / 9:28 pm

      Haha I didn’t feel that glamorous! The weather definitely helped with the camping! xxx

  8. Gemma August 6, 2018 / 5:37 pm

    Great blog. Sounds and looks amazing and I still cannot believe you spent first be nights in a tent 😂😂😂.

    • thetravelsofmrsb
      Author
      August 6, 2018 / 9:29 pm

      Thank you! I can’t quite believe I did 5 nights camping and actually enjoyed it!

  9. Same Day Agra Tour August 7, 2018 / 12:37 pm

    I have read your full post and I want to say that this is good post, You shared amazing experience of your formula-1. its really enjoyable and great pictures.

    • thetravelsofmrsb
      Author
      August 7, 2018 / 12:56 pm

      Thank you very much for reading and for your lovely comments!

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