Being back in England has been a whirlwind of emotions, and whilst right now I cannot leave, that doesn’t stop my feet from itching to get back out walking amongst foreign lands.
Being back isn’t easy, and I constantly find myself struggling between what I want, and what I need to do now in order to get there. Obstacles are frustrating, and I’m not very patient.
One of the things that has been helping my sanity, is by treating my home country as if I were a foreigner. Looking up new things to try and explore, and showing people things that they may not have in their home country. I guess the problem with returning to your home land is that it feels so familiar to you, that you forget it isn’t to everybody else, and in a sense you begin to take it for granted.
Our city is a beautiful one, but with rent prices being pushed up by landlords, the humble independent businesses are being pushed out of the way to make room for chain stores. But independents are back on the rise again with many start ups starting small, gaining an internet presence and really advertising their brand and their morals with or without a store front. This weekend my hometown had one of it’s first artisan food festivals. We have farmers markets, and other food festivals near by, but this was the first time the festival was actually in Chichester, and not on the outskirts.
It was a celebration to all local businesses, with an array or stands each with a different story.
Ice cream vans that started based on their love of sweet things and vintage nostalgia.
Unique bands.
Tea-rooms set up selling gorgeous cakes and bakes using only locally sourced ingredients.
It was a credit to the city showcasing local businesses whose passion was what had got them to where they are today. And Natalie and I went so that we could eat our way around all of it!
In typical English fashion the skies did open and rain upon everyone, however it didn’t stop the fun, instead people just hid under the shelter until it was dry again.
And true to form, seven minutes later it had stopped.
If I had one complaint about the festival, it’s that there should have been a communal seating area for everybody to enjoy foods from all stands, instead of only a few stands having private eating areas. But all in all it was a great weekend.
Finished off with the most delicious salted caramel ice-cream I have ever had!
The Chichester festival is now over, however if you’re local to the area and this sounds like something you would enjoy, there will be a “Big Bite” festival in Hotham Park, Bognor Regis in September.
