Galadriel Basford gives birth to Baby Bonnie at Broadstairs Folk Week Festival - with dad Chris. Picture: Dylan Woolf

by Peter Barnett

Baby Bonnie Basford is in fine voice - after being born in a tent at Broadstairs annual folk festival.

Mother Galadriel went into labour at 3.30am on Sunday at the event campsite at Upton school - and by 10.27am she delivered her daughter who weighed in at 7lb 13oz.

Galadriel, 41, and husband Chris, 35, have been touring festivals around the UK and were expecting their offspring to arrive during the summer.

Chris, a volunteer sound engineer at Broadstairs Folk Week and other festivals, said: “We were well prepared for this fantastic moment and had terrific support in the last two weeks from an independent midwife Kay Hardie who has travelled with us, and from Georgina Batterby, Galadriel’s doula (pregnancy and birth supporter).

“Galadriel is a midwife too so she knew exactly how to prepare - we had a birthing pool and all the necessary arrangements in place at the campsite.It was a textbook labour.”

"they just cheered galadriel on and encouraged her with yells of ‘go for it’. it was a lovely moment of true community spirit"
– chris basford, on his fellow campers' reaction

Already the centre of attention for cuddles and congratulations, Bonnie’s arrival in Broadstairs was very important for her family.

Chris said: “We both come from the town and are former pupils at Upton primary, so Bonnie’s arrival in the campsite in our old school grounds was just perfect. It meant our families who live in Hoath near Canterbury and in Thanet are close by and can visit us easily.

“Bonnie is my first child. Galadriel’s daughter Jazz, who is 18, was able to travel up from our home in in Lewes in East Sussex to meet her new sister. Broadstairs was a lovely place for Bonnie to enter our world.”

Chris and Galadriel were concerned that the birth may disturb fellow campers.

But Chris said: “They were fantastic. It was pretty clear what was happening and they just cheered Galadriel on and encouraged her with yells of ‘go for it’. It was a lovely moment of true community spirit.

“The campers, the festival artistes and visitors, and the Folk Week team have been fantastic.”

It is the second major event of the summer for Chris and Galadriel.

The couple pledged their vows in a ‘hand-fasting’ ceremony at the Chalice Well in Glastonbury on the eve of the midsummer solstice in June.

Festival director Jo Tuffs said: “We are so happy for Galadriel, Chris and Bonnie.

"It is the first time in our 47 years that a baby has been born during the festival - although I am pretty sure a few may have been created during folk week over the years.”