Cropredy seems less of a Folk Festival and more of a Festival of Folks

Cropredy is set to a different tune to most of our current festivals. There is only one stage which has been the arena for Fairport Convention to headline their own event for nearly thirty years. There is one bar run by Wadworths, no backstage bar, so you will see a musician on stage and ten minutes later stand next to him supping a pint of the Festival Special. The Scouts provide Stewards who are well organised and friendly.

A spirit of uncommercial professionalism pervades this festival, like a village fete with 20,000 visitors. There is a raffle in aid of a local charity St Katherines' House Hospice and biscuits for sale for benefit of Dogs for the Disabled. The large number of motorhomes and campervans in the camping fields and many narrowboats moored along the canal testify to the mature demographic here. There are generations of families represented and also eras from spaced out 60s acid casualties to lively alcopopped teenagers. Cropredy seems less of a Folk Festival and more of a Festival of Folks.

The epic Fairport Convention finale is the reason why most are here but there is plenty of entertainment to be had between the opening act on Thursday afternoon right up to Fairport on Saturday night. This year an array of acts and genres has been arranged, some hits, some misses. There is punk, folk, punk and folk fusion, reggae, reggae and folk fusion, rhythm and blues, rock, skiffle and the downright dreadful.

With one stage the audience does not need to move around the site so many arrive early to bag a seat towards the front of the arena. A fold up chair and flag are compulsory, many supplement this with a trolleyful of other paraphernalia – pop up shelters, blankets, food – and hunker down for the day and let the music come to them. If they need to get up and eat or drink then all is provided as either side of the arena is lined with food stalls selling the standard festival fare ranging from Indian to American Indian and most in between. To the rear of the arena and upslope from the stage is a block of Tardis toilets which bear up fairly well to the weekend's punishment.

All is provided for on site but it is well worth straying into the village. Cropredy and its Convention have a strong link – the things started because two Fairport band members lived in the village in the mid 70s and were roped into an impromptu fundraising concert. Nowadays the fundraising is on a larger scale and contributed towards casting two new bells for the village Church, St Mary the Virgin – one of which is named for the Convention. The village seems to welcome the yearly onslaught. Breakfasts are available through the Church, School, Canoe Club and Social Club. The two village pubs, Brasenose Arms and Red Lion both run Fringe acts for the duration and which are well attended.

There is handbell ringing in the Church everyday and this year a Leonard Cohen tribute Act on Friday afternoon. Throughout the village trade goes on – The local Spar is transformed into a bazaar of fairy wings and trinkets. This is a village that loves it's festival and the people, and cash, that it attracts.

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