Levellers round off a 'Beautiful Day' at Wychwood

The weather forecast for the majority of Wychwood 2010 is mostly amazing with spells of cats and dogs so we set off on our first festival of the year with the sun shining, clear skies and full of anticipation of another great Wychwood weekend.

After a relatively short journey we arrive on site at Cheltenham Race Course. The ticketless system works well for us and our booking reference is swapped for a ticket which is in turn swapped for a wrist band. Unfortunately, although we'd manage to navigate our way with friends in convoy, a friend's arrival is not nearly as smooth. He booked his ticket the day before and they can't find his details anywhere. After what seems like a long wait in the warm ticket office, our only negative report of the weekend is resolved.

The convoy, now with wristbands, resumes its weaving path through the car park onto the campsite where we are allowed to unload. As many of our party are nippers, we head for the family camping area. On the way, we are given a map of the campsite and recycling bags. A simple way of ensuring we all do our bit (and hopefully what we would all do at home anyway), to reduce the festival's impact on the environment.

Once our lead car pulls over, we all stop, unload and move our cars back to the car park. I notice that some cars are left on the camp site all weekend. I'm not sure if it is license-affecting but it seems a bit dangerous with all of those camping stoves around. The organisers leave notes on windscreens and some move on but a good many remain for the entire weekend.

Tent erected, we make the place our home and indulge in cracking open a few celebratory cans. A flick through the programme reveals a few gems that had passed me by in email circulars and the handy pullout lanyard section ensures that the main programme doesn't need to come out on all of our expeditions. Simple efforts like these result from feedback to the organisers via email and through internet forums so it really is worth getting involved and sharing your thoughts and experiences. Wychwood organisers do not shy away from feedback.

The first band of the day - The Travelling Band - comes on stage to quite a welcome. Their energy and 60's psych-rock sounds coupled with the brilliant sunshine and reunion with old friends are just the tonic for getting the festival proper underway.

Our children take in one of their favourite pass times – eating – with delicious pasta from one of the food stalls. It's nice to see children size portions offered as this makes a cost effective meal. The choice of food is pretty varied and although this year we notice the addition of Pizza Express, there are many of our favourites back again.

Missing the introduction for Justin Currie, it doesn’t click that he is the former Del Amitri front man. The penny drops when hits like 'Nothing Ever Happens' and 'Always the Last to Know' are belted out to the expectant crowd. Although I've never really been a Del Amitri fan, it's pleasant and inoffensive on the ears and at times, I notice the crowd swell and many people singing along. 'Driving with the Brakes On' also goes down pretty well.

A trip to the bar reveals a couple of good beers on tap. Stagefright at £3 a pint isn't too bad for festival session ale. The other real ale is Tunnel Vision which is slightly heavier, fuller bodied and more up my street. Aspinals Cider and Carlsberg larger are also available at the bars. The Pimms bus, Barefoot Wine Company and the Waitrose cocktail bar all seem to be doing a roaring trade as well.

Our Friday headliners are Levellers. They usually go down pretty well in our house and tonight is no exception. After what appears to be a bit of a disjointed start, they get going and bash out some of our favourites including 'Cholera Well', 'Carry Me' and finishing off with 'Beautiful Day'. Our boy (who is 9), is delighted to stay awake for his first full Levellers set – he's growing up to be quite a fan! Despite seeing the start of their set many times, he has never made it all the way though – until today!!

We stroll back to the tent via the Silent Disco but the queue looks quite long (it does clear rapidly) and our legs are weary. We arrive back at our campsite to discover that a row of Portaloos have been dropped off about 15 metres from our tent while we've been in the main arena. Forget a single tardis, this is like an obscure Dr Who gone wrong.

Kids tucked up in bed, we sit outside and chat merrily with friends until we realise that we're likely to have an early morning with this many small children in a field so we head for a restful night's sleep.

Latest Updates