Wood is an incredibly refreshing change

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Wood 2009

Friday 15th to Sunday 17th May 2009
Braziers Park, Oxfordshire, OX10 6AN , England MAP
£55 - 3 nights camping and workshops included.

Set in deepest Oxfordshire, Wood is promoted by the same dedicated souls behind the acclaimed Truck Festival, and is seemingly the ultimate family festival. With its small size and laid back atmosphere, it is no surprise that the proportion of children in attendance is far higher than at any festival I have experienced.

In only its second year, Wood has clearly already lodged itself in the hearts and minds of the local population. En route to the festival site I was stopped by no fewer than four locals enquiring as to whether I was going to the festival. Questions that like normally worry me, as usually it is complaints that follow, but this time around, there was nothing but praise for the way in which Joe Bennett and his team run the event.

One of the most striking aspects of Wood is its size. The site is magnificently tiny, and walking in a straight line for ten minutes is nigh on impossible, in any direction. However, the festival never feels cramped, and due to some superb planning, the amount that the festival manages to squeeze in is superb.

The team have clearly endeavoured to incubate a village fete, and this has been a resounding success. A real community spirit is established through the use of the daily workshop programme, with Tai Chi, Songwriting, Foraging and Circus Skills amongst the multitude of activities on offer. Where other festivals may offer similar programming as an alternative to the music, at Wood it is an integral part, and as essential as the music. The combination of the workshop programme and the compact size of the festival engenders and wonderful spirit, and makes meeting new people easier than ever. For a reviewer more accustomed to the anonymous mega-festivals, Wood is an incredibly refreshing change.

The main musical entertainment on offer at Wood takes place on two stages, the Wood Stage and the Tree Tent, with acts alternating between the two. The benefit of this is that it is theoretically possible to see every band on the bill, although most people tended to be a little more discerning. As well as the two main stages, the festival also features a bicycle-powered tent which catered for DJs, acoustic acts and film screenings.

The green credentials of the festival cannot be disputed, with the Wood Stage running on solar power, whilst biofuel powered the Tree Tent. Scattered around the site were recycling bins, and even the beer cups were compostable. The festival programme stated that the aim was for 95% recycling, and given the lack of litter around the site, and the relative emptiness of the bins marked 'Landfill', they may well have achieve it.

Whilst still in its infancy, Wood already stands above many more established festivals on so many levels that it is easy to see why it is already making a name for itself. Given the dedication of the organisers and the goodwill of the local people, the future looks very bright indeed for this tiny gem.