Fantastic Festival Weekend

So things started to hot up here at Cropredy ready for the festival.. The stage was going up and the camper vans were parking where they could..

There was already so many boats here, and some, we found out, were here six weeks before the festival weekend, so no chance for the normal punter to get in unless you know someone to breast up to..
On the Thursday we got Derwent6 ready for the tiring weekend ahead, and the time seemed to fly by from when we had to go and get our wristbands from the field. We just about had some time to walk round some of the stalls in the village before we had to go back to Derwent6 and get ready to find a spot in the main field.. You take your chairs and a blanket to sit on and just get your spot..

Al managed to get together with an old work mate Viv with her partner Chris, it was lovely to find them and catch up on those lost years.

On the first night we had four bands to look forward to who were all good but it was Alice Cooper who stole the show.

He was bloody brilliant and bloody being the right word, as it was like a horror show set to his music of Poison, Elected and of course Schools Out.. He had his snake with him and knives, whips, swords and chains..

He electrocuted himself and turned into a giant Frankenstein.. Everyone still hasn't stopped taking about it..

On the Friday we set off early and got our spot again as we had another good line out.. It climaxed with the Levellers and 10CC who we've got to say still had great voices and the sound was brilliant. After Alice Cooper it could have done with a better show but we still danced the night away to Rubber bullet and Art for Art's sake..

Saturday we got there early for Richard Digance who is a very good song writer and funny with it.. We then left our seats and made our way to the Fringe where we saw Leatherat one of our favourite local bands singing Folk/Rock. It was back into the main arena for Nik Kershaw and of course Fairport Convention who still can put a tear in everyones eye as they close the show. We also had a little treat as Jasper Carrot turned up and did a twenty minute stint, he was so funny...

It was just another fantastic weekend with everyone getting to know each other and Cropredy still holds the title of the most friendliest festival. We never saw any trouble even though the smell of weed and booze was always in the air... One of our best bands we saw was Peatbog Faeries who also played Folk/Rock. We have made loads of friends here, old and new and realised how much we miss it when we don't come..
On Sunday bands were still playing at the Brasenose Arms so we wandered up there for lunch and most of the afternoon..

Tipsy we walked back to Derwent6 and fell asleep in the sunshine out in the cratch with a glass of wine..
We are now in recovery mode as is everyone else here.. Some boats have been moving at 4.30am in the morning to miss the rush at the locks to get back to their marinas, we just watched them all go saying our goodbyes to the later ones.
Today we moved up a little just because we wanted to move really. We only went about 400 metres and watched out the cratch at the procession at the lock. The weather had been fantastic but late today it took a turn and got a bit colder and cloudy.. Anyway well done Cropredy for another fantastic Festival.... We have loved it!!!!