The first 2 Sunrise Celebrations in 2006 and 2007 were among my favourite festivals of all time. But in 2008 the site was flooded and the event was cancelled before it even got started. It has since moved to a new site on higher ground and for the first time since 2006 it was a proper solstice celebration, what with there being no Glastonbury festival to compete with on that weekend this year, so we decided to go back to see how things have changed.

The new site really is very impressive, or at least it would have been had nature not once again dealt a decidedly damp hand. Prolonged heavy rainfall on the Thursday and again on the Saturday night meant that quagmire conditions quickly ensued. The Cabaret Field was the lowest lying of the 3 fields and was awash by Sunday. The programme on the main Cabaret Stage was cancelled for Saturday and Sunday but the Bimble Inn kept going despite a huge rip appearing in the fabric of the tent. The Small World Stage struggled manfully against a muddy tide and further live music appeared in the Pussyfoot Bar.

Higher up the hill the Village Green Field fared a little better. The familiar sight of Chai Wallahs was complimented by the small outdoor Spit & Sawdust Stage as well as several dance tents. In the third Serenity Field numerous yurts & domes hosted assorted talks and workshops. Food was plentiful, especially for the vegetarians among us. The bars served a reasonable selection of ales and ciders and there were also a good number of retail opportunities.

But to be honest the weather and the ground conditions got to us and we saw very little of the entertainment which did survive the mud. I have to say the organisational skills of the festival staff haven’t improved greatly since our last visit. There was plenty of straw and woodchip made available for stallholders but the main pedestrian entrance to the site was dangerously slippery throughout, especially for those with mobility problems or with children. As always there were nowhere near enough loos, even for the relatively sparse attendance. And thankfully we managed to get the van out under our own steam because by 11am on Monday not one single tractor had turned up to tow out those who had got stuck.