Whoa. That was awesome. I mean, painful, smelly, muddy, challenging and really quite a lot for me to take, but also really very wonderful. Amanda’s help throughout it – from helping me with the Campcraft (not a core strength of mine, it seems, despite years of DofE experience), to her total flexibility in which music we saw – was genuinely a lifesaver and made the festival for me.

But it was wonderful for other reasons too. The music, the atmosphere – the crowds, both a boon and a curse – and the general ethic of the whole thing. Anti-social behaviour was derided as ‘not very Glastonbury,’ everyone was discussing things in terms of previous festivals, the solstice at the Stone Circle was quite special and the group of friends we were with were fantastic. I’ve already bought Damo and Matt B some Somerset Cider for their help in relocating us when our campsite flooded on the Saturday…!

Things I didn’t like: the LONG walk from carpark to campsite with heavy pack (I’m out of shape :-(), the mud, the toilets (I know they’re better than they were, but the long drops are only less gross than the portaloos, they’re still worse than everything else), the crowds, the lack of many places to sit down and rest between bands.

Bands I saw (this the important bit for me)… Mr Hudson & the Library, Mik Artistik, The Guillemots, The Fratellis, Lily Allen, Helen Boulding, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Mika, Rufus Wainwright, The Pipettes, Super Furrys (from a distance), Maximo Park (from a distance)… and probably a couple more. I persuaded Amanda to leave early on the Sunday as I wasn’t too well, so was sad to miss the Chiefs on Sunday evening, but still managed to have a wonderful time.

Photos on Flickr if you need proof ;-).