Tim Hughes enjoys the charms of a traditional English summer at the UK's most rarefied festival

You know you’ve got things right as a festival organiser, when your regulars include the Prime Minister, Royalty and A-list celebs. So promoter Hugh Phillimore can be excused a modicum of self-congratulation on creating one of the country’s best-loved, and rarefied, music events.

Bizarrely, despite its illustrious guestlist and consistently strong line-up, Cornbury has historically failed to turn a profit. No one can say that any more.

This self-styled “glorious tenth” anniversary bash was always going to be good, featuring what Hugh described as a “greatest hits line-up”, but even he seemed surprised at quite how amazing it turned out More than 16,000 descended on the pretty site as the temperature topped 28-degrees Celsius, for a weekend of dancing, singing, sipping of beer (and Pimms, of course), or just relaxing on picnic blankets.

And once past the ludicrously heavy-handed (and, in some cases, aggressive) security, and the kind of repeat bag-checking which would have made a Kabul Airport baggage handler blush, they were treated to all the charms of a perfect English summer – great music, friendly people, interesting sideshows, good eating, drinking and shopping – and just the right amount of quirkiness.

Hugh delights in describing Cornbury as “a village fete with a rock & roll twist; a farmers market with a dance floor,” and he’s right. But what a dancefloor!

Highlights included a bouncy set by ‘70s survivors Squeeze (who later joined campers for a sing-along around the campsite campfire), and by The Proclaimers, Keane, and an extra-moody Echo & The Bunnymen. Despite being one of David Cameron’s favourites bands, the PM had long since left the site by the time Ian McCulloch came on. Also moody, but less cool, was Sunday’s headliner Van Morrison, who didn’t attempt to bond with the crowd, and even sent photographers packing. Still, that’s what Van does. And he still managed to charm with a set of his best tunes, including Have I Told You Lately That I Love You and Brown Eyed Girl.

More engaging was silken-voiced Scottish singer-songwriter Amy Macdonald, who had the honour of informing the crowd of her countryman Andy Murray’s Wimbledon win; brassy folk-punks Bellowhead; fiddle demon Seth Lakeman; and X Factor victor James Arthur, who was mobbed by the crowd... and not just the kids.

Also amazing were the festival's openers, Candy Says. The band - fronted by former Little Fish frontwoman Juju Sophie delighted a Friday afternoon crowd with a spine-tingling set of drop-dead-gorgeous dream-pop with a Gallic twist, peaking with their deliciously sweet single Favourite Flavour.

The biggest cheers, though, were for veteran rocker Wilko Johnson. The Dr Feelgood legend is terminally ill with cancer and has recently finished a farewell tour, but personally asked to join the line-up.

“I can’t tell you how happy I am to be here,” he told a tearful audience before wishing them an emotional goodbye, which seemed all too final.

It was a tear-jerking moment, with even Hugh admitting to welling-up. But it provided a seminal moment for a landmark festival – and one which is surely here to stay. If only we could say the same for Wilko.