Putting Paul Simon on to the stage at last year’s Cornbury Festival almost broke the bank for Hugh Phillimore, the organiser and founder of the event.

But, in typical fashion, Mr Phillimore has simply picked himself up, phoned up his bank manager and signed up another star-studded line-up for this friendliest — and probably poshest — of music festivals.

With Scouting For Girls headlining next Saturday and the Sugababes on Sunday, Cornbury 2009 can perhaps expect a slightly younger audience than in previous years.

For bill toppers in previous years have included the likes of Robert Plant, Blondie and Joe Cocker — legends all, but only to the over-45s.

A glance down the bill, however, shows that Mr Phillimore has stayed true to his ‘something for everyone’ approach.

For The Pretenders are back at Cornbury — dubbed ‘Poshstock’ — along with another band that rocked the late seventies, The Damned.

True to form Mr Phillimore has continued adding to the line-up until the last minute.

And this year he has thrilled blues fans by bringing in the legendary ‘lost’ Fleetwood Mac guitarist and founder Peter Green, who will be appearing in the UK for the first time in four years on the Word Stage.

“We were just lucky to have him offered at the last minute. He’s just started working again after quite a long break,” said the old Etonian, who built up a successful business delivering the biggest names in entertainment to both private and corporate events.

The Lightning Seeds are another late addition and will be appearing on Sunday night after Imelda May, firmly established as a Cornbury favourite.

“I just try to get the mix right. It’s about putting the right artist in front of the right audience and getting a great reaction.

“I went to about five music festivals last year and surprisingly enough the Sugababes were one of the best acts I saw. And I knew I wanted to get The Pretenders back as soon as I heard their new CD last year.”

Each of the five years has been an enormous financial commitment and staging a festival for the sixth year in the grounds of Lord Rotherwick’s home in a recession is proving particularly challenging.

He had considered selling a 50 per cent stake in the event, with negotiations having reached an advanced stage. But handing over a share of “his baby” was never going to be easy.

Despite losing money on the venture in recent years, Mr Phillimore is again presenting the festival without a partner. “I’m staying independent,” he had earlier told The Oxford Times.

“I got fed up with the goalposts always being moved. I guess I’m a little nervous about the big corporate entities. So, I’m not getting into bed with anyone.”

Paul Simon, last July, was the most expensive booking he had made “by a long way”.

Although Cornbury was only one of two UK dates by the American superstar last summer, Mr Phillimore said that there was no great support in publicising the Cornbury show from the Simon camp.

Worse still, on a damp, cold evening the man, who becameone of the world’s biggest selling artists with Simon and Garfunkel, singularly failed to lift the rain-soaked crowd with a low-key performance.

“We took a huge risk with Paul Simon,” Mr Phillimore now reflects.

“And it was a shame that he didn’t really get into the spirit of the event.”

While the Sugababes cannot throw in The Sound of Silence, they can at least be relied on to get a party going, rain or shine.

And in addition to the big draws, Mr Phillimore will again give a local up and coming band a big break.

Relay, who won the ‘battle of the bands’ competition at Chipping Norton School, will kick off the festival.

Mr Phillimore had been asked to judge the competition and spontaneously threw in the chance to open the festival as an additional prize.

He said: “Jamie Biles, the band’s lead guitarist and vocalist, has real talent.

“I used to manage a band that supported the Jam in the early days. and Jamie does remind me of a young Paul Weller.”