Love and peas at spiritual festival (From The Oxford Times)

Love and peas at spiritual festival

5:00pm Monday 18th June 2012 in Abingdon

MEDITATION, masterclasses in healthy living and the calming strains of sitars and flutes will greet festival-goers arriving at Peace in the Park next week.

The Nuneham Courtenay festival is returning for a second year after the debut event proved a hit with the public last summer.

With an emphasis on clean living and spiritual reflection, the free two-day festival is expected to attract up to 6,000 people to the 55-acre gardens of the Global Retreat Centre’s Nuneham Park on Saturday and Sunday June 23 and 24.

On the bill this year are live classical music performances, a wild grass maze, vegetarian cooking demonstrations, an earth care area and meditation pavilions.

Nuneham Courtenay parish councillor Jasminder Love said: “We’ve got 250 volunteers helping.

“I think it’s great we’ve got a national festival which is the only one of its kind in Oxfordshire and the country and which is different from other festivals.

“It is peaceful, calm, beautiful, but still manages to have lots of activities.

“We’re very pleased to be having this happen again.

“There is no alcohol and the atmosphere is all about positive well-being and provides a spiritual experience for people and it’s also very healthy.

“The most popular thing last year was the vegetarian cooking.

“It was amazing how many members of the public want to learn about healthy living.”

The band Bliss, best known for their album 100,000 Angels, will be playing at the festival alongside a line-up of sitar, violin, cello and flute performances and tours of the gardens will be hosted by horticulture experts.

Organiser Manda Patel, coordinator of the Global Retreat Centre, said: “The grounds are very beautiful and the atmosphere will be beautiful.

“When we had the festival last year 2,500 people came and shared in the atmosphere and energy and people took away an incredible benefit.

“It was incredible last year, people said to us they had had the best afternoon of their lives. “It was very relaxing and people learnt a lot about themselves.

“This year we have included some creative games for children and adults.

“There will be five pavilions so that people can experiment with experiencing different types of meditation.”

* For more information, visit www.peaceinthepark.globalretreatcentre.org