WELL that’s it… there’s no going back now. We may only be half-way through June but I’m already starting to get that weather-beaten, wild-eyed look of the festival veteran. And things are only going to get worse. It started, promisingly enough with Wood, on that (mostly) sunny weekend among the trees near Wallingford last month, before cranking up a gear for the first of the big ones – the lovely Wychwood, on Cheltenham Racecourse. And what better way to break in the tent and wellies. With the weather turning, over the course of the weekend, from perfect summer conditions to wintery rain and wind, it wasn’t just the music that was diverse and eclectic. And, when coupled with a few jars of its trademark delicious real ale, some throat-shredding singing-along, and sleep deprivation after spending the nights punching the air in silence at the typically surreal headphone disco, the past 10 months of festival-free existence rapidly became a distant memory. But what a perfect way to ease into the delights of al-fresco gig-going – and how good it feels to be back in the field. To the non-music lover it is hard to convey the less-than-obvious charms of festival-going, suffice to say it lies somewhere between the euphoria of a cup final, the freedom of a holiday in the country, the self-reliant satisfaction of a mountain trek, the hedonistic abandon of a great night out with friends, and, if you are lucky, the relaxing satisfaction of a day on the beach. Oh… and you have a living juke box (or iPod, if you prefer) of your favourite artists to choose from. At Wychwood, these included sing-along indie delights (Charlatans, Waterboys, Cornershop and Bluetones), old favourites (Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull, Neville Staples, and Robyn Hitchcock) dynamic boundary-breaking experimental dance (Transglobal Underground and Baka Beyond) and new names to watch out for (Delta Maid and . Oh… and a clutch of our finest Oxford bands (The Epstein, Black Hats, Alphabet Backwards, Jessie Grace, and Witney’s Senegalese kora player Jali Fily Cissokho). As for highlights? Well,it was impossible not to be impressed by the effortless cool, and self-depracating humour of Bluetones frontman Mark Morriss, who told the crowd the band would be “mingling among them” before telling them not to approach them because they are “minor celebrities”. But, judging by the queues for autographs and photos, there was only one star at this family-friendly of festivals. Yes, Justin Fletcher. Who? Well, unless you have small children you won’t know him from Adam. But Justin – aka Mr Tumble – is a broadcasting legend, star of the mind-bogglingly popular Gigglebiz, Shaun the Sheep and Tikkabilla, with an MBE and millions of tiny followers around the world. The line of families patiently waiting in the drizzle to have pictures of their young ‘uns with this Cbeebies icon was a good two hours long. But no-one was complaining… especially not our Justin, who, the true rock star of the weekend, met his young fans with grace, charm and a winning smile. Pop stars of the world – look and learn!