The Cropredy vibe.

It's that time of year when Cropredy approaches and excited expectations begin to form.
It's our third festival and that's due to our dear friends Kas & Stan & Dan & our extended Cropredy family of Tom, Matt & Natalie to be extended even further this year with Chris & Ceri.
Kas & Stan tried to get us to go to Cropredy ages ago & finally we bit the bullet in 2014. We are so glad we did!
It's  such a friendly place, I just love the way it takes over the whole village. I wonder if all the villagers like it? I suppose there's some who book their holidays for mid August every year! We stay in the positively palatial surroundings of the Pitt-Simkus trailer tent which is brilliant and has all mod cons, even a karzi!
So, what to expect this year. Headliners are Madness first night, Bootleg Beatles  the second night and Fairport Convention , the ones who run it, on the last night, I am also looking forward to seeing Steeleye Span,I've seen Maddy Prior on her own but not with Steeleye. Richard Digance is always good and Ralph McTell should be too.It's an eclectic mix of music at Cropredy, there's obviously a strong folk element but lots of other genres as well. Then there's the bar. One long glorious bar serving the excellent Wadworths 6X, a fine pint indeed.
We'll meet up on the services on the M40  early Thursday morning and go in convoy from there to the camp sites arriving as they open the fields for the festival. I tend to stick to Stan like glue at this stage to make sure we get in with them! We'll get the camper put up and probably about lunch time we'll indulge ourselves in what I hope has become a Cropredy tradition of scones & jam & cream. Wheat-free for Tara & Matt, alittle later the cricket  pavilion will beckon for the first pint of the festival (unless we've broken out the beers earlier at the camper of course!) which will be the ever popular and delicious Hooky or Old Hooky from the Hook Norton Brewery. This pint will be the first Cropredy pint to be drunk out of my fine English pewter tankard (pictured) brought for me by our best buds the aforementioned Kas & Stan.
  At the pavilion Kas & Stan will meet up with old festival friends and there will probably be the 'Scratch Morris' side put together by those who can and watched by those who can't.
Into the field for 4pm where Fairport Convention will start the music off with an acoustic set (though I wish they'd give Jerry Conway the drummer something better than a box to bang on!).
 Not forgetting of course that the famous Cropredy Blog is filmed, written, produced, rehearsed and broadcast from the camper. Check out You Tube for their videos of the music, interviews with the performers and festival goers at  this link: http://youtube.com/cropredyblog  There're very good you know!
The two pubs in the village also have bands on, I'd like to try & catch one of them this year as well if the moment presents it's self.
I'm looking forward  to wandering round the village with the craft fairs and boot fair and foodie bits you can buy, I'm looking forward to the beer, the music, seeing our Cropredy family, the wine and the beer, the field with the stage, the fun of it all, hopefully the good weather, the great vibe the place has , the beer...........
Cropredy 2016 here we come ready or not!

My Cropredy pewter tankard.