9:16am Monday 10th July 2006
By Tim Hughes
The organiser of Oxfordshire's Cornbury Festival has hailed this weekend's event as the year it came of age.
Record crowds of 10,000 on Saturday and 9,000 on Sunday enjoyed sunny weather - albeit with rain overnight - for the third annual gathering in Cornbury Park near Charlbury.
Festival goers, many of whom partied late into the night, described the two-day event as the high point of the summer festival season.
Former Led Zeppelin vocalist Robert Plant and Scottish pop band Texas headlined the festival, while there were also featured sets by Deacon Blue, The Pretenders, half-French singer Nerina Pallot, and bluegrass rockers Hayseed Dixie.
This year's event also strengthened links with Oxfordshire's music scene. On Saturday, Oxford's Truck Records took over the second stage in what was seen as a warm-up for this year's Truck Festival in Steventon.
Truck organisers Goldrush, Oxford's Fell City Girl, and electro-country artist Piney Gir were among the highlights.
Yesterday the Oxford Folk Festival, organised by Oxford promoter Tim Healey, took over the second stage for a packed bill headlined by Yorkshire singer Kate Rusby.
The only disappointments were cancelled sets by Irish band The Waterboys - who were left stranded at Madrid airport after their pilot became ill - and Ronnie Spektor, from 60s legends The Ronettes.
She was forced to pull out after her husband was admitted to hospital in the United States for a liver transplant.
Festival director Hugh Phillimore, who this year invested £500,000 of his life savings into the festival, was delighted by the massive turnout.
He added: "Cornbury Festival has come of age. It has been a huge success and the best yet.
"We did not expect to sell so many tickets and it has been a huge relief - so much so that on Saturday night, I burst into tears.
"We will still make a loss, but the festival is now on the map, and it will be on next year, when we hope to break even.
"Obviously it was a huge disappointment that The Waterboys and Ronnie were forced to cancel, but the good thing about this festival is that there is so much other stuff going on, and the artists and punters have been very complimentary."
Charlie Grieve, from Middle Barton, near Woodstock, was in the crowd enjoying yesterday's line-up with his wife Julia and three children.
He said: "It's a really safe environment and is more Glyndebourne than Knebworth. It's all good middle-class Oxfordshire stuff, and in a gorgeous setting.
"It's also good training for the kids and will prepare them for some serious concertgoing."
Alison and Mark Bowers cycled to the festival from their home in Witney yesterday.
Alison said: "This was the first time we have been and it's really good. It's very friendly and comfortable. There is great music and it's a lovely site. We will definitely come again for the whole weekend."
Robin Bennett, of the band Goldrush, and a driving force behind Truck Records, said: "It's been nice. Very safe and quite funny.
"I don't get a chance to go to many festivals, but I will definitely do this again next year."
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