Tim Hughes raises a foaming tankard to the world’s most habit-forming festival - Cropredy.

IN a fast-moving world, it’s comforting to find some things never change. As we make our lazy way through August, the crops ripen, the woods and hedgerows reveal their bounty of fruits and berries, and a sloping hillside in North Oxfordshire attracts the weirdest of annual migrations.

They come in their thousands, burdened down and dishevelled – each determined to find the best spot on this steep stretch of pasture.

They are folk-rock fans, and they could teach the swallow and songbird a thing or two about travel habits.

Sporting chunky jumpers, daft hats and with pewter tankards clipped to belts, they arrive from every corner of the land with one goal in mind – Cropredy Festival, the yearly gathering hosted by the band who started it all, Fairport Convention.

“They are creatures of habit,” admits festival director Gareth Williams, who runs the operation with Fairport members Dave “Peggy” Pegg and Simon Nichol from his office in Chipping Norton.

“People don’t like it to change at all, and we keep it the same for them. They even get up early in the morning to be first in the queue so they can get their usual pitch.”

It’s not very rock’n’roll, but its devotees wouldn’t change it for the world. And with 20,000 of them expected for its 30th anniversary – which runs from next Thursday to Saturday, and boasting sets from the likes of Status Quo, Bellowhead, Rick Wakeman and Little Feat, it looks like being a bumper year.

Initially held as a farewell gathering for the band, whose members Dave Swarbrick and the aforementioned Peggy lived in Cropredy village, the event has grown into a slick summer festival.

Officially dubbed Fairport’s Cropredy Convention, the band remain the main attraction, with past and present members providing sets, and coming together with an epic Saturday night headline show, which always, always ends with a massed-sing-along to Meet on the Ledge.

“It’s had an interesting history,” explains Gareth. “The band actually split in 1979, but then got together to open for Led Zeppelin at Knebworth, and came up to Cropredy for a leaving do… but then came back, and enjoyed themselves so much they kept coming.”

As did the fans. All that’s happened since, is the site has got bigger. It still has just one field and one single stage.

“People have asked why we don’t have another stage,” says Simon. “But a lot like the fact that all the entertainment is in one arena. And if you want an alternative, a short walk takes you to the village, where there are two pubs both offering music on outdoor stages.”

Only Nichol remains from the original line-up, but old members make a habit of returning – both for solo slots and as guests of the band.

But, Gareth is at pains to explain, Cropredy is far from being just a folk festival.

“The band have never said it’s a folk festival,” he insists. “Obviously it’s built on a folk-rock tradition, but it has always been primarily a music festival – and we chose what inspires us, without ruling anything out. So it could be one person up there with a guitar – or a band like Buzzcocks or Supergrass, who we’ve had in the past.

“This year we’ve got Status Quo, which has raised a few eyebrows, but we think they’re a fantastic act.

“People recognise the festival has grown out of a village fete, and those who live in cities love the idea of camping here. It’s about the atmosphere – if I could bottle it I’d be a millionaire!”

PICK OF THE CROP: * Thea Gilmore – This stunningly talented North Aston singer-songwriter returns to her roots, with a homecoming set loaded with bittersweet favourites from a decade-long career in music.

* Bellowhead – Wootton Squeezebox demon John Spiers, son of Abingdon and Oxford Morris dancing icon Stan Spiers, is joined by long-time collaborator Jon Boden and assorted, top-hatted band members for a feast of gothic folk-punk.

* Status Quo – Down, down deeper and down. Three-chord rock’n’roll, faded denim, bad hair and politically incorrect banter. What fun!

* Rick Wakeman – Prog-rock synth-botherer turned Grumpy Old Man TV pundit, Rick is a self-effacing musical legend, with a great line in anecdotes.

* Easy Star All-Stars – This New York-based dub-reggae band are one of the most exciting live proposals imaginable. And while somewhat out of place, they are guaranteed to rock those folkies clean out of their deckchairs.

Fairport’s Cropredy Convention runs from August 12-14 (Thurs-Sat). Tickets on the gate if you’re quick: £95, £85 (Fri-Sat) or £65 (Sat only). Camping extra. Sorry Quo fans: no Thursday-only tickets. More details: fairportconvention.com