"I was dreamin' when I wrote this, so sue me if I go to fast…read moreBut life is just a party and parties weren't meant to last" Wow, just Wow!! Had an amazing time at the Hop Farm festival this weekend, with Prince being the icing on the cake. What a showman, he really knows how to rock a festival!! Hop Farm Festival is now in its 4th year and for the first time was extended to three days. Organised by the legendary Vince Power this festival looks set to grow and grow. The acts range from new bands to old legends, including The Eagles, Morrissey, Carl Barat, Newton Faulkner, Aloe Black, Ocean Colour Scene, Tim Booth, Imelda May, Frankie and The Heartstrings and many more. The festival has three stages, and and comedy night once the music has finished. The facilities were fantastic - the toilets were clean and 9 times out of 10 had loo roll and hand sanitiser (i know, at a festival!). The bars were numerous and well staffed meaning that you never had to queue for longer than a couple of minutes for a drink. For beer or cider you had to pay a £3 deposit for a plastic cup which was then refundable at the end of the night - a great idea to keep waste levels down. On this note, the area was cleaned on a regular basis which was fantastic. The food stands were numerous and a little hit and miss. Great hog roast, burritos and churros but the paella and Jimmy's Farm burger were a little disappointing. Camping facilities were good and not to far away from the arena. Could have done with a few more showers but at least they were hot. This is a fairly civilised festival which seems to appeal to people of all ages. A great starter if you don't feel quite ready for the madness of the likes of Glastonbury or Reading!!

Love box Festival isn't just a music festival, It's much more than that…read more It's an escape with all it's beery, sweaty glory. In the midsummer Victoria Park played host to a crowd of beery, sweaty, joyous, feeling the love group of people, coming to take in hours upon hours of great music performed live by some of the greatest artists and DJ''s around. A sweltering dustbowl of Victoria park was full of vivid colours, four stage, fun fair, food Stalls, merchandise. As we groove to the first tent heavy dancing and beats session was to tantalising to miss. Once that was finished, we tucked into a delicious Ostrich burger. Then stroll toward the fairground rides and after recovering from the rides and my organs had settled down from the ordeal we dancing our way into another tent where we bump into random people and started up a dancing frenzy and left.... hehehe....! Bopped over to the Main Stage in between, were Alunageogre D,anglo and Plan. B performed. Overall magnificent.

Pretty decent weekend offering in surprisingly lovely surroundings of Victoria Park, Hackney, East…read moreLondon. It pretty easy to get here (if you know the way from the station!!), just 20 minutes from Camden Road on the overground service, and only 1 pound! We had lots of fun on Saturday watching Manu Chao, Groove Armada, Lethal Bizzle, and possible Wiley! Can't give it 5 stars because of the really stupidly long bar queues, but the rest of the setup is pretty pleasant, and the atmosphere is chilled, no trouble at all.

If you have a free time go and visit the German Market, you may find some good ideas for Christmas…read morepresents.Also there is delicious food and drinks.

Even before I started working on the Ealing Summer events, I loved them. You can bring your own…read morepicnic, your own drinks (no glass bottles please though - put your wine/champagne in a plastic bottle!) and most of the events are only £1, so its great for a cheap day out. Me and my friends have spent many a summer's day sprawled out on a blanket listening the music and sunbathing. Oh, and when you run out of your own food and drink, there's plenty of stalls to buy from too!

Not sure if it's sad to admit this but the Jazz Festival is one of the highlights of the year for…read moreme. Yes it's lazy, I live a 3 minute walk away, but hey I grab some folding chairs,make up copious amounts of pimms and laze in the park for 3-4 nights with friends getting squiffy and letting the music and ambience wash over me - what's not to like ? Been going for 20years or so now,and already booked in friends again for 2009..bring it on !

Delicious cheese Mouthwatering bread…read moreKick-ass coffee Fruity jams Moreish marinades Fantastic fish Sizzling sausages Majestic burgers Soul food sauces Sensational fruit and veg Incredible olive oil Beautiful balsamic vinegar Cheeky chilli chocolates Sticky puddings Cute cupcakes Hearty beers & Smooth wines As you might have guessed, I'm a bit of a fan of the Brighton & Hove Food and Drink Festival. A month long festival that takes place every September, it sets out to champion the best local food producers, farmers, market traders, chefs, bakers, cooks and restaurants in the South East. Aside from the Big Sussex Market where you can sample and buy food directly from the producers, there's free tasting sessions and demonstrations from top chefs, themed events and one off collaborations. Leading restaurants like Terre A Terre, Drakes and Due South usually offer special one-off menus too. The only downside of the whole festival is you might need to invest in a pair of elasticated pants. How else are you gonna enjoy all the gourmet treats on offer?!

The Brighton and Hove Food and Drink Festival runs fantastic foodie events throughout the year. The…read moretwo main events are the Spring Harvest (a 10 day festival in April) and the Autumn Festival which runs throughout the month of September. As well as huge food markets specialising in local producers and supplies, the festival host events such as Restaurant Week, live food shows and various other specialist events , working closely with local restaurants. This year, they have put on Christmas mini markets at the train station over the first three weekends on December. Unfortunately, these do appear to be a little too mini - does four stalls really count as a food market?! That said, large or small, I always seem to spend a small fortune at these events, but I do come home with a great selection of artisan food products.

Having spent the afternoon celebrating the Year of the Rooster in ChinaTown we were looking forward…read moreto our visit to The Magical Lantern Festival. However the heavens opened and many saved days of rain poured out of the sky. Were we dispondent? NO WAY. The gardens had been transformed into a fairyland which took us back to childhood. A childhood where rain mattered not. Footpaths, with direction signs, laid out so nothing was missed. Beautiful, artistic exhibits with well signed descriptions. Wonderful. Along the way, places to drink and eat. I felt sorry for the guys in those stalls because the rain made people walk past. Likewise the entertainment area at the end. A fantastic evening out for, we felt, a very reasonable price. A tip.....wear waterproof boots as the way can get rather muddy.

Absolutely not worth £20 a head…read more "Nice" was the word to describe it. Thoroughly meh about it. If had paid for a family night out with my nieces and nephews I would not be a happy camper. No ambience, no music or sounds. Just beige. Won't be going back.

HANDS DOWN, Notting Hill Carnival was considered the best festival in the world. Preparation for…read moreCarnival is imminent, the award-tour going to Shaggy for his marvelous rendition of positive alchemy and alternative, until further notice. This year, like every other year, remains fast-and-furious with celebrity acts, past and present, returning to the world stage. There will be no stopping as the procession continues through West London and out into the suburbs of England. Alongside the love and support I get from family and the community, I also get a lot of love from Carnival. The black community in addition to oversea carnival goers create a homecoming atmosphere for me always. Thanks again to everyone who joined me over the years and who will continue to join me in helping make carnival that more - it is a special weekend for everyone and a special way to celebrate tradition and culture forever.

I heard a variety of things ranging from Eugh to Awesome and 'you'll get robbed/stabbed' to…read more'everyone is incredibly friendly'. So happy I went. In my opinion it's a must do at least once. It's apparently the largest street festival in Europe and it certainly feels like it. There's some sort of parade route, and every float is filled with sights and sounds (people dressed colourfully and without fail, excellent sound systems). A tonne of people kind of just wander along the parade route (I'm not even sure if there's one route or multiple) and just take it all in. Beyond that, there's a lot going on on pretty much every side street in the area. An abundance of food, people just chilling and drinking/smoking (NHC has a reputation for reefer and it's not unwarranted. There's the unmistakable scent pretty much everywhere at the festival), and a lot of areas set up with sound systems and people dancing. We bought drinks from various corner shops at prices of varying ridiculousness (one store was charging £4 for a GnT and £12 for a pack of Marlboro Ice Blast. Another was charging a more bearable £3 for the same GnTs). There were actually a fair number of porta loos set up, and the queues for them were reasonable. Phones of course don't work, and in the process of looking for a friend, I lost everyone I came with. Fortunately I managed to locate said friend and we still had a blast. Also, leaving the festival area was kind of confusing due to the crowds and road closures but there were police stationed everywhere and they were extremely helpful. As far as the you'll get robbed/stabbed bits, there's no doubt that you need to keep a close watch on your belongings as given the sheer amount of people, there's bound to be an opportunistic few. That aside, also given the sheer numbers and the tightness, there are a few idiots in a hurry who occasionally push or shove, and you can see tempers flare. I didn't actually see any fights break out but while dancing at one of the areas, heard the MC telling a group to break it up so evidently scuffles occur. Bottom line - don't be deterred and just go and have a blast! The vast majority of people there are incredibly friendly and overall it's just the sort of environment with incredible energy and positive vibes. Still felt good from it for a few days after.

This is truly one of the best folk festivals that you can go so anywhere in the UK. Small, without…read morebeing cramped, and busy without being at all overpowering, year after year this festival has been a highlight of my year. Here you'll find everything you could possibly want in a weekend festival. Ceilidh tents, beer tents, children's activities, camping and caravan grounds, dodgy festival showers, stalls, and stalls and more stalls. The festival takes place on the Bank Holiday weekend at the end of August every year, and never disappoints, no matter what the weather (or, indeed, he economic climate too). There is such an air of community here that there is, for me at least, a real sense of homecoming every time I arrive and set up camp. Acts such as Show of Hands, Seth Lakeman, Oysterband, Eliza McCarthy, Kate Rusby and many more are regular patrons ad performers at this event. But there are others from all around the world set to entertain. The highlight of the festival is the final night, when there is a parade of lanterns (made by festival-goers during the weekend) through the grounds and camping to arrive at the outdoor arena to be met with live music and fireworks. For a magical weekend you'll never forget, try Towersey!