how to put on a rock festival

To make a rock festival that works, like Cornbury does, here's a guide to the basics; You need one big house in squillions of acres. The Cornbury Park Estate is ideal. You can see it here.

Add one successful rock promoter who happens to live nearby and knows the owner of said large gaff, and who has a vision for a festival that's a bit different. One that has family values and recognises that people with kids still want to go to see good rock and that may mean a mixture of established names and new bands too. An eclectic mix. I know this because I once (unsuccesfully) pitched for the PR for Cornbury Festival.

So there you are, standing in the window of your big multi-room gaff looking out over your acres. What do you see when the festival is there?

Probably the first thing your eye is drawn to is the main stage. It's about half a mile away, down a gentle slope. From your vantage point you raise your eyes above the canopy over the stage to see the lake beyond and, beyond the swans swimming serenely, you can see the rows and rows of mainly white caravans and camper vans, but your eye is drawn still further to the bright coloured patchwork of hundreds of tents, all higgledy piggledy on one of your fields.

You might then draw your eye back, mulling a little over the fact that all the camping is on top of the hill which poses problems with water for the loos and showers as there is no mains water on the estate, and perhaps the next thing you notice are the big white marquees arranged stage left and right and fanning away from the stage area. One side is a corporate tent, the other the VIP tent for those who are prepared to pay a little extra (and for freeloaders like me). These two big white tents start a line of franchises that create a funnel towards the stage and keep the audience enclosed. It's a big area; enough to hold 10,000 people. But you know it is sold out because Robert Plant is on later. A canny choice you think (how will they match it next year, you wonder). You might cast your eye down the franchises and note the lack of cheap fish and chip vans, and the high standard of catering offered. Homemade sausages (are they from Jimmy's farm?) and you may remark on the number of organic and vegetarian options available. You surely make a note to pop out and try one of those ice creams made from sheeps milk having heard that they are absolutely delicious, and the stawberry one really tastes of fresh-picked strawberries.

There are tents nearer you and although they are facing the other way, towards the stage, you can see that some of them are the shops selling multi-coloured jumpers, fleeces and woolly hats and so on. There's that chi-chi little shop from Henley, oh and that posh one from Cheltenham. Over to your right you can see a really large fun fair, with dodgems and ghost trains and all sorts. And down there is a London bus, of all things! But you know that this is a bar, though quite why it is stuck right next to that big yellow and red stripy beer tent is another matter. At the other end of the bus, next to the Chai Tea tent is the drumming tent where the kids will go later and have fun learning to beat a rhythm on real African drums, or learning to juggle, or, you hear, watch a display of juggling with fire later.

Turning to look the other way you see the other two stages; one open air (and you cross your fingers for the rain forecast for Saturday to stay away), and one in a round tent. In all you suppose that about 100 acres of your park have been fenced off. And you probably feel very satisfied becasue you know it is well policed by several hundred stewards and that families can come and let their kids roam around in some safety while mum and dad enjoy some bloody good music.

A movement below catches your roving eye. It is Hugh, who organises all this stuff, beetling about looking worried. Clever chap, but a bit fraught. Oh look, he's shouting into his Walkie-Talkie again. Best leave him to it.

May I suggest that you reach out for the little bell on your tea tray. Time for a celebratory Pimms perhaps? After all, you know how to make a rock festival work. You've got the right ingredients. Luckily.