Sadly I couldn't make it to Carsington this year due to illness in the family - even more sad now that I learn that this year's is to be the last Festival Of The Peak, basically (as I understand it) due to a distinct lack of interest from the tourist boards, media, local councils, and (importantly) funding bodies. Nobody can have tried harder, or done the job more professionally, than its organisers (Mick and Celia, PR Promotions) have done. FotP was a stupendous event showcasing excellent quality acts in magnificent surroundings, and should by rights have become a permanent fixture on the festival calendar. And yet...

This year it wasn't helped, of course, by there being another directly competing event within broadly the same catchment area that very weekend (the new festival at Gate To Southwell, which had a pretty enticing lineup too).