Arnie, I'm biased as I've been going since 1979 (only missed one), but here goes....

It's the original homegrown festival, starting from around 4000 attendees back then to anything up to 20,000+ now, and I bet it sells out this year if the weather's good.

The vibes are always extremely positive, the mud is not usually a problem - however it's a standing joke at Croppers that the heavens open if Richard Thompson performs. The food is good and the bar (now approx. the size of an aircraft carrier and serving Wadworth's) is brill. The camping is always very well organised and the loos are positively splendid, not to mention plentiful.

If you want to see the acts up close there is NO PROBLEM, even for old f*rts like me. It is advisable though not to leave the Saturday eve. comfort break until the last minute before Fairport come on, as it gets a bit of a scrum. If you want to listen from a distance, it's OK but there are no big screens etc.

IMHO this year is an absolute must. It's a shame that you are only going on Saturday as you will miss one or two good people - see Fairport's site. See you at the bar.....