A chance encounter with a university reject who could sell sand to the peoples of Arabia, known in my industry as 'a promoter', led me incrementally into the world of festival organization. Its been a long trip (sometimes literally), and this opportunity to blog gives me a chance to recall some of the highlights and explain why festivals are less a job, more a crusade...

Festivals. It's what we do best. A chance for us Brits to display our eccentricity come rain or shine - and we really don't mind rain.

The one thing that has made me just as proud to be British and love this year and country just as much as the Olympics is not necessarily on the UK's widescreen red-white-'n'-blue radar. It's a little festival called Secret Garden Party.

Famous last words from Jay Carter of Newrising, when they were booked to play David Goo's open mic night at the Cross Kings in Kings Cross back in 2009. Fast forward three years and this 21-year-old, who is indeed drenched in talent has been a constant feature in the charts since last September.

The kingpin of festivals Glastonbury is cancelled this summer and Diamond Jubilee and Olympic-themed events are dominating the headlines, but that's n...

I used to love Bestival. So much. The first couple of years, before it was expanded, were an utter delight. I had one of my favourite gigs ever, in the Secret Disco, coming on after Sean Rowley's Guilty Pleasures...Quickly, however, the rot set in.

There is something peculiarly British about our love of festivals. Whilst European and American equivalents continue to flourish, the British are almost protective of their festival culture. We are joyous about our weekends of merriment, in which we forge transient friendships and resurrect long forgotten communities.

Another festival, another corporate cluster bomb. Or not, as I discovered at the Secret Garden Party.

This weekend has once again made me proud to be English. To be part of a country where people flock to safe havens of alternative culture. Where performance, music, poetry, environmentalism, art, design and love abound.