Beyond the music … there’s a whole load of stuff to look out for at Britain’s friendliest festival.

AROUND THE VILLAGE

Cropredy is a truly beautiful village. Its chocolate-box charm is genuine, yet the village manages to avoid the preserved-in-aspic-for-the-tourists feel that pervades so many other such villages, particularly deeper into the Cotswolds. The villagers are friendly and welcoming and the overwhelming majority of them look forward to the festival (which they refer to as “Fairport”) just as much as the invading army of visitors do.

And, for such a small village, there’s a vast array of things to see. The fine, 14th century sandstone church of St.Mary the Virgin shouldn’t be missed under any circumstances. The churchyard is home to rows of 17th century graves and, of course, the tower houses the Fairport Festival Bell, named in honour of the long-running event that brings so many people to the village.

Cropredy was the site, in June 1644, of the Battle of Cropredy Bridge in which Cromwell’s forces clashed with the Royalist army in an unsuccessful attempt to open up a route to Oxford. Information boards around the village tell the story of the battle and Cropredy lies on The Battlefields Trail, a 20-mile long distance footpath that links the sites of pivotal battles at Edgcote, Edge Hill and Cropredy.

Cropredy is a quiet place when it isn’t festival time, and a walk around the village streets is a delight. We heartily recommend that festival-goers think about returning to the village to sample life away from the hectic festival pace. Possibly the only chance you’ll get to see the actual insides of the Red Lion and the Brasenose.

In a village with more than its fair share of historical interest, it’s the ancient Cup & Saucer, on the corner of a modern street of the same name, that takes the award for the village’s oldest feature. Opinion is divided as to the original purpose of this stone curio – is it the remains of a medieval cross, or does it relate to far older pagan rituals?

And, of course, none of us would be Cropredy-bound for the second weekend in August each year if it wasn’t for the Fairport connection. Dave Swarbrick was the first member of the band to move to the village when he settled here with his (then) wife, Birgitta, after his room at The Angel – the group’s communal home in Much Hadham, Hertfordshire – had been demolished by a wayward lorry. Swarb’s thatched cottage was Stonecroft, at 3, High Street and it was only a few months later that he was joined in the village by Dave Pegg and his family, who moved into 9, Chapel Row – just across the street from Swarb. Peggy converted buildings at the back of the property into the first Woodworm Studio and the premises soon became the nerve centre of the Fairport business operations.

And – don’t forget the annual Scarecrow trail that takes place, in the village, during festival time. See how many scarecrows you can spot and nominate your favourite!

THE TOWPATH

Cropredy is a beautiful part of the world. Throughout the year streams of people will stop off in the village as they travel through on their narrow boats.

During the festival, taking a walk either way from the main Cropredy bridge will offer a colourful treat looking all the wonderfully decorated boats. And keep a look-out for John Barleycorn – our favourite Fairport-themed boat!

In past years, amongst several craft sellers, there has been various floating record stores for music collectors to have a peruse through or even some boxes of records on the towpath itself (occasionally under a rain cover). Hopefully there will be musical wares on offer this year down the towpath.

Last year, The Village Butty – a floating pub selling local real ales made a welcome appearance in the village before and during the festival. Its base is Banbury, so – canal water levels permitting – we’re expecting it to make a return appearance this year. Do stop and buy a pint if you pass it as you wander along the towpath – the proprietors are a friendly pair and the beer’s always good.

ARENA TRADITIONS

We’re different to most normal people, aren’t we? We choose Fairport because we’re people of taste and we attend Cropredy because it’s our secret. We know we’ll have a good time there, in a way that NORMAL people just wouldn’t understand. We’re not like all the others, are we?

Sorry to disappoint you, but yes – we ARE ‘just like all the others’. We’re creatures of habit and routine, and nowhere are these traits more visible and shamelessly exposed than during our annual pilgrimage to our favourite festival. Let’s look at a few examples that confirm that assertion:

arena tradition 1 –THE QUEUE AT THE MERCH TENT

It’s as traditional as Christmas. What do we do at 2PM on Thurday? We make a dash for our favourite spot in the arena, stake our pitch, with all the intensity of members of an invading army, and then? We head for the merch tent. They’ve got the new tee-shirts in there, and we HAVE to get ours. NOW. And, if you’re not there within 5 minutes of the arena opening its doors… Prepare to queue. For a LONG time. In 2024, the merch queue was snaking past the bar and round the back of the sound tower by 2-15. By the time you reach the threshold of the tent, you’ll have made a lifelong friend of the bloke behind you. Shown him your family photos; possibly even have invited him and his wife on holiday with you.

arena tradition 2 – THE MORNING DASH

It’s Friday! It’s eleven AM! And Cropredy is open for business! The crowds have been gathering – and growing – at each of the arena entry points for the past hour or so. Once again, we’ve all establ;shed lasting friendships with the folk around us – shared jokes with them, talked about football and speculated whether Planty will be showing his face onstage at any point.

And then: The volume is raised and this year’s daft tune strikes up through the PA. It’s always an inspired choice – in the past we’ve had various TV Racing themes and even The William Tell overture – and it’s guaranteed to raise the adrenalin levels to ensure that every participant in the dash has the best opportunity to reach his/her favoured viewing point. Which is almost certainly the same spot that he/she occupied yesterday. And last year. And the year before that. As I’ve already said, we’re creatures of habit…

arena tradition 3 – getting familiar WITH THE TRADERS’ STALLS

We do it every year. We’ve gained entry to the arena, queued for our tee-shirt, and returned to our claimed patch of ground, which is now surrounded by the neighbours whose company we’ll be enjoying for the rest of the weekend. We might have even got our first pint in from the Hooky bar. But do we settle in our fold-up chairs to savour our beer, enjoy the sight of the swelling crowd and watch out for arriving latecomers from within our own group of friends? No, we don’t.

We need to plan. Are Karma Gear here again, so that I can get a replacement for the Tibetan hat that I bought in 1989 and which is now hanging from a tree over the canal in Thrupp? What about that poncho that I’ve always fancied from Doodah! or that bit of jewellery at Tamraker Trading that always catches my eye… And what have they got in the CD stall this year?

And food! Shall I have my Goan Fish Curry tonight or tomorrow? Are the Samosa guys here again? They were wonderful last year…! I’ll have a Welsh Oggie during Saturday afternoon if they have any left and I think I’ll save my plateful of Leon’s until Saturday evening – just before Fairport. Or maybe grab a half price ostrich burger on the way out of the field at the close of proceedings on Saturday night as the traders make one final bid for your cash.

Thursday afternoon isn’t the time to buy; it’s the time to walk around the field, check what’s what, and plan the shopping and eating activities for the weekend ahead.

THE RUSH FOR FIELD 4 CAMPING

As a boater, this is one Cropredy tradition that I’m able to enjoy from the side-lines – with a degree of amusement and incredulity. It goes like this:

For some reason, Field 4 seems to be the favoured camping location for a good proportion of the Cropredy audience. I’ve never quite understood why – it’s no closer to the arena. Perhaps it’s the proximity to the village amenities and those delicious breakfasts that holds the key to this particular conundrum.

Be that as it may, the fact remains that, when I return to my boat at around 11pm on Wednesday evening, all is quiet and Field 4 is empty. When I trundle my (full) toilet cartridge down the towpath at around 7:45 on Thursday morning, the field is full and all the tents are fully erected. Where did they all come from, and how did they manage to get their tents up and settle in so quickly? It’s part of the Cropredy magic!

And if you’re new (ish) to Cropredy, a chance to scout out a different location for the next time.

I think I’ve summarised my most fondly-observed Cropredy rituals. What are yours?

BRILLIANT BREAKFASTS

The most important meal of the day you say? Well…there are many options to get your breakfast fill. The Brasenose offer a cooked brekkie and there are usually a couple of mobile vendors in the village.

For a bacon or sausage sarnie, you could head to the cricket club. Alternatively, the Village Hall and the Canoe Club both offer a satisfying and good-value sit-down breakfast with veggie options and At The Barrier correspondent Howard is a strong advocate of the mobile stall that usually sets up between the Cherwell and Oxford Canal bridges. Whatever your taste, proclivity and financial state, you’ll find something in the village to get your festival day off to a flying start.

RADIO OXFORD TENT

Radio Oxford tent – make sure you watch out closely for who’s on and when. Listen for AJ’s announcements or keep an eagle eye on the big screen. The tent is down to the left as you look at the stage – right by the merch tent/queue. Don’t risk missing your favourite (Prog Rock) heroes up close and personal by being in the wrong place at the wrong time…

THE CAR BOOT

For the early birds, the annual car boot sale starts at 6am on Saturday at the cricket club. It doesn’t need much more explanation than that, however it is always well attended and if you really want to sniff out those top tier bargains, you’ll need to be on it early doors. There seem to be a few regular stallholders – if so you might catch us at the £5 record man stall.

FAMILIAR FACES

Faces that are/will become familiar…

In the field, – the almost ever present (and not just at Crop) Leon’s (where you;ll need two hands for the plate of food, the samosa stall (one of our faves, always friendly and quick service!), Seuras’ pal – Andy the steward, at the gate to 6A, in his kilt, who seems to be on duty 24/7 making sure that only the right people can take their cars backstage. Plus, keep an eye out for the stars of the show who often take a wander around the site, possibly to the bar.

Around the village – Malcolm at the Talking Elephant stall (the record label, not an actual elephant that speaks) in the village. Often with Ashley Hutchings acting as his deputy.

And – we’ve all done this one – meeting up with the same folk that you’ve been sat next to for the past X years! We’re all creatures of habit, remember, and we like to perch in the same spot we were in last time. And the time before that…

And so do the folk next to you, so they’re familiar faces, even if you might not even know their names, and you’re SO pleased to see them again!

My group and I sat with a Norfolk couple for about six years in a row. They knew that I was ‘John, from Leamington’ and I knew they were Neil and Cath, from Fakenenham, and that was about it. But, every year, whoever was first into the arena would save a place for the others, in the sure knowledge that they’d be turning up. And, come the time for Meet On The Ledge we’d be swaying and hugging each other like long-lost siblings. Then: “Same time next year?” we’d say…

It’s all part of the special Cropredy magic!

VINTAGE TEE SHIRT-SPOTTING

One of the highlights of every festival is that Thursday afternoon trip to the tee-shirt tent, when we get our first glimpse of this year’s tee shirt design. Fairport and their audience love a good tee-shirt and many of us are avid collectors of the Cropredy series. We wear our vintage tee-shirts for a number of good reasons, amongst which are a desire to demonstrate long-term loyalty to the band and brand, or just plain good old-fashioned attachment to a particular design.

There have been some crackers over the years and it’s not uncommon to see well-loved examples – particularly the tie-die designs of the mid-nineties – being sported by their proud owners. Less common are the pre-1990 tees and there’s probably a very good reason for that. During the ’80s, the preference was for a tighter fit of tee-shirt and that liking, combined with the fact that nearly all of us who attended during the late 70s-mid 80s have almost certainly put on a few pounds, meaning that those old tee-shirts are left in the drawer at home, come festival time.

Looking back through my own collection, personal preferences include the 1987 ‘Coat of Arms’ number, 1988’s ‘Sunshine’ motif, the aforementioned tie-dies of 1993-96 and 2005’s psychedelic masterpiece that commemorates the arrival of Woodstock legends Country Joe & The Fish into our hallowed field. I’m sure that you have your own favourites that you pull out each year. The ‘People’s Republic Of Cropredy’ in austere Soviet styling was also a favourite design.

Why not draft a spreadsheet and take it around the village to tick off the tee-shirts of as many years as you can?

LOCAL Walks

Cropredy is located in the heart of some lovely walking country. The beautiful rolling countryside of North Oxfordshire is perfect hiking territory and, whether your taste is for a short stroll or a strenuous yomp, there’s something in the Cropredy area that you’l like.

Shorter walks can include leisurely rambles over the fields to nearby villages like Chacombe, Wardington, Mollington, Claydon and Great Bourton. There are interesting churches and other – equally old – buildings in each of these villages and Chacombe, Mollington and Wardington have even managed to retain their pubs, so that weary visitors can rest and slake their thirst before the return journey to Cropredy. And – visitors to Great Bourton will soon be able to do likewise once more, if the villagers get their way and manage to reopen the excellent Bell Inn…

Alternatively, why not take a stroll over the canal bridge by the lock and up to Prescote Manor, former home of Ann Crossman, the widow of ex-Labour MP Richard Crossman. It was here that this whole festival palaver had its beginnings when, in 1976, 750 people payed the princely sum of £1 each to see Fairport play their first Cropredy show in the grounds of the manor. From such small acorns to great trees grow… After viewing the manor, you can continue your walk, over the fields to Broadmoor lock, before venturing back down the canal to Cropredy.

There’s even more choice available around Cropredy for the more dedicated walker. A personal favourite involves taking the aforementioned Battlefields Trail via Wardington and Edgecote Manor to Chipping Warden and onward, via the farming hamlet of Appletree to Claydon Middle Lock on the Oxford Canal, returning to Cropredy via the towpath.

Check out Sheet 205 of the Ordnance Survey “Explorer” series of maps for further ideas. The footpaths in the area are (usually) clearly marked and well-maintained and exploring this wonderful part of the country is a sheer pleasure.

JONAH’S OAK

In more recent years, the oak tree in the bottom corner of the main field has become a place of reflection. Named after Johnny Jones, former Fairport manager and a key figure in the establishment and growth of the festival, it’s a shrine to members of the Fairport family who have left this world in body, but remain part of the festival magic in spirit. Former band-members, friends and fans are all commemorated on brass plaques that surround the tree in a special enclosure.

And finally, if the sun and sky look like co-operating, take a moment out and stand in the top corner of the field on a Summer’s eve and watch the sun go down over the oak. It often provides an idyllic backdrop to whoever’s lucky enough to be playing (on this occasion, Big Big Train).

Not to underplay the significance, there’s the famous story of Led Zep manager Peter Grant (a man you wouldn’t argue with) ‘making sure’ that his band took to the stage at Bath Festival just as dusk began to settle in and add to their mystique.

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