A few years back, Jarvis Cocker wondered how we were going to ‘Help The Aged’ when the first generation of punks, indie kids and ravers would find themselves looking at the wrong end of adulthood. What would become of those who have the responsibilities of parents but are still inclined to…Er…’party’ occasionally? 

Last weekend, Dazed put the tent and the kids in a rucksack and headed for Lulworth Castle on the Dorset coast where Rob Da Bank was curating Camp Bestival. Although a lot of festivals have tried their best to cater for parents with kids, Camp Bestival firmly priorities both. In an idyllic setting, with beautiful grounds surrounding the castle and views down to the sea, the line up is broad and interesting, combining some of the festival ‘acts of the season’ doing the rounds with genuine, original surprises.

Mercury Rev, Laura Marling, Horace Andy, Imelda May, Candi Staton, Florence & The Machine and Golden Silvers were just some that made the parents happy. Book and dance events were organized in the Kids Garden Field that featured Penguin and the English National Ballet, while The Insect Circus, a Big Wheel and various cartoon character entertainers also kept the kids busy. The emphasis on families means that the festival is mercifully short on skinny ties/jeans/ trilby combos and Bat for Lashes clones. In fact, a lot of fun is to be had watching the occasional perplexed Doherty- alike trying to make sense of SpongeBob Squarepants chasing a giant crab. At times though, take the wrong turn and you could be forgiven for thinking that you had walked into the world’s biggest crèche.

On Saturday, Bon Iver thanks us from the Big Top stage for ‘the best day I have ever spent in this country’, Phoenix are brief and blistering in the early evening and homegirl PJ Harvey headlines with a predictably esoteric and spooky song collection. DJ Yoda causes quiet mayhem in the silent disco and Scroobius Pip brings some Essex Rap/hip hop poetry to the party.

Around the site, the comedy line-up includes established names like Frankie Boyle, Ed Byrne and Lee Mack as well as the occasional obscure gem like the Dada genius of Bramble FM. A few ‘scheduling issues’ lead to the odd sight of adult comics delivering some of their ‘blue’ material to open mouthed children and stunned looking parents. A context that certainly adds another layer of humour.
As could be expected at a festival, there are some occasionally psychedelic sights - fancy dress parades, giant frogs on unicycles, face painted kids and a sign for the ‘baby chill-out zone’. These are all topped however by the sight of Howard Marks in the Kids Field reading children’s stories to a clearly smitten audience of pre-schoolers.

Sunday night closes the festival with a frankly stunning set from Chic. One masterpiece of funk and lush disco soul segues into another as clouds creep over the sunset. Darkness finally brings the threatened rain that will wash us back to our tents and home but, before that, there is one last treat. A blazing fireworks display lights up the Castle as Rob Da Bank drops tunes that are clearly aimed at igniting some shared ‘moments’ for the mums and dads who are now holding up knackered kids. Orbital’s ‘Chime’ is the smiley rush it always was and Primal Scream’s ‘Come Together’ is both cringingly cheesy and absolutely perfect.

The biggest crowd of the festival? Well, it has to be a close shout between PJ Harvey and CeeBeebies’ very own ‘Mr. Tumble’. PJ Harvey probably… But only just.

Thanks to Simon and Jila at Hearthworks ltd Tipis and Yurt