I went to Latitude festival this weekend, it was pleasantly different from other festivals I had visited. Highlights include seeing The XX as well as Florence and the machine.

It was a much more quaint affair than other festivals I have been on, as the emphasis is definitely on the family. Festivals like Leeds, Reading and the Isle of Wight are all about pissed up rowdy teenagers pushing over portaloos and fighting in mosh pits. Latitude is more about face painting, performance dance, live theatre and comedy. Hell there are even seats to watch the performances on the main stage. Seats in a festival!

Part of me missed the crowds of men pissing on every available surface, puddles of sick and passed out drug casualties. It was pleasant sipping cider, cross legged listening to some writer read out a chapter of their latest book or watch some desperate drama student march around on stage.

As it was very relaxed and family orientated I was able to observe a lot of families in action. Genrally I live in a world apart from children and parents. SO it was very interesting for me to have an insight into the over-protective, suffocating face of modern parenting. I saw one eight year old child lying in a sort of flat wheelbarrow, a veritable burnished thrown being pushed around the festival wrapped up in a blanket. As if they were some terminally-ill invalid (they weren't) Fuck's sake, I thought,how anxious are modern parents that they invert the power relationship and treat their children their superiors like nobles that must be transported round in a sedan chair, never allowed to touch the very ground.

The major problem for the festival for poorly thought out travel arrangements. There was one coach leaving the site on Sunday. Originally they planned to stop the coaches to the nearest station at 1. At 12.30 and at the front of a hundred man queue they decided to keep the buses running.

Take a look at the state of the bath after I had my first shower of 4 days. ANd I thought I had a tan, no it was ingrained dirt and sweat and filth.