This was our 4^th year at Deer Shed as a family and we have seen it grow and evolve over those years but it was always stayed true to it central ethos, that at its heart it is a music and arts festival for families. Over the years it has incorporated science as one of its central themes which has led to offering a more diverse range of activities for all the family.

Deer Shed has always been held on the first weekend of the summer holidays but due to some areas changing holiday dates they moved the festival back a weekend. In my opinion this was a heaven sent. Usually we have to collect our daughter from school on the last day of term and fight our way up the M62/M1/A1M to pitch our tent in time to see the first act. This year we had all the time in the world, parking up at site at 12.30 in a plum parking spot spitting distance from the entrance. If it wasn't for the 25+ degree heat the whole unloading the car putting up the tent would have been a breeze, instead it was a tiring, hot and sticky ordeal, but made a lot easier by the hire of a Mr Trolley.

One of the things I love about Deer Shed is how compact it is, the car park is close to the camp site and from most points in the camp site you can see the main stage. This meant that when we were all set up we sat down, relax and listen to Bleech from the comfort of out tent. The sound quality was perfect and they were a great start of the festival. After Bleech, we headed down to the arena to see Teleman on the Lodge Stage. As a huge fan of Pete and the Pirates I was excited to see Teleman perform (formed from three quarters of Pete and the Pirates) and I was not let down, Thomas Saunders vocals are still uniquely quirky and the heavy guitars are still there but now accompanied by Kraftwerk style synths.

But really the highlight for me, not just Friday, but the whole weekend was Dan le Sac vs Scrobbius Pip headlining the Lodge Stage. To say they didn't disappoint would be an understatement, they blew me away. I have seen them more times that I can remember but this had to be one of their best sets. Perfectly formed from all three of their albums, Scroobius Pip had the crowd in the palm of this hand and Dan le Sac had them dancing & cheering long after Pip had left the stage. Shame this was one of their very last performances together before they go off to pursue solo endeavours.

After a slow start on Saturday, it was too hot for rushing around so we leisurely headed down to the arena to see what was on offer for the kids. There was a large art tent and a science tent filled with a multitude of activities from friendship bracelets to creating cardboard swords and shields and learning to solder or creating a tedroid (I really wanted to do this but it was too busy!) My daughter opted for friendship bracelets and creating a scroll before heading off with her friends to have a go on one of the fairground attractions, where she spent most the weekend. As for us adults we found ourselves a spot between the main stage and the Lodge Stage to soak up some sun and fine music. 

There aren't many festivals that you can spend the day in one spot and take in the two big stages. Eliza and The Bear (sadly no Eliza or Bear) kicked off our musical entertainment for Saturday and got me up on my feet and dancing to their catchy indie pop. Catfish and The Bottlemen sadly cancelled but Bleech stepped in to fill the gap and we were treated to another fantastic set. Our friend's daughter had met them earlier in the day and requested they play Not Like You at the second performance which they duly started with it. That is the great thing about Deer Shed, many of the acts don't rush off after they have finished their set, they can be seen wondering around site chatting to people and watching the other bands.

It's my opinion that if I don't leave a festival having discovered an artist or group that has blown me away then it has not been a good festival. Well fortunately for Deer Shed they gave me Samantha Crain. Her beautiful voice bought me in from the sun to stand transfixed by this young women standing alone on the stage with just a guitar singing her beautiful songs that are based on her own short stories. Quite possibly my chill out sound track for the summer and someone worth looking out for in the future.

This year Deer Shed added a third stage, the Obelisk Stage, a small intimate tent at the top end of the field. We headed over on Saturday evening to watch Miles Hunt and Erika Nockalls but sadly found the tent full and even outside standing room was limited. So we sat on the grass and listening to them play some of their own tracks mixed in with some classic Wonder Stuff tunes which got everyone inside and out singing. I think Deer Shed underestimated the draw of Miles Hunt and they would have been better placed on one of the bigger stages.

I have to say I was interested & a little excited to see what Johnny Marr would play in his headline set Saturday night. I am a late comer to The Smiths but I love them and hoped I'd hear a few classic Smiths tracks as I have to admit I wasn't really aware of any Johnny's solo material. Sadly hearing was all I got, a poorly child drove us back to the tent and we had to make do with hearing from a distance. What can I say it didn't diminish what was an amazing set, from the comfort of our camping chairs we joined in singing along to all the classic Smith tunes, Panic, Big Mouth Strikes Again and Stop If You've Heard This One Before. He even did his Electronic Song Getting Away with It. To say I enjoyed it would be an understatement, I'm sure the atmosphere at the main stage would have had me on a high for weeks.

Sunday at Deer Shed is not like any other festival I've been too. The last band finishes at 4.15 and the camp site closes at 7pm. So Sunday morning is spent packing up the tent as early and as quickly as possible to that you can get back into the arena to enjoy the last few bands and the kids enjoy the last day of freedom. A note on that, the arena is so compact there are kids running around everywhere (the younger ones are supervised). If you have older children you feel comfortable to let them wonder off on their own and explore, safe in the knowledge that the security stop all unaccompanied children leaving the arena. In a time when there a few occasions that we let our children go off on their own it's nice to let them explore and enjoy themselves with the confidence that they will be safe.

The high point of our Sunday was Slow Club, an eclectic mix of songs, 3 of the band swap around drums, guitars and vocals during the set which isn't something you see everyday! Rebecca is a humorous and likeable spokesperson for the band, it was very funny watching her struggle through the names of the songs on the set list which their manager had helpfully written in French.

With Deer Shed is over for another year, would I recommend it to families? Without a doubt, there is something to keep the whole family entertained but without having to go to the sometimes daunting bigger festivals. Its fun, compact, safe and friendly, what else do you need for a weekend away.

Article and Photos: Charlie Greenwood. Special thanks to the Arthur family for their contribution.