Luckily they seemed to have nailed the perfect balance over the last few years to create a festival that stands apart from the rest in terms of music, atmosphere and perhaps most importantly, unbelievable scenery. It is very much a family-friendly affair, and there was not a sniff of rowdiness over the whole weekend - or even a police officer in sight - making for a delightfully laid-back atmosphere. Most of the gentle musical offerings reinforced this chilled vibe, but every now and then the crowds were roused by a more lively moment.

One of these was from Friday headliners Tunng, who sprang out of their folktronica comfort zone  into a rock-out guitar solo which had the audience air-guitaring along. Saturday's highlights included affable crowd-pleasers The Broken Family band and 70s psych-folk heroine Vashti Bunyan - whose hypnotically ethereal vocals might have been better suited to the more intimate Folkey Dokey tent. The absence of rain on the Sunday enhanced an already upbeat atmosphere, and benefited bands such as Misty's Big Adventure, whose eccentrically invigorating brand of klezmer-pop went down a storm with the appreciative mud-dancing punters.

The unsigned Laughing Windows impressed with some mesmerising psychedelic prog-rock in the Do Make Say Think (but with vocals) mould. But the most memorable performance of the festival was arguably from My Brightest Diamond, whose lead singer Shara Worden oozes the kind of effortless rock 'n roll sex appeal that most artists can only dream about. Her breathtakingly eerie rendition of Edith Piaf's Hymn L'Amour sent shivers down the collective spine of the audience, making the eagerly anticipated Devendra Banhart something of an anti-climax in her wake.

The Rumpus Room offered a refreshing contrast to the live music, and a chance to let your hair down on the dancefloor, with a suitably wacky selection of tunes from an eclectic assortment of Djs. If all this musical entertainment wasn't enough, there were plenty of other diversions available, including a literature/cinema tent, a children's field, dozens of mouth-watering food stalls and a nightly bonfire, around which one could make new friends whilst enjoying a spontaneous drumming-jam.

Only the addition of some sunshine could have made Green Man any more perfect a way to spend a weekend.

For more information visit www.thegreenmanfestival.co.uk

Rowan Stanfield Miller