Fife Free Press editor Allan Crow's Big Tent diary...

Friday:
Another day, another downpour. Start looking out my waders and sou-wester for tomorrow's trip to Falkland. Wonder how my wee Ford Focus with its front spoiler hanging off will cope driving through a muddy field.

Saturday:
Golden sunshine! Forget all about wellies and don't even bother with a rain jacket. We arrive at lunchtime and get waived past the car park. ''Extra parking'' says the sign, so we wheech along the road ... and we wheech even further along the road. With Strathmiglo almost in sight we're still none the wiser, so one turn-around later, we're back at the site only to be told to go to Glenrothes and hop on the eco-friendly bus. Hmmm ... wonder if that space on the main roads is still there. Yup, that'll do nicely.
One short stroll through Falkland later and we're in!

Good food: Festival food usually means grim burger vans. Not at Big Tent. I've never chomped so much organic food in my life!
Have to say the Puddledub buffalo burgers were delicious, and the wee chocolate tent – well, a tent that sold chocolate as opposed to one made out of it – just in front of the Head Zone was wonderful, even if the chocolate and chilli combination had a nippy wee kick to it! Mind you, that was on top of hot chocolate and strawberries and chocolate! Er, and the ice cream. Oh, and the pint of organic Blond beer ...

Resting place:
A wicker basket coffin anyone? It was the first thing you saw as you entered one of the craft tents. Suggestions that I lay inside it for a photo opportunity were declined...

Who chucked that?
Phil Kay jumped off stage to lead an impromptu sing-song in which he sent a kid off to get a flip-flop. With the shoe now balanced on his head, the MC told the kids to grab all the wood chips lying around and see if they could knock it off. He probably didn't expect one bairn to use a can of juice as his weapon of choice! It struck Kay on the head, but all credit to him ... he didn't miss a note!

Marra magic:
It's impossible not to warm to the humour and music of Michael Marra – really could have done with more of him. Introducing a song about a long-forgotten uncle he explained how his relative had been shunned because ''he had a unhappy marriage ... and unhappy marriages weren't as popular then as they are now!''

Choir Practice:
How good were the Creol Choir? They were as bright as their wonderfully colourful outfits, and contributed some of the most uplifting music of the weekend. It was impossible not to be charmed by their sheer enthusiasim and fantastic musicianship.
After their set Phil Kay invited the audience to buy their CDs from ''round the back at the police van.'' I think we knew what he meant, but it still took just seconds for one person to pop into PC Plod's mobile unit asking to buy a CD ...

A kind of hush:
How chilled out was the Body & Soul Zone? It really should have been re-named Sleepy Hollow as festival go-ers took relaxation to whole new levels, stretched out on the grass and soaked up the sun.
While you could hear the music from the Wee Shindig tent, the zone had its very own atmosphere as all the tents offered taster sessions on many relaxation therapies. A perfect place to de-stress!

Glorious mud:
The midweek rain created some naturally muddy areas and where there's mud, you'll find bairns playing. More than a few were soon covered from head to toe in the stuff as they realised the giant tyre tracks from tractors and lorries made for a perfect, and very soft and safe, play area.

State-side:
Arrived too late to catch State Of Emergency, but our photog says they were superb – really impressed with a great set to get the Wee Shindig tent underway, and even came back for an encore. Now that's a fab way to start any festival!

Sunday:
Rain, rain go away:
According to the weather map on the telly, Sunday was going to be wet. Very wet. It was ... but nowhere near as bad as many feared.
True the pathways turned to a soft, slippery mud, but it didn't persuade some festival go-ers from changing out of their flip-flops.
Mind you, I did wonder why no-one had the savvy to sell wellies. They'd have made a fortune ...

Laid Back:
The award for the Most Laid-Back Festival Go-er goes to ... the bloke in the Wood Zone who picked his spot under an old tree, plonked his umbrella at a jaunty angle ... and simply nodded off, regardless of Sunday's intermittent downpours. Now that's what I call chilled!

You wear it well:
Festivals always bring out the 'hippy' brigade ... ponchos, pony-tails, tie-dyed tee-shirts and some very groovy solo dancing. And that was just the blokes! (the 'intepretative dancing in the Wee Shindig tent also left me slightly bemused ... it was a bit like watching an old Kate Bush video, all waving arms and swirling motions!)
There were also a few kilts in attendance, and a fabulous range of silly hats, from the embarrassing multi-colured ones your mum used to knit you, to plastic helmets wth Viking horns.

Let's Dance:
On the subject of dancing, it was wonderful to see Prince Edward Island's set – excellent band by the way (the singer's a Fifer ... from Cupar!) – attract so many kids on to the dance floor. I don't think there was anyone aged over seven up shaking a a leg!

Chip In:
Caught some of The Chipolatas madcap act on the Hullabaloo stage. Standing on top of the hill I wondered if I was seeing things as one of the band balanced a security railing on his chin. I wasn't ... he really was balancing it! They were lively, loud and hugely energetic which was just what was needed as the heavy rain started to ease up and we all crept back out of the big tents.

Wood wonders:
Loved the stage set in the Wood Zone – it fitted perfectly into the environment, and the wee tent complete with a chimney -- and stacked inside with comfy cushions – looked like a fab place to kip! Don't suppose it's for hire next year?!