RAIN did little to dampen the spirits of the 35,000 festival goers who made their annual trek to the WOMAD site at Charlton Park in Malmesbury.

With so much to choose from, including watching over 120 performers from 53 countries, wind and rain were never going to get in the way of a good time.

For a family making our first ever trip to WOMAD, we were immediately struck by the friendly nature of everyone from the staff, to the stall holders and fellow festival goers.

Hauling a tent from the car park to festival camping, I was asked several times by strangers if I wanted a hand.

That set the tone for the weekend. And on Saturday this sunny disposition with rewarded when the rain clouds disappeared and the sun shone.

With music as diverse as De La Soul, Tinariwen, Bellowhead and Jazzie B, there really was something for everyone. Teenagers were well catered for, and Cat Empire who closed the festival were a hit with my 16-year-old daughter.

But WOMAD is about more than discovering new acts and (in the case of De La Soul) some older acts.

Learning how to cook a chick pea curry, whilst Bhangra dancing in the Taste the World tent is a memory and a skill that we will take away with us.

And escaping the crowds to spend a quiet hour in a beautiful wood listening to poetry in the Hip Yak Poetry Shack was a good way to recharge.

WOMAD certainly charmed us, and judging by the people we met who come year after year, we were not alone. Will the rain have put them off? Something tells me they, and we, will be back next year.