Sun shines on first Happy Daze at Knockdown (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Sun shines on first Happy Daze at Knockdown

4:00pm Wednesday 22nd August 2012 in North Wilts news

SUN, cider and music from around the world converged on a field in Knockdown as the first festival in eight years was staged at the Holford Arms.

Landlord James Heathcock, who ran the festival with brother Pete, said: “For a first attempt it was fantastic.”

Torrential rain on Friday had them worried, but mid way through Saturday and just in time for the start of the event, the sun had burned most of the cloud off and was beginning to draw a crowd.

“The weather was obviously on our side – that was something we couldn’t control.”

Staging the event, the first since the Didmarton Bluegrass Festival moved on to a bigger site at Kemble in 2004, had been a community effort with locals and customers lending support.

“The bands were fantastic, so were all the people who helped setting up,” he added.

The line-up included international band the Baghdaddies and Irish singer Alan Burke.