Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry: He put on a super show, remarkably since he began with the keyboard player on drums and a roadie on keyboards. Madness saxophonist Lee Thompson filled out the sound until the guitarist and drummer turned up.
Our hero arrived on stage and proceeded to get a cameraman to stick joss sticks in a lemon before waving them about.
Madness: I’ve never see the Castle Field so rammed as for the Nutty Boys.
From One Step Beyond through all the hits and plenty of stuff from their ninth studio album The Liberty Of Norton Folgate, Suggs and Co again showed themselves to be Britain’s favourite band.
Marc Almond: Still alive and still singing beautifully. Not a dull moment as hit followed hit, everyone sang along and a sublime Say Hello Wave Goodbye sent Friday night’s showers packing.
DJ Derek: It was fascinating to hear Derek Morris, a Bristolian in his mid-70s, talking about his life as a DJ.
He told us how he came to do his act in the Jamaican patois. When he started in the 1960s around Bristol, he was the only white DJ playing Jamaican music and couldn’t understand what the almost exclusively West Indian clubbers and owners were saying, so learned the lingo to avoid being ripped off.
Calvin Harris: The wee Scotsman really got the crowd buzzing when he got to the stage 24 hours late on Sunday.
It was a real hands-in-the-air job as one dance anthem followed another, climaxing with his best track I’m Not Alone.
Friendly Fires: At times, the St Albans three-piece, augmented for the occasion by brass, sounded like the Average White Band. Their swirling, pounding, big-sound dance tracks filled the arena.
Fireworks: A glorious moment to end proceedings, the castle lit up by a tremendous display to a booming soundtrack of Jimi Hendrix, Arthur Brown, Primal Scream and Madness, with Suggs on stage leading the It Must be Love singalong.
Laura J Martin: Just remember, when she becomes a major star, to tell people you saw this multi-instrumentalist’s solo show of modern folk tunes in a small tent on Saturday night.
Scroobius Pip: The spoken word performer at his energetic best. And that’s the good thing about Bestival – there’s always something going on, be it music, poetry, comedy, dancing or children’s stuff.
George Clinton: Now from space the entertain us, the ultimate funkster got Friday’s party started with a blend of dance tunes and cosmic nonsense.
Goan Fish Curry: From Cornwall. ’Nuff said.
Human League: The ‘synthesiser pop group, sometimes in fashion, sometimes not ran through their hits in a tight 45-minute slot.
And the worst: The Wurzels: Someone please tell Rob da Bank that these guys do not represent yokel Dorset and are amusing for about 10 seconds (no, make that five). The Yetties would be an authentic Dorset group.
The beer: £4 for a pint of Fullers? £3.90 for a can of San Miguel? That’s taking it too far – though the 10p deposit on cans and plastic glasses did keep the site relatively clean, thanks to an army of youngsters keen to augment their pocket money.
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