It must be one of those things that once made Britain great - the curious ability to keep smiling in adversity. But the people weren’t just smiling. They were positively revelling in it, in spite of the mountains of mud and the relentless rain.

Then there were the Glastonbury fashions. There were folks dressed in full body alien suits, men dressed as fairies in bowler hats, a groundswell of hippies ancient and modern, and a few just wearing, well, mud. My own white jacket soon had enough spatters to make me an easy stand-in for Cruella De Vil, and a frolicking festival-goer added that extra designer detail - a muddy handprint right in the middle of the back. Cheers, mate!

The music was mega. Kaiser Chiefs led the way, Killers slayed the crowd and Dame Shirley Bassey (pictured) was the surprising star turn of the whole weekend in a pink evening gown with flamenco frills. Not a bad gig for a 70-year-old. The Who rounded off the festival in style, with the words of “My Generation” having something to say to a crowd ranging from pushchairs to zimmer frames.

Then there was the weather. You can talk all day about the mud, but you just have to be in it to really know what it’s like….thick, gluey and very brown – with a few bodies rolling around in it, like raisins in a cake mix. The rain came down, the executive teepees at £1,650 a pop leaked like a sieve, but the atmosphere still carried you away.

Can’t wait for next year.

Click here for more Glastonbury mud
The official Glastonbury Festival Site
BBC coverage of Glastonbury