Ellie Goulding and Graham Coxon make hay down on the Farm

By James White

Last updated at 9:00 AM on 22nd July 2011

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Saturday and as the sun beat down on the superb working Merton Farm site south of Canterbury, thousands of revellers were enjoying the laid-back vibe at this family-friendly event.

For children there were circus skills workshops and science experiments while for their parents there was the comedy tent featuring several stand-ups of note including Phil Kay, Holly Walsh and Robin Ince.

There was music to suit all tastes – ranging from folk to rap. Having grown quickly from a small local festival, the 2011 line-up boasted some big names.

Main event: Ellie Goulding wows the crowd on Saturday night at Lounge on the Farm in Canterbury

After announcing earlier in the year that he was ending The Streets, Mike Skinner gave a storming performance at what will be one of their last festival gigs before The Streets call it a day in October.

At the main stage the young crowd went for Katy B and her mega hit On A Mission and later Xample provided the perfect soundtrack for an upbeat summer’s evening with Watch The Sun Come Up and Kickstarts.

The headliner was Ellie Goulding who enchanted fans with such hits as Starry Eyed and Guns and Horses.

Great venue: Music fans gather around the main stage at the sun-kissed event

The gig was something of a home-coming for the 24-year-old who spent two years studying drama at the city’s University of Kent, and the crowd response to her every word was nothing short of ecstatic.

However, for those of a more head-banging persuasion, the evening’s highlight was Blur guitarist Graham Coxon on the Meadows stage who blew the roof off with Freakin’ Out.

Sunday was a more relaxed vibe - as you’d expect from the festival’s name - with Echo and the Bunnymen marking a successful end to this year’s festival.

LOTF attendance has grown in six years ten-fold to more than 10,000 visitors this year, but it has lost none of the small festival feel, with cowsheds being utilised for dance fans and a late-night silent disco for those not ready for their tents.

And the use of local producers to provide varied and delicious foods from burritos to a hog roast meant this had the feeling of a community affair.

On the weekend Glastonbury’s Michael Eavis declared festivals would be ‘finished’ in three or four years, the organisers of this eclectic and value-for-money event issued a stinging riposte.

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