PHOTO by Jael Marschner

Sweating on a plastic air bed inside a tent the same temperature as a pizza oven is not something the Art Sleuth does well. The heat wave this weekend was beating down in Cambridgeshire but we were not going to give up.

The SGP is probably the most picturesque festival you could go to, (it should be on a Carlsberg advert), as it is built around a pretty lake, although the sludge in the lake perhaps is not so pretty. N.B When I say Sludge I do not mean the stuff they grow cornflakes in.

The lake has a pirate ship on it, with boats you can use to get out there. By night the lake is somewhat of a magical experience of gorgeous fairy lighting and decorations everywhere.

Music is of a huge variety from classic folk bands to dance tents playing anything from glitchy house to dubstep. Slightly unfortunate was the rather haphazard program, which tended to say things were what they weren’t. Bassline, for instance, was actually electro-ish stuff, but really if you go just for the music you’ve probably gone for the wrong reason.

Saturday night was the crowd puller with the pirate ship burning down in a dramatic firework display surrounded by flame-throwers and fire lanterns. Grace Jones followed this on the main stage, living up to her Amazonian reputation by opening with “I’m a man eater,” in a crazy tubular outfit. Strutting her stuff in just a corset and little else for another of her many costume changes, her pert bum was on full display to the amazement of the crowd. 60 years old with the buttocks of a 20 year old body builder. Good going Gracey!

Nifty areas like a treetop games tent or a mud-wrestling pond give an alternative to the music and bar/venues. If you fancy watching a zebra wedding or competing in a giant game of twister, watching Hamlet acted out around your campsite or doing may-pole dancing by night, then this is the festival for you.

Seriously chilling out is also something the SGP does well. A cooling marquee with free popcorn, comfy sofas and David Attenborough’s soothing voice on the big screen is something of a lifeline after three days of your blood reaching boiling point in your tent. Perhaps a camper van next time?

Although most comparable to Bestival as a boutique festival and also in ticket price too, it does lack an accomplished music line up. However it goes some way to make up for this by the eclectic mix of artists and the ease at which you can stumble upon new music. Plus the lack of queues ( there is only about 12,000 festival goers making it one of the smallest festivals) and non-stop atmosphere makes this festival an incredible party garden. Let’s hope it is kept a secret!