One of the few remaining truly independent festivals in the UK, Port Eliot announced last month that 2019 would be the final year for the festival. With it's loyal, family-friendly crowds and a setting that it is picture perfect it is hard to see why a festival would cease operations. We have heard various rumours but so far nothing concrete that we can publish for the reason Port Eliot will no longer take place. Port Eliot has always had an ability to attract quirky entertainment and the odd celebrity attendee.

We sent our festi-family off to Port Eliot to experience Port Eliot's final year for themselves and here's what Ian 'Dad' Gowland-Jones had to say:

First impressions of the festival were a bit daunting, the event is spread over a large area, especially for Cornwall. At first it can seem like you'll never work out what's going on where. The facilities seemed clean and the staff were welcoming, there weren't massive queues most of the time so overall very good and intensely pretty!

Stand out experiences have to be looking across the site at dusk, the rope lights everywhere - really created a unique atmosphere about the place. Other things such as finding random little clubs in bushes and the hilarious costumes and characters wearing them.

The sheer range of things to do while there is pretty staggering, the stargazing was free, poetry reading in the big house was a surprise. All available to be booked in the information tent.

From a family perspective my advice would be to research the event as much as possible before you go, take toilet roll, and good ear defenders. I noticed some children having a bad time because of the volume and without ear defenders parents had no choice but to leave the tent, this can all be avoided! Take your own soft drinks and water for the kids as there's very little selection that isn't rammed full of sugar and other nasties. Top tip: the kids play tent has cheaper cans of drinks and sweets than anywhere else so send them in for a cold drink to save a few quid!

Port Eliot Festival Director, Poppy Handy, said, “Port Eliot is a place of escapism and discovery for our audience and artists. It’s a lovely feeling as you step on to the site and realise that your toughest decisions for the next few days will involve which lovely meal to choose, whether to settle down by the river with a pint of Sharp’s Doom Bar or sit down for a chat with a fashion legend or throw yourself around to a band that you love. It’s a tough life at Port Eliot. If you’ve been before, you’ll know just what we mean; if not, come and enjoy it with us. It’ll take years off you!”