PACKING my bags to get ready for this weekend is always a bit of a bittersweet experience for me.

The bitter is that after going to eleven festivals over the last 16 weeks this always feels like the start of the end of summer. When I go home on Sunday the longest day would have been and gone and indoor gigs will replace most of the outdoor events.

The sweet is of course the aptly named End of The Road Festival itself.

Situated at the Larmer Tree Gardens it makes use of much of the same settings as Larmer Tree Festival but spills out further with the addition of the larger Woods stage that hosts some of the bigger acts of the weekend.

Spiritualized and Flamingods put on epic performances on the Thursday night to the delight of the people who arrived on site ahead of the Friday rush.

Friday dawned bright and sunny and I spent the early part of the day wandering the grounds, which are worth a visit in their own right.

The paths meander along revealing smaller areas like the Piano Stage an area for karaoke, art installations and numerous other things to keep you engaged and entertained.

I then spent the majority of the late afternoon and evening moving between the Garden Stage, Woods Stage and Big Top to catch as much music as possible with Baxter Dury, Wire and Michael Kiwanuka proving to be my favourites of the day.

Saturday's early risers could enjoy a breakfast at one of the numerous food stall and although I went traditional on the big red double decker I could have opted for Lebanese, Chinese, Italian, Japanese or from one of many other delicious looking offerings.

A brief shower failed to dampen the spirits and the campfires in the food area soon dried us out before we went on to enjoy Goat Girl, the wonderfully strange Gazelle Twin and a bit of Courtney Barnett before preparing to experience one of my favourite bands around at the moment Sleaford Mods.

Jason and Andrew never fail to put on a show that blows people away with its simplicity and intensity. 

This is a festival that sells out every year and sitting here now its easy to see why people continue to return year after year.

I hope to be back in 2020 and already know I will have a great weekend where I can satisfy my diverse musical tastes, meet like-minded people and just relax in the beautiful Dorset countryside. I can’t wait!