Return to the forbidden planet

After four years out of the "Proper Festival" game (since Glastonbury 2011), largely due to parenthood, it was good to be back - albeit unexpectedly, at very short notice and (for some of the time) with an impatient, energetic two-year-old in tow.

The line-up at this year's Truck was, it has to be said, decidedly mixed in quality. A few things I witnessed made me query the tastes of the Youth Of Today and even ponder the value of having ears. However, Public Service Broadcasting, Bo Ningen, Pulled Apart By Horses and Rainbow Reservoir all got the thumbs up, with the definite highlight being locals Maiians, whose fusion of Krautrock, electronica and post-rock was perfectly scheduled for Friday evening's after-dark slot.

Stamina-wise, my increasingly creaky frame just about coped with the regulation all-day boozing, though the compact nature of the site, the excellent weather and my unusually short must-see list meant I wasn't faced with the familiar rigours of striding for miles through energy-sapping mud just to clap eyes and ears on a band for the three-song minimum. It was also a pleasure to be able to (at various points) catch up with what seemed like pretty much everyone I've ever known in Oxfordshire and the surrounding counties.

Same time next year? I'd like to think so.