'Soulful music under a vivid sunrise' Solstice On The Mount at Wasing Estate

Having never experienced a summer solstice celebration before, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect.

Having grown up in Bristol and attending a Steiner school (an alternative form of education which included lessons on knitting toy animals, whittling musical instruments and painting with water colours) I am definitely no stranger to the 'hippy' lifestyle.

However, the concept of staying up until sunrise with a group of dancing folk twirling ribbons epitomised exhaustion in my mind, and I was unsure if summer solstice was something I would actually enjoy...

And how wrong I was. I can whole heartedly say that Solstice On The Mount was one of my best experiences from start to finish.

I arrived at the beautiful Wasing Estate on Thursday June 20 with two friends having caught a quick train from Reading to Midgham.

Once at the gates, we took the 10 minute fairy light lit woodland walk to the dell which housed the main stage.

The real draw for myself wanting to attend the event was the chance to see Nick Mulvey perform, as his mixture of folk and indie tracks paved many a memory from my university years.

We sat on a picnic blanket and sipped away at lattes bought from the coffee stall (other than caffeine, the event was completely dry with all bars closed) to watch the start of his set.

It felt comforting to be there in the natural amphitheatre with other families, friendship groups and couples who had all travelled to Wasing to bring in the summer.

A particularly poignant moment was when Nick broke into the first upbeat interval of his huge hit 'Cucurucu' and pretty much everyone who was previously lounging on blankets jumped up to dance.

Ending the set with one of my favourite songs, 'unconditional,' Nick's performance was both fun and emotional, two elements I feel that his music perfectly conveys.

The main stage then closed and staff ushered everyone who were staying until the morning through to the 'fireside sessions.'

We stopped briefly for some nourishment at an organic come vegan come spelt infused food stall where I was presented with the healthiest, and blandest, piece of focaccia I have ever had the pleasure of eating, and made our way through the forest towards a heart-shaped roaring fire.

Those who had purchased overnight tickets sat dotted around the campfire whilst a musical collective sang ethereal tunes with the accompaniment of various instruments. It was both trance-like and incredibly moving.

Nick then joined the entourage again for three more songs which he played acoustically and everyone gathered close around the flames.

As part of his performance, he instructed the crowd to chant with him along to the sombre 'Imogen.'

Once Nick's second set was over, the ambient sounds of Awarë and Ajeet echoed through the aptly named 'sacred glade' whilst festival goers swayed to and fro.

We had planned to pitch our tent to camp, but somehow it felt more authentic to just be there to take in all that the night and subsequent morning had to offer.

So, instead we simply made our base the picnic blanket and rested on numerous occasions, but did not sleep.

After just a few hours of complete darkness, the rising sun started to turn the heavens from a deep black to an inky blue.

As soon as we noticed the dawn, we quickly gathered our belongings and made our way through to the 'sunrise ceremony.'

Despite the darkness, we were easily able to travel through the wooden close which was illuminated with small beacons of fire, creating a path out onto a wheat field that concluded on a hill top.

This was breath-taking. The sky by this point was progressing from deep blue to a vivid red as the sun began to creep it's way over the countryside.

Upon embarking at the top of the hill, my cohort were met by by Chris Park, initiate of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids who led attendees in a guided ceremony.

This involved joyous song, holding hands with everyone (there was around 50 of us) whilst breathing in unison, and performing chants to welcome in the natural world for summer solstice.

Once the session was over, we walked back through the field and onwards to the woodland walk.

I have never seen the world doused in such spectacular colours as I had that morning. The glade resembled a Studio Ghibli film, if one had been created celebrating the beauty of the English countryside.

For those looking to embrace 'the woo,' Solstice On The Mount is an experience I would highly recommend, and encourage those inclined to join Wasing next year to bring in the summer.