The early May Bank Holiday is the earliest start we have ever made to a festival season but in previous years Cosmic Puffin was actually held at Easter and punters entertained themselves with snowball fights. The festival is tiny with only a few hundred in attendance but it still raises several thousand pounds each year for the children's charities it supports. All the bands and staff volunteer their services so there are no big name attractions. In fact the only name that most people may recognise is Les "Fruitbat" Carter of Carter USM fame, who played with his other band Abdoujaparov.

The festival is held at a permanent youth camping facility on Mersea Island, right next to the beach. There were hot showers and porcelain loos as well as an indoor bar and a hall which housed the main "Cosmic" Stage. The second "MyChoonz" stage was found in a tent next door and was compered by our old friend and veteran psychedelic DJ Kozmik Ken. There were further small stages in the Something Else Tea Tent and the AHula Bula as well as a small dance tent for the ravers.

There was a smattering of food stalls with wood fired pizzas and local oysters available as well a few of the usual clothing, jewellery and wacky hat stalls you would expect to see at any festival. There was also a bouncy castle and rides for the kids and, unusually in this day and age, dogs were welcome.

The weather could have been warmer and, due to the fact we have already been towed out of one field this Spring, we chose to forfeit sea views for a hard standing pitch in our campervan. But all in all Cosmic Puffin was a really enjoyable way to ease ourselves into festival season 2012.