A TRULY hot shower, an alfresco breakfast and a courtly Tudor dance are not common starts to a morning at a British festival.

But Camp Bestival boasted all three - and the only charge for the heavenly warm water was a little patience in a queue.

Once washed and back inside the performance area, a troupe of cheery re-enactors from the Historical Touring Palaces taught us dance steps from King Henry VIII's reign.

Henry - short and stout - was lording it over a mini kingdom, where children milled about learning period games, archery and candle making.

Just a stone’s throw away, they could explore the Dingly Dell, with the chance to hold chicks, build a den and climb a tree using wires and pulleys.

And over in the space-themed Mission Control area, campers could make galactical Lego creations and enjoy a rest watching Wallace and Gromit’s A Grand Day Out.

Around noon, families flocked to see CBeebies star Mr Tumble grace the Castle Field stage and unite generations with cheery tunes such as the Hokey Cokey, which echoed around the grounds.

Later on, pretty Hampshire duo Ward Thomas earned new fans with their mixture of heartfelt break-up songs and soothing celebrations of summer.

The twin sisters’ angelic voices and blend of country music drew more festival goers onto the lawn. Highlights included their most well-known track, ‘Push for the Stride’ and next single ‘Call Me’, indicating their second album ‘Cartwheels’, to be released in September, is one not to miss.

Things took a silly turn as comperes Dick and Dom returned to lead a singsong and cause chaos with an on-stage custard pie fight.

In a day and age of computer games, it was refreshing to see traditional fun still gets children in stitches.

Radio 2 DJ Sara Cox - here to judge a fancy dress show - could be spotted enjoying the show with her family.

Feeling weary, we staggered over to Slow Motion for a yoga class, which turned out to be great medicine for bodies stiff from sleeping under canvas.

Much later, as dark fell, the unrivalled DJ Fatboy Slim, 53, proved age is just a number by headlining Camp Bestival with a hypnotising. Fatboy, aka Norman Cook, kicked off his spectacular show with Bird of Prey, appearing in an astronaut suit in a nod to the festival’s space theme.

The audience, warmed up by Katy B, were soon in rapturous delight, hypnotised by the familiar beats and awe inspiring light show before them.

Thousands of fans were soon moving as one, entranced by the master DJ’s unique mixing talents.

Expertly, he teased the crowd with clips of their favourite tunes, only to keep them waiting for the full version much later in his set.

Needless to say, when the likes of ‘Praise you’ and ‘Gangstertrippin’ played out, ravers old and new went wild, and the night closed on a high.