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Pictures from Cropredy 2008

3 Daft Monkeys	3 Daft Monkeys	PJ Wright	Dave Pegg
One of the many camp sites	Thursday	Thursday morning	Supergrass

Background

Cropredy has a population of about 750 and is mentioned in the Domesday Book. Cropredy Bridge was the site of a Civil War battle in 1644. Brasenose College, Oxford, owns property in the area including one of the village's two pubs, The Brasenose Arms.

During the mid-1970s Fairport Convention members Dave Pegg and Dave Swarbrick moved to Cropredy. In 1976, the band played an impromptu concert to support the village fete's fundraising. The gig was in the extensive garden at Prescote Manor, owned by Dick Crossman (a Labour cabinet minister) and his wife Anne. The event was successful and was repeated in 1977 and 1978 (when nearly 2,000 people turned up).

After losing its record deal in 1979, Fairport Convention decided to stop touring. On 4 August, the band staged its farewell concert in the open air at Cropredy. The all-day event featured guest performers including Ralph McTell, Steve Ashley, Chris Leslie and Earl Okin. The Farewell Farewell album was recorded at 3 gigs on the preceding tour and released on Dave Pegg's newly-formed Woodworm Records label, selling 3,000 copies.

The next year, Fairport decided to stage a one-day reunion concert. This 1980 reunion is generally regarded as the first 'proper' Cropredy festival. It took place at Cropredy on 30 August with support from Ralph McTell, Richard and Linda Thompson, and John Kirkpatrick among others. This time, 7,000 people turned up.

From 2000 onwards, the event was extended from two to three days. The festival site is licensed for 20,000 (which includes all crew, guests and artists). In 2007, for the first time in the event's history, all the tickets were sold before the gates opened.