THE rain clouds were chased away at the weekend as festival-goers enjoyed the sunshine of Camp Bestival at Lulworth Castle.

Aimed squarely at music lovers with families, the three-day event saw a colourful array of bands, performers and workshops.

While the evenings rocked to the sound of James, Johnny Marr, Basement Jaxx and De La Soul, the day times were purely a family affair.

CBeebies favourite Mr Tumble proved to be the star attraction with an energetic main stage performance on Saturday afternoon.

Children and parents swamped the Castle Field area and joined him in a thronging singalong of children’s classics such as Grand Old Duke of York and Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes.

This year the fancy dress theme was circus and it set the tone of the proceedings in the adjacent sprawling fields of the Upper and Lower Kid’s Garden. With a mind-bending array of tents and activities, this year Camp Bestival more than lived up to its billing as ‘the greatest family show on earth’.

Joe Tollerfield, 32, an electrician from Poole, said: “It rained as we left in the morning, but the sun came out as we arrived. There’s so much to do for the whole family. We’ve just had a dance in the Bollywood tent and Mr Tumble was fantastic.”

Mum Victoria Brown, 33, also from Poole, added: “We’ve got a babysitter for the evening after spending the day with the kids. It’s a different vibe at night with just the parents around, very chilled-out. Sophie Ellis-Bextor put on a great show.”

You could take your pick from soft play areas, giant sandpits and entertain the kids with the quirky goings on of the Bigtopmania tent and the Greatest Show On Earth tent.

A particular family highlight proved to be the Wild Time In The Dingly Dell area. This managed to be educational and fun, which is no mean feat at a festival.

Children could get hands on with traditional arts and crafts while roaming free in the woods.

This year has to be the best yet, with families sure to return.