OnBlackheath

Advertised as London's premier music, food and family festival – expectations were high for OnBlackheath. Taking place on the 10th and 11th September, the leafy suburbs of Blackheath came alive for this autumnal spectacle.

Into the third year, it's a testament to the festival that it's continued and grown as it has. The festival is a welcome change to the intensity that many offer nowadays, and the kind of event that provides a variation amongst the festival calendar.

Arriving on Sunday the summer showed no sign of ending. Blackheath, picturesque in the sunshine, was a great setting – with the London city skyline glittering in the distance. Getting into the festival was easy, and there were minimal queues – we've all experienced how frustratring this can be, so this was very welcome! The festival itself promised fantastic food, workshops, music and an abundance of activities and the first thing to do was to explore. The huge colourful flowers, that are now so synonymous with the festival, were dotted around the grounds, and the place was full of the sounds and smells of the summer.

Feeling a bit peckish from the journey across London, it was only right for us to sample the abundance of food on offer. The stalls ranged from the finest cheese toasties around at The Cheese Truck, to the best food from Ghana at 'Zoe's Ghana Kitchen' (and all sorts of delights in between). We opted for Hobo Foods Ltd (don't let the name put you off...) – these guys source ethical meat and partner it with the finest of salads – we even got chicken wings on the side. What more, their food truck is made out of a recycled shipping container. If you wanted something extra special, there was the option to get tickets for the 'Chef's Banquet' – three courses and specially selected wine hosted by Theo Randall.

The makeup of festival attendees was recognisably different to many other London day festivals, and many other festivals for that matter – with many young families in attendance. The family friendly aspect was a unique selling point of the festival, so it was understandable – and with Puffin Books hosting the family area it was sure to be good. We were two twentysomethings so we can't say we fully immersed ourselves in all these activities, but the area was busy – there were storytelling stages, outdoor activities, 'special guests' (people dressed as children’s favourite characters) and all ranges of fun arts and crafts. And in the main area of the festival there was even the opportunity to try your hand at hula-hooping (this we did get involved in, unsuccessfully we might add).

For those without kids there were cooking workshops throughout the day by the likes of Ching-He Huang, Jack Stein and the truly unique DJ BBQ. It was a shame the audience weren't allowed to eat the food!

There were three stages, and we managed to get a taste of each. The ID Mobile Stage provided great sets from the likes of Roachford, Harleighblu and Craig Charles. With the Heavenly Stage providing a nice variation, Saint Etienne were a particular stand out. The Main Stage was where the action was happening though – it was a mixture of avid fans of the performers getting as close to the stage as possible, and families, couples and friends lazing on their picnic blankets. Whoever you were, it was a talent packed line-up. Soak epitomised the chilled, Sunday vibes with a powerful set – 'B a noBody' a highlight. Squeeze and James got the crowd up in unison, swaying throughout – with 'Sit Down' catching the attention of the whole festival. It was great to see Belle & Sebastian headlining, and this thought was shared by many others at the festival. Their sultry sounds were a great way to round off OnBlackheath for another year.

The festival has continued to grow since its inception in 2014, increasing the loyal following every year. It continues to attract talent, of both the musical and culinary kind, providing the right blend of activities while not trying to be anything it’s not. One slight drawback would be the price of the ticket, although it is similar to many other large London music festivals.

A welcome getaway from the daily grind, let yourself unwind and have yourself a fantastic day out (or days out if one just isn't enough)!

Photography: Matt Smith