FRIENDS OF MINE A HUGE SUCCESS

Although considered the music capital of the nation, Manchester has been a black spot on the festival calendar for far too long. So, after several years as a successful club night, Summer 2011 saw Friends of Mine branch out into greener pastures – around 100 acres to be precise.
Set within the grounds of Capesthorne Hall organiser Sam Gardner and his team hosted a festival of grand proportions. Three days of music from the likes of The Cribs, The Charlatans and Buzzcocks graced four stages across the site, while the bard of Salford himself, John Cooper Clarke, headlined a tent dedicated to comedy, poetry and spoken word.
Stalls, food outlets and bars littered the festival site, with The Capesthorne Arms flying the flag for real-ales while, set next to the on-site lake and alight with Chinese lanterns, the Lake Bar was the perfect spot to relax.
Within spitting distance of the action, campsites sat either side of the festival site with a dedicated area for families and, for a