When Fabulous went to V...

It's a long way from Coronation Street...Brooke Vincent at V Festival

27/08/2010

We love a festival here at Fabulous, especially one where we get to hang out with our fave celebrities all day. Which is why we couldn't wait to put on our wellies and (super-chic) waterproofs and head to the Virgin Media V Festival last weekend.

Our fave cover star Peter Andre caused hysteria when he performed

We decamped to Chelmsford in Essex and Weston Park in Staffordshire, where loads of super-hot acts were playing. Kings Of Leon rocked, Peter Andre almost caused a crowd crush after thousands flocked to see him and Florence And The Machine gave a storming performance - Dizzee Rascal's definitely got the love for the gorgeous red-head, and was spotted larging it up in the crowd!

Even better, we managed to catch up with some of our fab cover stars, including Diana Vickers and Coleen Rooney. We also compared festival notes with stunning Dr Who star Karen Gillan, Billie Piper and birthday boy Sir Richard Branson. And we even had a gorgeous night's sleep, thanks to our ReadyBeds (www.argos.co.uk). Not even the rain could make the V Festival's fifteenth year a washout. Roll on next year!

Fashion assistant Nana with Diana Vickers

Not sure which way you’ll sway at the election?

 Our girls’ guide to parties and policies will help you make up your mind

By Anna Gordon & Kathryn Knight, 25/04/2010

Money

Who will give me the best deal on tax and pay?

LABOUR: Will freeze income tax but impose a one per cent rise on National Insurance for those earning over £20,000 a year, meaning a person earning £25,000 will be £40 a year worse off.

CONSERVATIVES: Will freeze National Insurance for those earning under £35,000 a year, and will keep council tax at current rates for two years.

LIBERAL DEMOCRATS: Will not charge people earning less than £10,000 any income tax. They will also replace council tax with local income tax.

Will I be better off if I'm married?

LABOUR: Will not give tax breaks to married couples. Under the current system of tax credits, in some circumstances divorced couples can be better off.

CONSERVATIVES: Will charge some married couples less tax - 4 million couples will save up to £150 per year.

LIBERAL DEMOCRATS: Will not give tax breaks to married couples.

Who will help me if I'm buying or selling property?

LABOUR: Will not charge first-time buyers stamp duty on homes under £250,000 for the next two years. Everyone else will be charged one per cent on property over £125,000, three per cent on over £250,000, or four per cent on over £500,000.

CONSERVATIVES: Will permanently get rid of stamp duty for first-time buyers on homes up to £250,000.

LIBERAL DEMOCRATS: Will create a new system of Safe Start mortgages, which will aim to protect property buyers from falling into negative equity in the future.

What issues matter most to you? Click here to tell us

Work

Who's assisting the unemployed?

LABOUR: Will guarantee a job or training for all under 25s who have been out of work for six months and over 25s out of work for two years.

CONSERVATIVES: The party's Get Britain Working programme promises that young people out of work for more than six months will be offered help and training.

LIBERAL DEMOCRATS: Will offer a training allowance to jobseekers under 25 while they complete internships of up to three months. They'll also fund 15,000 extra foundation degree places, which combine study with workplace learning.

Who is standing up for women in the workplace?

LABOUR: The new Equality Bill, due to come into effect in October, will force many businesses to report on pay gaps between men and women.

CONSERVATIVES: Will impose compulsory pay audits on companies proven to pay women less than men.

LIBERAL DEMOCRATS: Promise a fair pay audit on every company employing over 100 people and pledge to ban the use of names on job application forms to help combat discrimination.

DID YOU KNOW? In the 2005 election, 67 per cent of women voted*. Around 17 per cent of women are currently undecided who to vote for in the 2010 election**.

Health

What are their policies on accessing my GP?

LABOUR: Will offer evening and weekend access to doctors.

CONSERVATIVES: Have promised access to a local doctor from 8am to 8pm, seven days a week, and will link GPs' pay to results.

LIBERAL DEMOCRATS: Will improve access to GPs and give patients the right to register with the GP they want.

What about the NHS?

LABOUR: Will ensure possible cancer patients receive their test results within one week and will guarantee cancer patients see a specialist within two weeks of referral. The maximum wait for hospital treatment will be 18 weeks. All pregnant women should be able to choose to have a home birth if it's safe to do so, and every mum-to-be will have a named midwife.

CONSERVATIVES: Will provide an extra 4,200 health visitors and a minimum of six hours at-home health visitor support for all families in the first fortnight of a child's life. They will also axe mixed-sex wards, increase access to cancer drugs and recruit 3,000 extra midwives. All five year olds will receive free dental check-ups.

LIBERAL DEMOCRATS: Will introduce patient contracts that outline what treatment you can expect. They will encourage dentists back into the NHS and improve access to counselling for people with mental-health problems.

What issues matter most to you? Click here to tell us

Family

What will the parties do for new mums?

LABOUR: Will extend paternity leave from two weeks to four, and allow mums who choose to go back to work six months after having a baby to transfer the rest of their maternity leave to the father.

CONSERVATIVES: Will allow flexible parental leave for mums and dads to share.

LIBERAL DEMOCRATS: Will allow mums and dads to share parental leave between them, and may look to extend leave to 18 months in the future.

Who gives the best deal on childcare?

LABOUR: Will increase free nursery education for three and four year olds from 12 hours a week to 15 hours and will expand free nursery places for two year olds.

CONSERVATIVES: Support the provision of free nursery care for pre-school children. Everyone with children under 18 would be able to ask for flexible working hours.

LIBERAL DEMOCRATS: Will look to move towards 20 hours of free childcare for all children between 18 months and school age. They will extend the right to request flexible working to all employees and give fathers and grandparents more chance to take time off to look after children.

Who has the best education policy?

LABOUR: Promise one-to-one or small-group tuition for children who fall behind. If parents aren't satisfied with a school's performance, they will be able to trigger a vote on whether to bring in a new leadership team.

CONSERVATIVES: Will make classes smaller. The entry requirements for new teachers will be raised.

LIBERAL DEMOCRATS: Will invest £2.5billion in a 'Pupil Premium' for schools to help reduce class sizes and offer individual tuition. Tuition fees for students doing their first degree will be phased out over six years and eventually scrapped.

‘Has a jealous love rival hurt our Claudia?’

 

It’s been 13 months since Claudia Lawrence was last seen. Now, her sister Ali Sims, 38, reveals the fears and heartache that haunt their family

By Eimear O’Hagan, 18/04/2017

At least once a week I have exactly the same dream. I'm sitting with my mum in her house and Dad's there too. Then I hear the front door open.

'I'm home,' calls a familiar voice, before my younger sister bounds into the kitchen, smiling. 'Where have you been?' I ask. 'I've been so worried.' But she just smiles at me and hugs me tightly.

I wake with a smile on my face. But within seconds it's replaced with that all-too-familiar sense of loss and the tears begin to fall again. Because it's been a year since I last saw Claudia, my younger sister and best friend.

She vanished after leaving work on March 18, 2009, since then I've only seen her in my dreams. Her pretty face has been featured on every nationwide news programme and national newspaper as the police try to piece together what has happened to her.

In the time she has been missing, numb disbelief has been replaced with a never-ending sense of dread that my phone will ring one day with news I don't want to hear.

When I look into the eyes of my parents, Peter, 63, and Joan, 66, I see the same fear reflected there.

Claudia's disappearance has devastated all our lives. My dad is exhausted. He combines working full time as a solicitor with travelling around the country making desperate appeals for anyone who has information to come forward. My mum is worn out with worry, and there have been times when she's broken down in my arms.

I struggle to stay strong for my parents when, inside, I'm terrified we'll never see our beloved Claudia again.

Claudia (right) with Ali at their mum's 60th in 2003

Not a day passes that I don't think back to that day last March when life changed with one phone call. Mum was visiting me and we were chatting over a cup of tea. Dad rang, and as soon as I heard his voice I knew something was wrong. He didn't even say hello, just anxiously asked whether I'd spoken to Claudia that day. I told him I hadn't. Nor had Mum.

Dad went quiet. Then he said: 'I think Claudia's missing. She didn't turn up for work yesterday and I've been to her house today. There's no sign of her.'

I tried to stay calm and reassure Dad she was probably visiting friends, but it was so out of character for her. Of course we rang her mobile, but it was dead. She always kept in touch with texts and phone calls, so I knew deep down that something was very wrong. Since then, it's like I've been living two lives. Half of me carries on as normal, gets up, makes breakfast for my two sons, takes them to nursery and school, and continues my work as a research director. The other half is stuck back in March last year, in limbo and unable to believe that life can possibly be carrying on without my sister.

Ali and Claudia (left) as teens with their dad

Growing up with just three years between us, we were inseparable. We had an idyllic childhood, in a detached house in Malton, North Yorkshire. Mum loved having two daughters and wanted us to be proper girls - to do ballet and wear nice dresses. Instead, we were always in mud-splattered jeans halfway up a tree, or riding ponies. We were total tomboys. And, like most sisters, we fought like cat and dog sometimes, but any rows were forgotten as quickly as they started.

Back then I was studious and always had a book in my hand, while Claudia was more fun-loving and mischievous. People naturally gravitated towards her and wanted to be her friend. She was never short of male attention - all the boys in town fancied her.

Claudia at Ali's wedding in 1999

We both loved A-ha and Duran Duran, and we'd talk late into the night about which boys we both liked.

Even after I left for Sheffield University to study geography and Claudia was still at school, we spent our summers together holidaying on the Greek Islands, soaking up the sun and dancing the night away - badly!

What do I miss about her? Everything her wicked sense of humour - she loved jokes and had an infectious giggle. And her smile - it always lit up the room.

The stories that have been written about her as some man-eating seductress just don't tally with the Claudia I know. The woman who is fiercely loyal to her friends and family and besotted with her nephews - my sons Luke, five, and Joshua, 18 months. Now, whenever Luke comes home from school with a funny story, or Joshua does something new, my first instinct is to call Claudia. Then I realise I can't, and that sense of loss hits me again.

Every morning I spritz on my favourite perfume, it is Claudia's favourite too. When I smell it, I'm reminded of her and for a few moments I feel close to her again.

Not knowing what has happened to her is torture, made so much worse by the lurid rumours and headlines since she vanished. Mum has broken down in tears in newsagents, after seeing front-page stories about affairs with married men and her 'tangled and mysterious' love life. People have forgotten that a beautiful young woman - a daughter, a sister, a friend and an aunt - is missing.

A lot of what has been written and said is not true. Yes, she had dated men who were already in relationships, she didn't know until afterwards and by then she was smitten. She always told me and I'd sigh and say: 'Oh Claudia, you do know how to pick them.'

And yes, I do know that she had a 10-year relationship with a man called Paddy - a 46 year old who also had a long-term girlfriend.

I said he'd probably never leave his partner, but Claudia was happy, although I could tell she didn't like being the 'other woman'. But she had fallen for him and was willing to share him with his other life.

When she first went missing I was suspicious of all the men I knew she'd dated. Had one of them hurt her?

I went through all her exes in my head but they've been ruled out by the police. Then I worried that perhaps a jealous girlfriend or wife had discovered her boyfriend or husband had been seeing Claudia. Had they flipped and hurt her? But nothing has been proven.

All I have these days is unanswered questions. And, as the police have investigated Claudia's disappearance, it seems I don't know everything about my little sister.

Just last month, police revealed Claudia had been on a secret date 48 hours before she went missing. If only she'd told me who she was meeting. Maybe this man holds the key to where Claudia is or what has happened to her.

Ali thinks about Claudia every day

Our parents divorced 13 years ago, but we stayed close; losing Claudia has brought us even closer. At first she dominated all our conversations. But as the months dragged by, we began talking about things other than the investigation, even though they seemed so trivial. It's the only way to cope, if we just talked about Claudia we'd go mad.

Mum and Dad come to stay every couple of weeks. It's light relief for them to see their grandchildren, to play with them and to try, for a short time, to forget Claudia's missing.

Every day I relive the last time I saw her, six months before she vanished. We tried to see more of each other but life got in the way. She'd come to stay for the weekend, and we'd gossiped over a few drinks. As always, it wasn't long before we were in fits of giggles over something silly.

When I'm feeling really down, that's how I remember her. In my kitchen, laughing and smiling with Joshua in her arms.

It breaks my heart that Joshua doesn't know her. He was six months old when she disappeared. I show him pictures, but it doesn't register. It's been harder with Luke. At first my husband Danny and I didn't tell him - we wanted to protect him. But when he started school last September we were worried another child might say something. We consulted a child psychologist and explained that Auntie Claudia was missing and the police were looking for her. He asked if we'd put up posters of her, like when people lose their cat. We told him we had and that hopefully someone will see one and we'll find Auntie Claudia.

In reality, we're no closer to knowing what happened. In some ways I'd rather not know. At least this way I can imagine she's still safe.

Last month, the police spent three days searching an area near the University of York, where Claudia worked. Every time the phone rang I was terrified it would be bad news.

They found nothing. And I was so relieved.

I'd rather cling to the hope that she's still alive, than get the answer I dread - that she's been murdered, and the only way I will see or hear her voice again is in my dreams. But until that day comes, I still have hope that maybe my dream will come true, and she'll come home."

Diary of her disappearance

March 18, 2009

Claudia finishes her shift at the University of York's Goodricke College at 2pm. She's caught on CCTV walking towards the Heworth area where she lived. She calls both her parents that evening and seems fine.

March 19, 2009

Claudia fails to turn up for work at 6am. That evening, she doesn't meet friends as planned at her local pub, the Nag's Head.

March 20, 2009

Worried friends call Claudia's father, Peter, as they can't contact her. He alerts the police.

March 26, 2009

At a press conference, police say they believe Claudia has come to harm after meeting someone she knows.

April 16, 2009

Police appeal for help after reports of a man and woman seen arguing near the University of York at 6.10am on the morning Claudia disappeared.

June 2, 2009

Police speak of Claudia's "complex" secret relationships on the BBC's Crimewatch.

June 18, 2009

Police search the Nag's Head pub for a second time, having already searched it on March 28.

September 18, 2009

Police reveal Claudia received a text from a good friend - Steve Sammons, a builder in Cyprus - at 9.12pm on the night she disappeared. He is interviewed but police say he is not a suspect.

September 20, 2009

Claudia's ex-boyfriend Dan Whitehand, 34, an insurance broker, tells a newspaper he fears she met her killer when they holidayed together in Cyprus in 2004. Dan says Claudia was "gullible" and "desperate to be loved".

November 11, 2009

A message, claiming to be from Claudia saying she's "safe and sound" is posted on Facebook. An 18-year-old man is later cautioned for wasting police time.

February 25, 2010

With Claudia's 36th birthday two days away, police appeal on Crimewatch for any "secret friends" to come forward, resulting in more than 30 calls from the public with information.

March 17, 2010

Police reveal Claudia had a date with a man two days before she went missing and it is "critical" they talk to him.

March 23, 2010

Police with dogs scour fields near the university after a tip-off but find nothing.

After the earthquake hit Haiti, Kathryn Bolles, 38, an aid worker with Save The Children, was one of the first to fly out to help

 This is her diary...

07/02/2010

Thursday, January 14

I arrived in Haiti from the Dominican Republic this morning. I was on one of the only aeroplanes that managed to reach the tiny airport without being turned away.

It's like I've landed in hell. All around me is devastation. The sound of wailing echoes through the air as the walking wounded, young and old, dig through debris with their bare hands, trying to find their loved ones among the carnage.

There are reports of people tearing pipes from walls in a desperate attempt to find water, and scouring the ground for scraps of food in desperation, but I haven't witnessed this.

Kathryn Bolles

On Tuesday, January 12, the small Caribbean country suffered a devastating earthquake. The death toll is expected to top 150,000, while thousands of children have been orphaned, and millions more have lost everything they own.

I'm here with Save The Children and we hope to help survivors keep themselves as healthy as possible in these horrific conditions. There's nothing to eat or drink, the risk of disease is growing, and there's no basic sanitation.

As I'm driven towards the capital, Port-au-Prince, the horror of what's happened is worse than I imagined.

The roads are lined with dead bodies. The air is buzzing with flies and thick with the smell of death.

It's hard to describe my feelings. I'm the director of emergency health and nutrition for the charity, and while I've had training to help me cope with these awful disasters, seeing such human suffering is still hard to take.

Kathryn with one of the young survivors

As a trained nutritionist, my goal is to ensure people caught up in a disaster can survive. But it's hard to see where we're going to begin here. There really is nothing left.

I've worked for Save The Children since 1999, and I lived in Port-au-Prince for several years. I know Haiti inside out. It has a vibrant culture and lush, green landscapes. But it's the poorest country in the western hemisphere - many of the people were living in dire conditions with scarce health resources before the earthquake. This disaster has pushed it over the edge.

I'm dropped off at the Save The Children office, which has been damaged by the quake. I'd hoped to be able to assess the situation quickly and get help to where it's needed most. But it's needed everywhere. It's overwhelming.

According to my colleagues, many of the people they work with are missing and we're short of even the most basic supplies like blankets, food and clean water. I've been told that several people I knew from my time here are dead.

Queues of Haitians arrive to see us. Tired and shocked, many have walked for hours in the sweltering heat in the hope of receiving our help. But we only have a little food and water, and no medicine at all. We do what we can, but it's nowhere near enough. I wish we had more to give them at this stage.

In the afternoon, we take a couple of motorbikes into the heart of the capital. We can't drive the truck because of the rubble blocking the roads.

In town, it's chaos. Crowds of injured people wander around, dazed, cut and bleeding. We've heard reports of men and women looting shops, scavenging what's left for food and supplies, although we haven't seen any of that. Still, the air is tight with tension as people struggle to survive.

I'm going to sleep on the floor of a colleague's house that miraculously hasn't been damaged. At least I've got a roof over my head. Millions don't. I'm lucky.

Thanks to Save the Children, many people are getting help

Friday, January 15
Communications are down, but we're receiving the occasional text and email telling us that towns across the country are destroyed, totally cut off with no aid at all.

We decide to drive as far west as we can to try and help. The roads are littered with debris, making progress hard. All the time, I'm anticipating what we might find.

If the horror of Port-au-Prince was bad, these other places are beyond anything I can imagine.

In the town of Leogane, the earthquake's epicentre, we're greeted with the most harrowing scenes yet.

Around 90 per cent of it has been destroyed. Parents are crying out, begging for help to rescue their trapped children. Dirty and covered in dust, their faces are etched with pain, grief and exhaustion. Women weep helplessly, while grown men break down in despair as they realise they may never see their loved ones again.

We're the first aid truck to reach this area since the disaster struck. These people have had no help, no support, at all. We give what we can, but it seems like a drop in the ocean.

It's so hard to cope. Until our aeroplane arrives, bringing food, water and temporary shelter, we can't give these people anything other than advice.

I'm upset, but also angry. Our plane was turned away from the airport because there wasn't a landing slot available for it.

I'm here to help but I feel useless. People see our red Save The Children T-shirts and their eyes fill with hope. But right now we have nothing to give them but reassurance. And without our essential supplies, more people will die or get ill.

When an emergency happens in a country that doesn't have an infrastructure to cope with the influx of planes, boats and people, there's often a delay in aid arriving. But while I can understand why this is happening, it doesn't make it any easier to deal with.

As we travel back towards Port-au-Prince, I notice people building shelters from blankets and plastic sheeting they've salvaged from the wreckage.

Some are just a few tents, pitched together. Others are cities of tarpaulin, with thousands huddling away from the glare of the 32°C sun.

Men are carrying drums of water and moving bodies, while women are looking after children and queuing for supplies. There's a sense of vulnerability, that life is balanced on the edge. No one knows what will happen next.

Saturday, January 16
Today we went to the general hospital. Two-thirds of the building has been destroyed, but patients are still arriving.

There isn't enough room and people are pouring out into the streets around it. Some hospital beds are in front of the building, but most of the injured are simply lying on the ground outside. There's no food, water or medicine. I feel total shock. People might die from injuries like broken arms and legs if infections take hold in this heat.

On the way back from the hospital, we pass another makeshift camp. At least 6,000 people are crammed into an open space.

Kathryn with two babies born in the camps

A flock of faces crowd around us as we make our way into the sea of shelters. They tell us that the number of people staying here triples at night. The healthy leave during the day to search for food, water or family members.

As I take in the scene, the stench catches the back of my throat. There's no washing or toilet facilities.

I simply can't imagine how 18,000 people can fit into this space without even the most basic of facilities.

Then I meet a young woman who gave birth in the camp yesterday. She had no medical help, and hasn't eaten or drunk since the earthquake. She was scared her baby would die. She looks exhausted. I speak to her in French, one of Haiti's languages, and make sure she has support from people around her. I show her how to breastfeed, tell her not to give her baby water in case it's dirty, and to make sure she builds her own strength up with the food that is now available in the camp.

A man runs up to us, terror and desperation in his eyes. His 15-year-old daughter's in labour and he doesn't know what to do. There's nowhere for her to go. I calm him down, explaining about contractions and the importance of soap and clean water. I'm not a qualified midwife and neither are the colleagues I'm with. I reassure him we'll return with someone who can help.

Aftershocks are still rumbling through the earth. We're at the mercy of nature.

Sunday, January 17
We manage to find a doctor and immediately take him to the camp to find the teenage girl from yesterday. Pushing through the ever-increasing crowds, we're soon sucked into a swell of people. She could be anywhere.

The doctor stops to help others in need while we continue our search. We come across a woman in the late stages of labour. Without medical supplies or health facilities, I do what I can. But after two hours, it's clear the baby is breech and the mother has a serious infection.

I know I have to stay calm in order to help. Taking her to our car, I drive across Port-au-Prince searching for a hospital. The roads are difficult to navigate. It feels like a race against time. We go to five places where we've heard there is medical help, but every single one has been destroyed.

Finally, in the early evening, we find a local clinic and the woman is given an emergency C-section. Her baby girl is underweight, but healthy.

Watching her cradle her daughter, I feel a surge of hope. Thousands of people who needed help wouldn't have found it. But she's made it. Haiti has a future in her and children like her.

I only wish we could help everyone. And that everyone could be as lucky as that newborn baby girl today.

Tuesday, January 19
Our medical aid finally arrived yesterday and, as I write, eight tons of food and medical supplies and 14 doctors are on a convoy heading to Leogane.

We've been able to start setting up mobile health clinics. Disease could easily spread and be fatal. It could end up killing as many people as the earthquake did.

Children are the most vulnerable and they're our priority. We've also set up spaces in the camps to protect kids and give them a place to play and recover. A place to be children again. They don't understand what's happened.

Many are orphans and are helpless in the face of nature's cruelty. We're doing all we can for them. We try to find other family members by using photos and names written on paper.

No one knows what day, or even what time, it is. It feels like I've been here a year, not just a few days. In that time I've seen so much pain, fear, agony and anguish.

But I've also seen hope. Yesterday, a 16-month-old girl was pulled from the rubble after being buried alive for four days. As I watched, I could see her strength returning - her cheeks flushed with colour and, despite it all, she smiled at her rescuers.

And on Sunday we heard praying, singing and clapping coming from the camps. Despite everything, the Haitian people have held on to their spirit.

Thursday, January 21
There was another earthquake yesterday. It's destroyed our communication links, so I can't contact people in the UK.

It sent people running, panicked, into the streets again, as they tried to get away from buildings that are on the verge of collapse. The movement has shaken loose debris all over the city, and more people have been injured. Crowds are fighting to get on buses to the countryside, trying to escape.

But aid is arriving. People have been rescued and reunited with their families, who thought they were dead.

There's a fine line between horror and hope. Unless you're here, you can't imagine what it's like. Or why we want to stay.There's so much to do. And I'll help for as long as I'm needed.

Fabulous festival guide

It's time to dig out your tent, your wellies and your sun cream and head to this year's hottest festivals.

Not sure what field to pitch up in this summer? Here's our guide to 2010's top festivals.

ISLE OF WIGHT

When: June 11 to 13

Where: Seaclose Park, Newport, Isle of Wight

Who: Headlining is Jay-Z, The Strokes and Paul McCartney. You can also catch Vampire Weekend, Florence and The Machine, Friendly Fires, Pink, The Saturdays and Blondie.

Style stakes: The first festival of the summer usually promises perfect weather, so go for flat sandals rather than wellies. Floaty summer dresses, denim waistcoats and oversized shades will look great.

Celeb lookout: Charlotte Church, Fearne Cotton, Jameela Jamil

TOP TIP! Don't foget to book your ferry ticket (unless you already live on the island that is...)

www.isleofwightfestival.com

If you can't make it to Isle of Wight, tune into Absolute radio station who will be broadcasting all the major acts live along with exclusive interviews.

Fabulous at the Isle of Wight festival

IBIZA & MALLORCA ROCKS

When: Every Tuesday from June 8 to September 11

Where: Ibiza Rocks Hotel and Mallorca Rocks Hotel

Who: Calvin Harris (July 5/6) and Dizzie Rascal (July 26/27) will be playing both festivals back to back! You can also see Pendulum, The Kooks, The Prodigy, Biffy Clyro and Florence and The Machine over the summer.

Style stakes: Summer brights are a must for Ibiza and Mallorca. Team a bikini or swimsuit with cut-off shorts and a tie-shirt.

Celeb lookout: Sarah Harding, Sadie Frost, Jade Jagger

Glasto die-hard Jo Whiley opens up her mud-spattered photo album

TOP TIP! This is the first year for Mallorca Rocks but it promises to kick off with same style and flare that Ibiza has already established! Ibiza Rocks is celebrating it's 5th birthday this year, so a key date is July 20, when they will be having a big birthday party with The Prodigy.

www.ibizarocks.com

GLASTONBURY

When: June 23-27

Where: Worthy Farm, Pilton, Shepton Mallet, Somerset

Who: Gorillaz replace U2 as the headline act for the festival. Snoop Dogg, Willie Nelson, Orbital, Pet Shop Boys, Scissor Sisters Florence And The Machine, LCD Soundsystem, MGMT, Groove Armada, Fatboy Slim, N-Dubz, and Kelis are just a handful of the other acts performing.

Style stakes: Welles - check. Waterproof mac - check. Rain - probably check. Don't take any chance at Glasto, put on a rock t-shirt, skinny jeans and a trilby hat to along with your waterproofs.

Celeb lookout: Alexa Chung, Pixie Geldof, Daisy Lowe

TOP TIP! Pace yourself! This is the mother of all festivals. With 50 stages to choose from, you will not only be treated to the best music acts around but also have the chance to see other acts like cabaret and poetry readings.

www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk

WIRELESS

When: July 2-4

Where: Hyde Park, London

Who: Jay-Z will be headlining his second festival of the season along with Pink and LCD Soundsystem. Be sure to check out Missy Elliot, Snoop Dogg, The Ting Tings and Alphbeat.

Style stakes: A festival for the city types, a playsuit with heeled pixy boots is a perfect ensemble, especially for first time festival goers.

Celeb lookout: Lilly Allen,

TOP TIP! No camping! Head back home or to your hotel, have a shower and return all fresh the next day!

www.wirelessfestival.co.uk

OXEGEN

When: July 9-11

Where: Punchestown Racecourse, Ireland

Who: Kasabian, Muse and Eminem headline Ireland's answer to Glastonbury. Black Eyed Peas, Paolo Nutini, Kate Nash, David Guetta, John Mayer, Newton Faulkner, Mumford & Sons, Gossip, The Temper Trap, and many more will be performing!

Style stakes: Oxegen is Ireland's answer to Glastonbury so your style needs to be just as on point. Cut-off denim shorts, plaid shirts, a satchel bag and wayfarers are the way to go.

Celeb lookout: Una Healy from The Saturdays, Laura Whitmore,

TOP TIP! You have to be aged 17 or over to go so don't forget to take your ID.

2010.oxegen.ie

LOVEBOX

When: July 16-18

Where: Victoria Park, London

Who: Headliners for the weekend are Dizzee Rascal Roxy Music, and Grace Jones. Empire Of The Sun, Noisettes, Ellie Goulding, Bombay Bicycle Club, and I Blame Coco.

Style stakes: Look the part in East London, dressed in high waisted denim shorts, a vintage leather belt and a crop top.

Celeb lookout: Florence Welch, George Lamb, Alffie Allan

TOP TIP! Again no camping, so make sure you have accommodation booked.

www.lovebox.net

THE SECRET GARDEN PARTY

When: July 22-25

Where: It's a secret for now...but somewhere near Huntington, Cambridgeshire! The exact location will be announced nearer the time.

Who: Marina and the Diamonds, Mercury Rev, Eliza Doolittle, The Whip, David Rodigan, Kate Walsh, Fenech-Soler, Horace Andy, Animal Kingdom and Gorillaz Sound System will be rocking out at the secret location.

Style stakes: Anything lace, floral or quintessentially girly with go down a storm. Embrace your inner hippy by going bare feat and sticking some flowers in your hair.

Celeb lookout: Celeb free (for now!)

TOP TIP! The festival is set out in two fields that sit either side of a lake, so take care when walking between both.

uk.secretgardenparty.com

GLOBAL GATHERING

When: July 30-31

Where: Long Marston Airfield, Stratford upon Avon

Who: Faithless, 2ManyDJs, Carl Cox, Above And Beyond, Eric Prydz, Steve Angello, Paul Oakenfold, Fedde Le Grand, Simian Mobile Disco, Judge Jules.

Style stakes: Neon colours are a staple for this festival and don't be afraid clash. Mix a bright pink leotard with an Aztec print Bodycon skirt and a pair of plimsolls.

Celeb lookout: Famous DJs Judge Jules and Carl Cox

TOP TIP! Make sure to check out The Urban Village, with Hip-hop DJs, break dancers and graffiti artists.

www.globalgathering.com

BIG CHILL

When: August 5-8

Where: Eastnor Castle, Ledbury, Herefordshire

Who: Massive Attack, M.I.A., 2020 Soundsystem, Paloma Faith, Kelis, Andrew Plan B, Weatherall, Bebel Gilberto, Gilles Peterson, Layo & Bushwacka, Mr Scruff, Tinie Tempah, Thom Yorke, Metronomy, and Martina Topley-Bird are all performing.

Style stakes: It's all in the name, this laid back festival means you can keep it simple and chic when it comes to dressing. Maxi dresses, are a comfortable and easy option.

Celeb lookout: Will Young, Charlie Brooke

TOP TIP! This is a very family friendly festival so great for taking the kids.

www.bigchill.net

STANDON CALLING

When: August 6 - 8

Where: Standon, Ware, Hertfordshire

Who: You can catch Orquestra Buena Vista Social Club, Liars, Etienne de Crecy, The Magic Numbers, Efterklang, British Sea Power, Metronomy, Cleaning Women, and Rotten Hill Gang to name a few.

Style stakes: This year's fancy dress theme is 'Murder On The Standon Express'!

Celeb lookout: Celeb free

TOP TIP! This boutique festival offers you the chance to see great music acts before they hit the big time. Florence and the machine performed two years ago and we all know how that ended!

www.standon-calling.com

V FESTIVAL

When: August 21-22

Where: Hylands Park, Chelmsford, Essex and Weston Park, Staffordshire

Who: Big bands Kings of Leon and Kasabian are the headline acts for Saturday and Sunday. Expect big crowds for Cheryl Cole, Pixie Lott, and Paul Weller

Style stakes: Think glamour when it comes to V. It may be a festival but it will be time to up your fashion game. Try a printed jumpsuit, denim waistcoat and lots of accessories.

Celeb lookout: Kimberly Walsh, Billie Piper, Myleene Klass

TOP TIP! Don't worry if you are attending V in Essex or Staffordshire, everyone gets to see exactly the same acts as they swap over locations.

www.vfestival.com

CREAMFIELDS

When: August 28 - 29

Where: Daresbury Estate, Halton, Cheshire

Who: Headlined by David Guetta and Tisto, with Deadmau5, Leftfield, Calvin Harris, Paul van Dyk, Swedish House Mafia, Eric Prydz, Pete Tong and Judge Jules.

Style stakes: This dance festival calls for neon brights. Wear a printed jumpsuit and accessorize to the max with glow sticks!

Celeb lookout: Jamie Winstone and Lily Allen

TOP TIP! It's bank holiday weekend, so you can truly have an amazing time and not have to get up for work on the Monday!

BESTIVAL

When: September 9 - 12

Where: Robin Hill Country Park, Downend, Nr Arreton, Isle of Wight

Who: Dizzee Rascal and Hot Chip perform on Friday, whilst you can catch The Flaming Lipsand Roxy Music on Saturday, then dance away to The Prodigy and LCD Soundsystem, Mobile Disco on Sunday.

Style stakes: Bestival win the award for 'most festival goers in fancy dress', with over 40,000 revelers joining in each year. The theme this year is 'Fantasy', so start daydreaming about what to wear now.

Celeb lookout: Lilly Allen, La Roux, Little Boots

TOP TIP! Always be prepared for rain. Two year ago Bestival turned into a water park after a week of heavy rain!