Before your children become teenagers, there is a small window between the ages of 7 and 12 when they are not embarrassed by your choice of cardigan. That is the moment to get out there at the front of any British festival, put on some sunglasses to hide the wrinkles, and drink cider on the grass relaxing to music.

It may seem wrong for families to move in on this teenage occupation, but the truth is that rock festivals are now so commercial, and the music is so turned down by health and safety monitors (The Killers at the 2008 Reading Festival were drowned out by fans shouting “turn it up”) that daytime viewing is open to all.

In the bright sunshine of 2008 Isle of Wight Festival, with the children’s favourite folk artist Amy MacDonald strumming away on the guitar, we sat out on the grass near the river and wandered off for smoothies and doughnuts, as if we were in some rather noisy park. The atmosphere was relaxed, and if you closed your eyes you could almost hear Jimi Hendrix at the 1970 festival tuning up God Save the Queen - his last major concert before his death, three weeks later.

Of course, the children love the Isle of Wight because it is an adventure to get there, and when you do it’s like stepping back in time. On the Wightlink ferry over from Portsmouth to Fishbourne, we played snap while the uber cool band The Stone Roses sipped plastic coffee with their sunglasses on two seats away. Apart from one autograph hunter, the holiday crowd didn’t even stare or adjust their sunhats. Ferries are one of life’s great levellers.

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Quaint buses are the preferred form of transport on the island, and potholes have been authentically left since the 1970s. The island is keen to push its green credentials, and we stayed in Niton Barns on the south side of the island, which had just won a Gold Green Island Award for its accommodation.

A group of barns converted with a high specification – worthy of five stars, but taking four to attract more visitors – it was well kitted out for the festie-going family.

Underfloor heating was run by an air-sourced heater by the front door, sucking the air in the cold cloudless night though a vent to convert it into eco-warmth. Equally as impressive as its green credentials was the state-of-the-art bathrooms, plasma tvs in every bedroom, soft pile carpets, luxury linen and deep, deep duvets. It was thoughtfully designed for the family (the largest barn sleeps up to 14 but our smaller barn had a two extra children beds in the master bedroom for children scared of sleeping in a new place).

We were offered a discount of 5 per cent on booking if we arrived car-less and took the bus network on the island, but we had gigs to get to and a deadline with Scouting for Girls. We may not have been the greenest of families whizzing back and forth across the island that weekend, overtaking cyclists by the ferry load, but I bet we were the only ones who wound down the windows and sang the words to “She’s So Luvverly”.

Need to know

Emma Mahony travelled to the Isle of Wight with Wightlink Green Getaways and stayed in Hoys Barn, one of the new self-catering properties at Niton Barns. Four night midweek Green Getaway breaks at Niton Barns cost from £67.50 per person (based on four sharing) including return Wightlink car ferry crossings or. from £108 per person for a week.

Wightlink ferries have three routes with car ferry crossings operating between Lymington and Yarmouth (30 minutes), Portsmouth and Fishbourne (40 minutes) and a FastCat from Portsmouth Harbour to Ryde Pierhead (18 minutes). Prices for a five day return ticket are from £53 for a car and up to four passengers; although special offer rates are often available to online bookers.

Isle of Wight Festival takes place from the 12 – 14 June 2009; tickets are £120 adult, £60 children (12 and under) available on the hotline 08705 321321

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