When residents in Yalding decided to put on their own mini version of Glastonbury, the Vicar’s Picnic – named in honour of its venue in a garden off Vicarage Lane – it ruffled the feathers of the parish council and worshippers.

But fast forward a few years and it has grown in both size and popularity, though organisers have always been keen to stress it’s nothing to do with the church... until now.

This year, along with the line-up, will be two vicars, one of whom will play in the Devil’s Cut Combo.

A former Satanist, anarchist and drug addict, the Rev Ravi Holy turned his back on the dark side and was ordained 14 years ago.

Now the vicar of Wye he was Ravi Maharishi but changed it legally to Holy in 1991, and was also a semi-finalist in So You Think You’re Funny at last year’s Edinburgh and was voted the Funniest Vicar by The Inbetweeners on The One Show.

Bass player in the Devil’s Cut Combo, the Rev Paul Kish was appointed vicar of St Peter and St Paul’s Church in Yalding last year and was more than happy to not just give his blessing to the festival – but to actually take part.

He said: “Yalding is a very close knit community. The guys were plotting this year’s festival in the local pub and, before I knew it, not only had I been introduced to them, but found myself on the programme.”

Vicar’s Picnic founder Dave King said: “We did try to distance ourselves from the church – but as the vicar plays a mean bass, this year, we had to make an exception! Then, when we stumbled on a vicar with the name Holy, we knew it was meant to be. As always, I’m expecting to see a lot of the church congregation at the festival!”

Bruce Foxton and his sell-out band From the Jam will headline on the Friday night.

Bruce, together with Paul Weller, co-wrote many of the Jam’s biggest hits in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and now plays with another guitar great Russell Hastings, performing such hits as A Town Called Malice, The Eton Rifles and News of the World.

Glasgow indie-rock band the Fratellis headline the main stage on the Saturday night.

It is a family-friendly festival and has more than 15 live bands, with acts including the Dualers.

There’s also poetry, a children’s play area, overnight camping, food and posh cocktails, as well as a dance tent, organised by picnic partners FNUK, with dance movement pioneers Seb Fontaine and Darren Jay.

Plus Maidstone’s own Britain’s Got Talent not-so-silver-tongued little devil Ned Woodham, from St Michael’s school in the town, who reached the final this year, despite jokes at the expense of the judges on the ITV show.

DETAILS

Kent’s biggest little music festival – the Vicar’s Picnic – will be on the banks of the River Medway in Yalding, on Friday, July 14 and Saturday, July 15. There are a few tickets for the festival still remaining from vicarspicnic.co.uk but, with a sell-out expected, there will be none available this year on the gate.