THE Comet ran a joint competition with Rhythms of the World to give two budding young journalists the chance to cover this year’s festival and have their work featured in the paper.

Joe Jordan, 13, from Hitchin won the reporter category while 16-year-old Ben Halnan from Letchworth GC won the photography competition.

Joe’s article can be read below, and Ben’s photos can be viewed by clicking on the gallery in the top right-hand corner.

Joe’s take on RotW:

My heart sank as I looked out on a forlorn, gloomy street, enveloped by dark menacing clouds. Was RotW 2012 destined to be a disaster?

Nevertheless, I donned the wellies and prepared to set out. And once inside the Priory grounds, I soon became oblivious to the boggy ground. I began to remember what RotW is all about.

Back on the bill this year was The October Game, a band I first discovered at RotW two years ago and who are now one of my favourites. With their usual skill, combining a range of different genres in a way nobody else can, they did not disappoint. But another band came close to topping even their feats. Headliners Young Knives really summed up what RotW is about; a band who I personally hadn’t heard of, coming along and giving everyone a great time.

This is a philosophy which works with everything associated with RotW, in my opinion. Whether it’s the food or the artists, there are always times when something you have never seen or tried comes up out of the blue and surprises you.

It happened again on Sunday when Don Broco - more new faces - played a stupendous set. Then, it was all rounded off by My Passion. They’ve played at RotW before and they know what it’s all about. A new band coming along and showing the old guard, like The Damned, that the modern generation is just as great.

A disastrous RotW 2012? Well, does it sound like it?