CERYS Matthews does not like to be defined by her past.

She may be best known as Catatonia's singer in the 90s but since then she has become a BBC 6 Music DJ, a reporter for The One Show, a documentary-maker, an author and a columnist.

The 46-year-old wants her life to be diverse – and that is reflected in the festival she launched in Flintshire last year.

While most festivals simply focus on music, you can also expect archery, wood carving, star gazing, wild swimming, campfire cooking lessons and even cigar rolling lessons at The Good Life Experience.

It is returning to the Hawarden estate, near Chester, from September 18 to 20 and Cerys sees it as a bit of a 'digital detox'.

She said: "People are spending so much time on their computers and virtual lives that everyone’s hankering after using their body as an antidote.

"We’re not saying ditch your gadgets. We’re all on Instagram and all the rest of it but we want people to get out there and try new activities.

"Some simple pleasures have been forgotten because we’re cruising into modern life.

"But in a way it’s made us appreciate the old skills. The Great British Bake Off is a very simple show about baking cakes but it’s hugely popular.

"Some of these things are quite interesting and exotic now so we have things like leather working, wood carving, bushcraft and campfire cooking on site.

"Tom Herbert of the Fabulous Baker Brothers will be wandering around and cooking bread on the fire. So it’s a lovely way of spending a weekend really, whatever age you are.

"We have Thomasina Miers, who set up the Mexican restaurant chain Wahaca, doing demonstrations and explorer Ben Fogle if you’re more into your adventuring."

Cerys set up The Good Life Experience with her husband Steve Abbott and Caroline and Charlie Gladstone after a chance meeting at Rough Trade record shop in London.

She added: "My husband and Charlie used to work in Virgin Records together when they were young.

"They hadn’t seen each other for 15 years and then they heard each others’ voices in Rough Trade.

"Within minutes of that we all found we had this urge to set up a festival which was about reconnecting with the landscape."

The festival will also be a bit of an unofficial 6 Music showcase.

"I set it up because I was getting so many great artists through my radio show," said the mum-of-three.

"I really like supporting emerging artists but also established artists as well.

"We’ve got legendary folk singer Wizz Jones doing a one-off tribute to folk singer John Renbourn, who sadly died this year.

"We’ve got Wilko Johnson and Public Service Broadcasting but there are so many acts that a casual visitor won’t expect and they might fall in love with them. I hope they will.

"I think people don’t need to be patronised and told what to listen to. I find it tedious because I’ve never wanted to listen to just one kind of thing.

"So with my radio show I put together music from all eras, all genres and all languages just as long as it’s good.

"There’s no playlist on my show and the pleasure for me is when people say they weren’t expecting to like a type of music and found they love it."

Cerys was even persuaded to perform at last year's festival and you will probably see her around if you are coming this year.

She told Weekend: "I usually wander around and I’ve got my own barbecue set up in the Tin Cup Whiskey Shack this year.

"I might also read some Dylan Thomas around the Friday night campfire.

"I want to involve everybody so we don’t have a VIP area and it’s not about ‘us and them’. It’s not about the smoke and mirrors of celebrity.

"It’s just about providing a platform for great talent and that goes across music, literature, food and the great outdoors.

"We have the hippest axe company in the world coming from Brooklyn in New York. They’re called Best Made Co. There are a lot of mad activities like that going on.

"You can also pick your own blackberries for free and you can wander into a maize field and pick a head of corn for free and cook it on the fire. You just explore basically."

One of the most unique activities at The Good Life Experience is learning how to roll your own Cuban cigars.

Cerys said: "I love Cuba and my husband picked up a bit of a Cohiba habit while we were out there filming a documentary.

"This year we have a Cuban twist so we’ve got a band coming over from Cuba and a Cuban cigar expert to show how to roll your own cigars.

"You can also learn how to dance to Cuban music in the afternoon and later on the band play for real when you’ll have your moves ready."

Cerys conquered the charts in the late 90s when Catatonia had two number one albums, International Velvet and Equally Cursed and Blessed.

She added: "I’m glad we got to do what we did and the songs have enabled me to carry on in the music industry so many years later.

"I still meet people who say Catatonia was the soundtrack of their school, college or university years so that's a real privilege.

"That’s another reason I’ve set up this event – because I loved festivals as a performer

"I’ve played a Glastonbury and Reading and Leeds and T in the Park and all these festivals and it gets into your blood."

Cerys is also becoming better known for her BBC Radio 4 and 2 documentaries.

She said: "I’ve done so many documentaries from rugby to Cuba to sharks to Mississippi to blues players in the south.

"It’s all infinitely interesting and I feel really lucky that I have these opportunities.

"I’m in my 40s and I think that life begins almost after you’re 30. It’s the most exciting time because you realise time is finite, you’ve got one life

"You’ve got this world around you and you’ve got to jump in now while you can."

- For tickets or more information about The Good Life Experience visit thegoodlifeexperience.co.uk

DAVID MORGAN