The festival donates hundreds of thousands of pounds to charity

Mr Eavis was 19 when he inherited Worthy Farm, then described as 150 acres with 60 cows and an overdraft. It is now home to Glastonbury Festival.

The first festival was held over two days in 1970 with 1,500 revellers.

The event is now the largest greenfield music and performing arts festival in the world attracting 150,000 people.

Born in 1935, Michael Eavis was educated at Wells Cathedral School.

At 15, he joined the Union Castle Shipping Line as a trainee midshipman, and spent four years on ships between Britain, Kenya and South Africa.

His achievement with the festival saw the 2005 event recycling 50% of all waste, including 110 tons of organic waste which was composted.

Streams and hedges remained unpolluted, and coffee and chocolate were FairTrade.

The festival also donates hundreds of thousands of pounds to causes including Greenpeace, Oxfam and Water Aid.