79 replies to this topic

[fingers_mark]

festigowrong, on 28 July 2010 - 01:45 PM, said:

In 2009 I arrived at this festival with crew and stayed within the crew camping area. Crew members invariably go free and also do not suffer intrusive searches and therefore can bring in almost unlimited drink. This year (2010) I was subject to the full experience normal punters have to put up with. Why would anyone go as a punter? Waiting to get in and out, Police dogs, aggressive rent-a-thug security, I witnessed one security guy shouting directly into the face of a young girl punter over a small carton of juice which may have had spirits in it but was in my view a gross over-reaction of a man clearly with female issues getting his kicks as a bully. The security was also variable if you are smuggling booze do it on the first night or on the Sunday morning, virtually no security - DO NOT TRY IT ON THE SATURDAY - you will get abuse from the security and made to feel unwelcome, I was successful on Thursday, Friday and Sunday but it is a pain in the arse not to be able to bring in more than 12 cans since already paying a small fortune for a ticket. Despite saying that I found the atmosphere charming and festive in an idyllic setting having plenty to do, see and hear which helped me forgive the aggressive security, chaotic parking and expensive ticket price for what is a small festival site. I think on balance it is a worthwhile festival, but I hope that over the next few years it will not become more stringent, oversubscribed or poorer in quality. I fear that it may have had its day though and I probably will not return to this festival unless they relax their alcohol policy which in my view is overbearing and unnecessary (Someone tell them alcohol is not illegal)

Why would anyone go as a punter? Because they have to.

It clearly says on the ticket info you are only allowed a set amount of alcohol.Do you not understand why this is?

It's not because it's illegal, it's because they NEED the alcohol money on site to keep the festival going to the amazing standard it does.

Don't complain if you get caught smuggling excess alcohol in - especially as you appeared to want to do it everyday.

I find posters like yourself very confusing. Not one positive thing to say.

Edited by fingers_mark, 28 July 2010 - 06:16 PM.

[dionne_ward]

We left on Saturday, after 4 1/2hrs of waiting to get in due to the 'tough' security checks to ensure no drugs get in....yet it was full to the brim of class A drugs, so not quite sure what that was about and we had to endure the Tabitha's and the Tobias' going on about how much coke/ketamin and mdma they had done, over and over again for 48hrs.  No-one else has ever taken drugs of course.  Dont have any issues with what people choose to get high but this was sold as more of an alternative festival and unless you were 20-29 and off you head on bucket loads of drugs....I would say not for you.  Also, one guy had his narcolepsy and bladder control medication taken off of him.  Maybe the SGP resident dealer sold them on.  It would seem by chatting to some of the marshalls, the crew in the tents and the performers that this year was full of twenty somethings more than ever before and that too many tickets had been sold.  They said last year had more of a family/community fee.  I am clearly getting to old!

We have been to lots of festivals of different genres, never have we left early!

[Corporal Clegg]

fingers_mark, on 28 July 2010 - 06:15 PM, said:

It's not because it's illegal, it's because they NEED the alcohol money on site to keep the festival going to the amazing standard it does.

Fair enough that festivals need revenue through the bars and most people will spend money there anyway just thought it was way over the top at this festival for booze checks.Most people bring booze in as a back up to to what they will buy inside.And anyway where is the sense in keeping thousands of people outside the festival for more than 4 hours when they could be inside spending money,which let's face it on the first day you hit the ground running and spend loads!!

[Filthy]

I had an incredible time, one of the best festivals I've been to. We were annoyed by the queue in but the next few days more than made up for it. Will definitely be attending next year.

Re the booze issue, we made exactly your point Mr Clegg that the 4 hours spent queueing would have been spent sat in the sun drinking from the on site bars so they probably missed out on a load of cash there. Also why wasn't there a simple "off license" selling cans after hours as surely this is the main reason why people bring booze on site? Add to this the main bars only opening at midday and you have an awful lot of unexploited revenue.

[Hooliegirl]

Corporal Clegg, on 28 July 2010 - 10:08 PM, said:

Fair enough that festivals need revenue through the bars and most people will spend money there anyway just thought it was way over the top at this festival for booze checks.Most people bring booze in as a back up to to what they will buy inside.And anyway where is the sense in keeping thousands of people outside the festival for more than 4 hours when they could be inside spending money,which let's face it on the first day you hit the ground running and spend loads!!

[Hooliegirl]

I disagree with the comment made above that the alcohol sales on site are required to keep the fessie going....The capacity was doubled this year, if £150 per ticket and 26000 were sold(and having a live in vehicle set me back a further £50) doesn't keep them ticking over, nothing will.

The perimeter fence should've been for the main site only, if tent campers could've set up outside they would've been allowed to take in as much booze as they could carry, fair enough about not allowing into the arena but we in vans were able to be WELL stocked...doesn't seem fair.

Still, it's one of my fave fessies, I can take my dogs which makes life so much easier, however, if you double sales then double stewards, makes mathematical sense to me.

Also, Spangly Parking were not very spangly....more pissed off and stressed. We didn't even try to get into the main arena until 9pm, we'd been set up since 3pm but the queues were horrendous.

I think this fessie has something for everyone, nice and chilled on the near side of the lake and full mash up on the far side. The fireworks and boat burning this year were truly spectacular.

Will definetly be going again next year as well.....it's only a 45 min drive home...she says smuggly....xxxx

[Hooliegirl]

dionne_ward, on 28 July 2010 - 06:22 PM, said:

We left on Saturday, after 4 1/2hrs of waiting to get in due to the 'tough' security checks to ensure no drugs get in....yet it was full to the brim of class A drugs, so not quite sure what that was about and we had to endure the Tabitha's and the Tobias' going on about how much coke/ketamin and mdma they had done, over and over again for 48hrs.  No-one else has ever taken drugs of course.  Dont have any issues with what people choose to get high but this was sold as more of an alternative festival and unless you were 20-29 and off you head on bucket loads of drugs....I would say not for you.  Also, one guy had his narcolepsy and bladder control medication taken off of him.  Maybe the SGP resident dealer sold them on.  It would seem by chatting to some of the marshalls, the crew in the tents and the performers that this year was full of twenty somethings more than ever before and that too many tickets had been sold.  They said last year had more of a family/community fee.  I am clearly getting to old!

We have been to lots of festivals of different genres, never have we left early!

[Hooliegirl]

Dionne, what a shame.....did you spend all your time on the far side of the lake? Me and my mates are 40-60 yr olds, ok we partake of a bit of fun now n then but if you stick to the chilled side it's far more family friendly and chilled....I managed to avoid the youngsters in the K hole or those gurning.....head to the Small World Stage for delicious brandy coffees, the friendliest crew EVER and some fabulous world music (from samba to swing, jazz to folk). If you get there on Thurs you'll be more relaxed....we must make sure that we give them feedback for next year.

[Macca3031]

dionne_ward, on 28 July 2010 - 06:22 PM, said:

Dont have any issues with what people choose to get high but this was sold as more of an alternative festival and unless you were 20-29 and off you head on bucket loads of drugs....I would say not for you.

I'd say it was more 25-35 but certainly the audience was predominantly young people who were up for a party and there were a lot of drugs there. I quite liked all those things about it, think you may have been unlucky with the people camped near you. We had a great group of kids (18-20) near us , really good fun. I think sometimes personal experiences can paint a picture of a festival that is completely different, I was going to say that I felt very safe about crime then saw about tent slashings and robberies on here, so maybe I was just lucky.

I'm not sure if its good for families, there was plenty of fun things for the kids but the re was also stuff I wouldn't want them seeing.

[WildWayz]

Does anyone know how we get our £50 deposit back for the boutique camping?
We asked when we left, but they didnt know...

[elfweirdigan]

Did anyone find Weirdigans Cafe and if so was it a welcome haven?

We Weirdigans were stuck in a hidden corner this year and had very few customers but those who did find us seemed to breathe huge sighs of relief at finding a place they could just sit down and chill / chat over a home-made snack and a brew. We did have youngsters in as customers and on our crew (the lovely Kate and Fin are only 18) but we also harbour quite a few over-40's...

Any other festies where you need a break, ask about for Weirdigans... and if you found us and liked us, or didn't find us but would have liked to, it'd be good to hear from you...

[fingers_mark]

Hooliegirl, on 29 July 2010 - 02:48 PM, said:

I disagree with the comment made above that the alcohol sales on site are required to keep the fessie going....The capacity was doubled this year, if £150 per ticket and 26000 were sold(and having a live in vehicle set me back a further £50) doesn't keep them ticking over, nothing will.

From the website....................

Q. Can I bring in my own alcohol?

As an independent festival bar sales keep our event alive so we need to limit what alcohol you can bring. We know the prices are a bit steep but these are bars that have to be put up and taken down each year i.e. they're not cheap!

So, we allow enough to get you started or fall back on in the wee hours when the bars are closed.

You may bring following...

EITHER: 12 cans beer/lager/cider per person
OR: 6 cans and 1 bottle of wine per person (decanted into plastic bottle).

You may only bring this in on first entry.

STICTLY NO SPIRITS/HARD LIQUOR & STRICTLY NO GLASS BOTTLES.
Soft drinks may only be brought in if the bottles are NOT open.

....................

It's pretty clear. That's the rules - i don't know why people get so upset.

And they sold 17,500 tickets (26,000 includes all the non-payees staff/bands/etc).

This was a legitimate increase from 12,000 people in 2009. It didn't double.

..........

For the record  -approx capacity in 2008 was 6,500; 2007 was 6,000; 2006 was 5,000; 2005 was 3,000 and 2004 was 1,000

.........

Review of 2004 here - http://www.efestival...-overview.shtml

Edited by fingers_mark, 29 July 2010 - 08:02 PM.

[fingers_mark]

All the old websites are still live by the way - 2007's my favourite -  no booze allowed in 2006!

It's interesting to see how it's grown..

http://www.secretgardenparty.com/2005/

http://www.secretgardenparty.com/2006/

http://www.secretgardenparty.com/2007/

http://www.secretgardenparty.com/2008/

http://www.secretgardenparty.com/2009/

[Flip]

Sounds awful! How dare they mandate NO SPIRITS OR HARD LIQUOR... If I ever pay £150 for a festival ticket I want free SPIRITS AND HARD LIQUOR!!!

[Macca3031]

SGP sent out this by email:

An Apology and An Explanation

Four days of extraordinary happenings were book-ended by two problems with access and egress to the Garden. Thousands of you are sending in messages of warmth and thanks but a good few are also looking for an explanation and an apology for the queues experienced getting in and out of the festival.

First an explanation for Thursday. In contrast to previous years almost every Gardener arrived Thursday afternoon. The ticketing gate had been built to cope with the usual ratio of half the audience arriving on Thursday and half on Friday. A backlog built up very quickly. Security searches then limited the speed at which we could process the tickets and safety requirements ruled that we could not reduce the searches. Despite opening four new lanes to speed up the wrist-banding many of you queued for over three hours.

We cannot apologise enough to those of you who experienced these waiting times. For 2011 the main access gate will have the capacity to process all ticket holders in an efficient and brief manner. This will be the number one priority for Thursday (alongside guaranteeing a mind-blowing party).

Monday morning. A further explanation! The Garden has three exit routes to ensure all traffic can leave smoothly, as has happened in all previous years. At 11am Monday we discovered that a gate had wrongly been locked on the west exit route. By the time we had opened the exit a pool of traffic had built up exiting east. As with the queues on Thursday, this took a while to clear and many of you were again caught in the jam. It will not happen again.

We know for some Gardeners the queues took the shine off your festival; we sincerely hope it did not mar the entire Party.

We are a hundred percent confident that all the problems and niggles of 2010 will be removed next year.

We will not rest until we have perfected the Secret Garden Party.

[tuff]

Macca3031, on 01 August 2010 - 04:12 PM, said:

SGP sent out this by email:

An Apology and An Explanation

Four days of extraordinary happenings were book-ended by two problems with access and egress to the Garden. Thousands of you are sending in messages of warmth and thanks but a good few are also looking for an explanation and an apology for the queues experienced getting in and out of the festival.

First an explanation for Thursday. In contrast to previous years almost every Gardener arrived Thursday afternoon. The ticketing gate had been built to cope with the usual ratio of half the audience arriving on Thursday and half on Friday. A backlog built up very quickly. Security searches then limited the speed at which we could process the tickets and safety requirements ruled that we could not reduce the searches. Despite opening four new lanes to speed up the wrist-banding many of you queued for over three hours.

We cannot apologise enough to those of you who experienced these waiting times. For 2011 the main access gate will have the capacity to process all ticket holders in an efficient and brief manner. This will be the number one priority for Thursday (alongside guaranteeing a mind-blowing party).

Monday morning. A further explanation! The Garden has three exit routes to ensure all traffic can leave smoothly, as has happened in all previous years. At 11am Monday we discovered that a gate had wrongly been locked on the west exit route. By the time we had opened the exit a pool of traffic had built up exiting east. As with the queues on Thursday, this took a while to clear and many of you were again caught in the jam. It will not happen again.

We know for some Gardeners the queues took the shine off your festival; we sincerely hope it did not mar the entire Party.

We are a hundred percent confident that all the problems and niggles of 2010 will be removed next year.

We will not rest until we have perfected the Secret Garden Party.

[tuff]

I had an great time, one of the best festivals I've been to for a long time. Will definitely be attending next year. The unsigned acts were really good. Went to the village stage saw a band Rudeboy and Rascal (Ska band) they filled the tent and it rocked.  I would like to see them on a bigger stage next time. I only have one complaint where was the West-Indian food???

Edited by tuff, 02 August 2010 - 09:48 PM.

[kerplunk]

fingers_mark, on 29 July 2010 - 07:56 PM, said:

Review of 2004 here - http://www.efestival...-overview.shtml

"potential for expansion in the future"

well I got that right

must try and get back one year

[mr_bizarre]

Hooliegirl, on 29 July 2010 - 02:48 PM, said:

I disagree with the comment made above that the alcohol sales on site are required to keep the fessie going....The capacity was doubled this year, if £150 per ticket and 26000 were sold(and having a live in vehicle set me back a further £50) doesn't keep them ticking over, nothing will.

The perimeter fence should've been for the main site only, if tent campers could've set up outside they would've been allowed to take in as much booze as they could carry, fair enough about not allowing into the arena but we in vans were able to be WELL stocked...doesn't seem fair.

Still, it's one of my fave fessies, I can take my dogs which makes life so much easier, however, if you double sales then double stewards, makes mathematical sense to me.

Also, Spangly Parking were not very spangly....more pissed off and stressed. We didn't even try to get into the main arena until 9pm, we'd been set up since 3pm but the queues were horrendous.

I think this fessie has something for everyone, nice and chilled on the near side of the lake and full mash up on the far side. The fireworks and boat burning this year were truly spectacular.

Will definetly be going again next year as well.....it's only a 45 min drive home...she says smuggly....xxxx

Yes it does, which is why Green Stewards had 400 stewards onsite, 200 more then last year. That is double

[elfweirdigan]

mr_bizarre, on 06 August 2010 - 04:53 PM, said:

Yes it does, which is why Green Stewards had 400 stewards onsite, 200 more then last year. That is double

Maybe more than double were needed, then...

Just one little issue that didn't affect that many people, but... behind our cafe (and 'backstage' of the theatre and quite a few other workshops/venues) there was a gate leading to an access/fire-lane... it wasn't locked or guarded and so streams of drunken idiotic intruders, thieves and innocent-but-lost-&-confused people kept ending up in our kitchen and in crew tents in the area. Some workers had stuff stolen and other had tents fallen on. Drunken punters were walking through the backdoor into the kitchen looking for a way back into the festival.

All that was needed - and something almost any other festival would've provided - was a couple of stewards on the gate checking wristbands to make sure anyone coming through was crew and directing non-crew to the next gate along where there was punter access. We asked and asked but were told 'we don't have enough stewards'...