Drugs at Glastonbury

[Sawdusty surfer]

ah yes the memories......but most of those lovely old drugs were still from the big London drug dealers anyway.

[Cooter]

usually not the case

[albert_hofmann]

did the travellers not have their own suppliers/chemists in the good old days, a bit like the hells angels do with whizz

i did once hear a story about the travs making and selling their own acid (which was very good) and selling it at fezzies as a source of income for the commune

during winter/out of season a lot of them would live in squats or park up in cities like brighton and parts of london

a squat would be the right place to have a factory as its no-ones house therefore no-one can be nicked

just cos you squat there does not make you nickable for the factory

the plod will still nick you, just to be a pain in the ass, but they know it wont stick once you argue the toss with the courts or unless you spill your guts and cry like a baby

[fred quimby]

well there wasn't much to get organic about when I was hanging around in those farmers markets! The bus people more often than not were from big towns or cities and got their stuff from the same sources every other tom, dick and harry did.

Yes, I'm generalising, but I'm guessing I'm correct!

[Sawdusty surfer]

Albert and Fred, both spot on

[eFestivals]

usually not the case

hmmmm ... you and me must know different 'hippies'.

I know of two travellers (they were back then, if they're not now) who were a part of the supply chains of two different "big London dealers", both of which dealers have featured in TV programmes of some kind at points over the years. Those travellers were some of the bigger dealers amongst the groups of travellers they tended to park with.

[eFestivals]

Yes to some extent, although the few I knew were getting the acid from various factories (massive ones in wales and up north, in the county side run by hippies) speed from the angels and other biker gangs who were making it and the dope was imported from around the world and the only few I know were from Liverpool and Bristol. Mushrooms from Wales

Hmmmm ..... are you sure those just weren't old stories?

I'm pretty sure that just about all the acid available in the UK from around 1980 (and perhaps earlier) was imported (from Holland normally, tho Germany sometimes). As far as I'm aware, there's been no suspicion even of a UK acid factory since the biggest acid bust ever in the UK in the late 70s (which was a part of operation something [there's a book written by the main undercover copper]), where the acid was recovered from the grounds of Bramshill Police College (). The acid recovered in that bust was from a factory in the wilds of Wales somewhere.

[Cooter]

although the few I knew were getting the acid from various factories (massive ones in wales and up north, in the county side run by hippies)

[eFestivals]

As far as I'm aware, there's been no suspicion even of a UK acid factory since the biggest acid bust ever in the UK in the late 70s (which was a part of operation something [there's a book written by the main undercover copper]), where the acid was recovered from the grounds of Bramshill Police College (). The acid recovered in that bust was from a factory in the wilds of Wales somewhere.

having found a moment to google, it's "Operation Julie" I was thinking of, and the acid bust was in 1977.

I just found this snippet about it.....

When members of the Utopiated InterWeb╓ Collective were still drinking free school milk we were aware of some 'different' sort of news hitting the headlines. This was the Operation Julie saga yet there's far more to the case than just a big LSD bust.

From a few small properties in Wales, Richard Kemp and Elizabeth Bott had become the British node to the Tim Leary's Brotherhood of Eternal Love. They produced millions of hits of LSD and distributed it globally. Wales had certainly seen nothing like it before and probablysince. The video is more of a summary and concentrates more on the police side of things. For this reason we've added some background documentation. And of course what the video won't tell you is that the British Drugs Squad were so unprepared for the situation they at least once found themselves 'twatted' on Dr Kemp's high grade aciiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiid

The Welsh crew had links to the pioneer of DNA - Francis Crick.

There's more info on the BBC's website, including a documentary.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/mid/sites/tregaron/julie.shtml

In March 1977 the largest drugs bust in history cracked a drugs ring based near Tregaron. Six million tabs of LSD were recovered by the police and 120 people were arrested throughout the UK and France. Stashes of LSD worth £100 million were also unearthed and £800,000 in money was discovered hidden in Swiss bank accounts. Eventually 17 defendants were jailed for a total of 130 years in the wake of the investigation code named Operation Julie

[fred quimby]

Hmmmm ..... are you sure those just weren't old stories?

[eFestivals]

As you quote operation Julie was the big one in the 70's but there were some smaller operations in the 80's in the uk as well. Of course I could be wrong cus I would have never mixed with these type of people back then

I would imagine that most did go through the big gangs in London and the North. Just the few I may have come accross then knew what they had as in mg per deal instead of now not knowing what the hell it is or how it was made as seems to be the case today.

I didn't mix with those kind of people back then. Cos I was a schoolkid in the 70s.

I'm not sure that I can think of a single instance where the acid I didn't () buy wasn't sold with a claim of its potency via the mg's. But with so many of any dodgy dealing, they're often completely false claims, with names or potency often made up on the spot by the seller. Drug dealers do marketing no less than Pepsi!

Anyway, I know for sure that the acid I didn't buy at Stonehenge in '84 was sourced from Hamburg thru London, and that was the case for a large proportion (if not the huge majority) of the acid available there that year.

[jono_01]

When my mates used to go to Glastonbury back in the early 1980's they would come back telling wild stories about 'Hot Knife Tents' and 'Cold Spoon Caravans'. I was never really into all that. Are drugs still unofficially available at Glastonbury or has it been 'cleaned up' if that's the correct expression?

[Fargar]

Bump for 2011!

I dont like calling them 'Drugs' myself, but does anyone know whats the availability of mushies at the festival? Its my first year and Im coming from Ireland, so Im not too confident in taking my own. I see theres plenty of K, pills, mdma and such, but Im looking for something a little closer to nature!

I believe the stone circle is infamous for the odd narcotic, but are mushrooms still around?

Cheers

[jameshunt]

Bump for 2011!

I dont like calling them 'Drugs' myself, but does anyone know whats the availability of mushies at the festival? Its my first year and Im coming from Ireland, so Im not too confident in taking my own. I see theres plenty of K, pills, mdma and such, but Im looking for something a little closer to nature!

I believe the stone circle is infamous for the odd narcotic, but are mushrooms still around?

Cheers

[Kyelo]

I've never carried any drugs in with me to Glastonbury but always manage to get into a pickle haha

[Fargar]

It gets really crowded in the stone circle so there's not mushroom to move, but you can still party if you're a fungi.

[jameshunt]

does that mean they are scarce? Sorry I didnt understand the first bit! But I am a fungi :-)

[Spindles]

Bloke camped next to me had a massive bag of dried liberty caps last year, he was sharing with all and sundry. I haven't seen any for sale in a while though

[Fargar]

Thanks for the feedback gents. Thats a bit of a bummer but what can you do?

What about acid? Ive never done it myself and would be a bit dubious about buying it at a festival, but does it have a presence at glastonbury? Im going to be bringing a mate of mine on a journey, if you know what I mean, and Id just like to know what to expect.

I appreciate the help.

[G1T]

I'm no fan of the current drug laws by a long way, but do want everyone to stay safe, and I can 100% say that making Glastonbury the first place you or anyone ever takes acid is possibly the most spectacularly bad idea you could ever have.

Acid and mushrooms are very different drugs too, one may last a few hours and make you giggle a bit, the other you may as well set aside the rest of the festival to deal with where it takes you.

I've seen more than one person on more than one occasion go very wrong indeed on acid at Glastonbury, and the medical tent generally sees their fair share of these folk too.

Drink all the luminous scrumpy you want, smoke an ecstasy pipe, even inject a horse, but really, don't do acid for the first time at a massive festival like Glastonbury.

[SoCalMusicLover]

I had been hesitant to post about what I was seeking, but given this thread, I don't feel as bad.

Our drug of choice is the basic good ol' green stuff. Two or three j's a day usually suit us just fine. As we're going to Stonehenge for the Solstice, and then Glastonbury, I am thinking it won't be impossible for us to find some for the long weekend in Pilton.

But, we're going to be in London for a day before heading out, and if anybody might have a suggestion or tip on where to go(I've heard Camden Town, but it sounds like it can get dicey), then please send me a private message. Would be most appreciated, and will save me from having to seek it out at Stonehenge or Glastonbury.

By noon on Wednesday, I want to be outside my tent, cold beer in one hand, and a nice fatty in the other.

[eoinca]

Yeah, I agree with G1T, I wouldn't be taking acid for the first time at glasto.

You never know how its going to hit you, so being in a crowded field if it goes wrong wouldn't be all that pleasant.

I brought some with me last year thoguh and took a half during the day, was great!! I'd consider myself a seasoned tripper at this stage though

[whateverman]

What about acid? Ive never done it myself and would be a bit dubious about buying it at a festival, but does it have a presence at glastonbury? Im going to be bringing a mate of mine on a journey, if you know what I mean, and Id just like to know what to expect.

[James Bolivar]

When I first went, in the early 80s, drugs were very much part of the landscape: I saw a big tent, with loads of mirrors and crystal over it, sporting a huge "Sunshine Trips" banner and I will never forget the log-haired, denim-clad entrepreneur with his big "Get Your Hash and Speed Here" badge. There was more public nudity too and great lasers.

[Derby_Dave]

I'm no fan of the current drug laws by a long way, but do want everyone to stay safe, and I can 100% say that making Glastonbury the first place you or anyone ever takes acid is possibly the most spectacularly bad idea you could ever have.

Acid and mushrooms are very different drugs too, one may last a few hours and make you giggle a bit, the other you may as well set aside the rest of the festival to deal with where it takes you.

I've seen more than one person on more than one occasion go very wrong indeed on acid at Glastonbury, and the medical tent generally sees their fair share of these folk too.

Drink all the luminous scrumpy you want, smoke an ecstasy pipe, even inject a horse, but really, don't do acid for the first time at a massive festival like Glastonbury.