glasto first timer......need advise please

[frankfoil]

hey everybody...i managed to get tix for my first glasto for me my wife and 2 kids...we cannot wait..it will feel surreal being there and not sitting on the couch watching bbc3 ...

 

i have spent the last couple of days browsing this forum and was hoping for some advise from any experienced party goers

 

me and the wife are TITP oldies having been to almost 20. although we havent camped out for a good 10 years (things getting a bit unsafe and aggro in the campsite and by all accounts getting worse)...so we have finally made the effort and done what we have always promised we would do.......

 

so

 

firstly i will be arriving mid afternoon wednesday. having done some research it would seem the cockmill meadow will be full so i will probably head straight for wicket....my kids will be 15 and 11...is the family camping maybe toooo quiet for my lot...would they appreciate somewhere with a bit more atmosphere..

 

secondly....i have no comprehension of the size of glasto..is it as hard work as av heard about...what sort of walking time from wicket to the main stages (please bear in mind you could walk around TITP in an hour)

 

thirdly....on google maps it seems to be directing me from glasgow to worthy farm via bristol....does this route seem best to get into the carparks near wicket....

 

anyway av dragged on abit already and av still got 3000 questions..so ill leave it at that for now....

 

any help would be greatly appreciated  

 

[incident]

Sounds like you're doing pretty well, you've got a decent grasp of things for a first timer especially 9 months out from the festival.

1. Depends on your kids a bit but I'd say Wicket family camping is ideal for what you describe. Remember that "atmosphere" in the Glastonbury context means people chatting all night, coming back pissed up at 5am, etc etc. Certainly with an 11 year old I'm assuming you'd want to minimise that if you can.

2. Glastonbury is big, but there's more to it than that - The problem with any times quoted is that they'll vary dramatically based on crowds, on conditions underfoot, and most of all on whether you get distracted on the way (easily done). All of which can be unpredictable.

In dry conditions at a fairly normal walking pace, Wicket to the Pyramid would be about 15 minutes and there shouldn't be much in the way of distractions/crowds on that route - but to go directly from Wicket to say the West Holts Stage you'd usually go through the Pyramid Field - at 6am with the site empty and no distractions you could easily do it in less than 30 minutes - but at 5pm on Sunday with a legend on the Pyramid and the field packed it probably would be over an hour to work your way through.

3. If you're heading for Wicket, then you're better driving to the West of the site - basically, follow the M5 down to the Bridgewater junction (can't remember the number off the top of my head), and then follow the signs for Glastonbury Town and then on to the Festival from there - that'll put you on the West of the site, and you can head to Gate A to enter the Festival which is easily the closest gate to Wicket.

[grumpyhack]

My main advice is don't plan too much, one or two bands a day at the most. Spend the rest of the time as a newbie exploring all the other areas and things that Glastonbury has to offer.  Walk miles and miles - be prepared for probably at least 12 miles a day - discovering all the things that make Glastonbury so different and special.

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

This is always worth a read for the uninitiated;

 

http://www.glastoearth.com/the-faq

[Penrhos]

If nothing else get some comfortable hiking boots & socks, even if it's dry you'll walk miles. This year we took fitbit's and in a normal week we cover 20-25 miles. In three days we covered 80 miles add in a bit of sleep deprivation, alcohol and lots of music/fun and you'll need Monday/Tuesday off work to recover.

 

Good job you didn't go to Titp this year it was a complete shambles, the venue was too small and the routes in/out too narrow and it was obvious they were just out to rinse the neds for every penny they could & it all shutdown before midnight - I won't be going back again while they're at that site..

 

Glastonbury is the complete opposite, well organised, cheap, you can take your own beer/food into the arena & entertainment goes on until dawn (no fun fair - which I think is a good thing, who goes to a music festival to ride expensive fun fair rides?). One thing that is the same - the people are friendly and up for a good time.

 

Get the free schedule and just plan to see 2-3 acts per day - the rest of the time wander around and soak up whatever you stumble upon, otherwise you end up dashing off before one act has finished so you can catch most of another's set and by the end of Friday you'll be knackered and moaning you've missed something.

 

As for size it took me less time to walk the perimeter of Titp than it takes to walk across Glastonbury.

[glasto-worker]

firstly i will be arriving mid afternoon wednesday. having done some research it would seem the cockmill meadow will be full so i will probably head straight for wicket....my kids will be 15 and 11...is the family camping maybe toooo quiet for my lot...would they appreciate somewhere with a bit more atmosphere..

 

secondly....i have no comprehension of the size of glasto..is it as hard work as av heard about...what sort of walking time from wicket to the main stages (please bear in mind you could walk around TITP in an hour)

 

thirdly....on google maps it seems to be directing me from glasgow to worthy farm via bristol....does this route seem best to get into the carparks near wicket....

 

anyway av dragged on abit already and av still got 3000 questions..so ill leave it at that for now....

 

any help would be greatly appreciated  

have a look at 

 

http://www.glastomap.com/plot/51.161753/-2.592512/WICKET

 

have placed marker at Wicket Ground

 

dont be tricked by the map - you need to press left mouse and you can move it about.

 

Walking about is not a problem in good weather but if its like 1985 now that was a right pain in the arse and many of my friends { who started going in 1979 } never returned - there has been other years but that one stands out for me.

 

As its impossible to know now what it will be like you just have to hope its nearly dry { its very rare for it to be completely dry ' from start to end ' }

 

what the map cant show is the height - Wicket Ground is higher up than the main arena { for want of a better word } so its easier going to the main arena - now we are not taking Mount Everest on the way back but it is Uphill.

 

time wise - that is tricky - as it all depends when you set off - its not far { by Glastonbury standards } but if you start walking at 7am its a lot quicker than if its noon - and goes up after that - even if its dry weather ' its the volume of people '

 

I last lived in Glasgow in the 70's so I don't have a clue what the main shopping street is now but its like Oxford Street { London } in the sales

 

except - they may not all be moving the same way - once you get there you will see what I am on about .

 

do a search as there is videos posted on this board where its someone just walking with a camera and that catches the crowd.

 

Once you get to the Pyramid stage ' just to get from one side to the other ' is a major achievement when Bands are playing - in the old days I used to dive up to the accoustic area and then wander back down

to the Pyramid stage but these days its bloody hard work so I just stick to one stage and stuff all the planning   

 

if you do get separated ' don't depend on being able to send a text ' - sure you can send a text ' but depending on the operator ' it can take three or four hours to be received.{ or even longer }

 

now one year - cant recall which I had arranged to give a friend a lift home early Monday morning - we both work there so I knew she would be looking in the crew bar for me - I sent a text at Midnight 

saying ' at table close to bar { right hand side } - she was late for some reason or the other - anyway we met up and drove out the crew car park at 3.30am and as we left the site onto the main road heading back to London her phone rang ' and it was my text ' that I had sent  at Midnight !!!

 

sure you can try a voice call - well you can try - most times all you get is ' that phone is unreachable '

 

Go back to the way we used to do it in the 80's when we did not have mobile phones - we would pick a spot and a time { and then go back two hours later } - it worked most of the time.

 

Unless you can find a camel and they sit on it its near impossible to spot anyone.

 

If I was you ' I would try to arrive dead early ' - yes I know its a fair old tramp [ have driven up to the highlands from London many times } but these fields fill up fast - I see it every year - as I work there I stand inside and photograph the fields on the Tuesday and watch as people flood though on Wednesday morning

 

top image is before the gates open - Bushy Ground looking up to Gate A {2015}

 

By the way if you are Glaswegian be prepared - many of the Security are Scottish { I kid you not }

 

[frankfoil]

Thank you all for the excellent replies

 

@incident....even though its 9 months away i am VERY excited....and av got a feeling the more i get stuff organised and researched now, the less hassle ill have on the day.....not only is it my first glasto its the families first time camping!!!!!....(not counting drunken weekends at TITP in a £15 tent)....i think it will be wicket..i dont want madness around my tent @0400..but dont want to be asked not to chat at 00.00....thanks for the directions..av read some horror stories of walking the length of the site from the car to the preferred campsite...so ill be aiming for gate A from the get-go

 

@grumpyhack......ill take your advise on board...my usual plan is to plan the full day out to catch as many bands as i can...but obviously that was at TITP where the 3 main stages are all within 15min walk from each other

 

@yoghurtonastick....thats a great article...and ill be giving that plenty of attention

 

@penrhos.....i was thinking about the wellie situation...dont fancy doing the walking thats been mentioned in wellies....they have been fine for hanging about the main stage at T....but i think we will be going for hiking boots and gators......i was at TITP this year..just the sunday...i thought it was really bad..i enjoyed the music at the main stage Noel G, Stereophonics, Alabama Shakes, Paloma faith...but the atmosphere was not good...Too cramped ....trying to get to the bar between bands was shocking...so much crushing...it felt like it for the full day it was on the edge of boiling over into a riot...also after noel finished @2300 we waited to picked up for 5 hrs...our minibus was 3 miles away and it took him that long...never again...i got the feeling that it was all about the profit....sad way for geoff to treat his customers..

 

@glasto-worker....thanks for the pics..gives me a wee bit of perspective...the walking times dont seem too bad ..between 30 mins and 1hr to get to the main stage??...am sure we can handle that...as for the secruity being from glasgow...maybe ill get some nice preferential treatment..as long as his first question isnt "what team do you support"

[glasto-worker]

@glasto-worker....thanks for the pics..gives me a wee bit of perspective...the walking times dont seem too bad ..between 30 mins and 1hr to get to the main stage??...am sure we can handle that...as for the secruity being from glasgow...maybe ill get some nice preferential treatment..as long as his first question isnt "what team do you support"

 

you will be lucky - it took me 20 years and I know them well to get Scottish Security to give me any preferential treatment and that was a simple lift - they are handy because they can decipher what someone is trying to say at the bar.  

 

check out images and video at  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3137192/Raincoats-ready-100-000-hippies-hangers-music-fans-descend-Glastonbury-bag-best-spots-tents.html

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3138750/Glastonbury-festival-2015-starts-175k-people-arrive-Somerset-countryside.html

[e_p]

80 miles!! Bloody hell.

[guypjfreak]

youll love it old son but i agree with GW get there as early as pos ....tis a nightmare but heyho sos the first half day at glasto ..until your all set up ect its mad lol

[blue6field]

Having done about the same amount of TITP as yourself yours reasons pretty much mirror mine as to why I won't be back.

Glastonbury is incredible like nothing you would have experenced a T but it is huge and pretty overwhelming. Be prepared to walk for miles and has been said on this thread only plan for a couple of acts a day, jumping between stages is a lot more effort especially if the ground is muddy.

The last time I was was at Glastonbury I was as knackered on the Friday with 3 full days to go as I usually felt on the Monday morning after T

You'll love it

[Penrhos]

If it's dry expect 20-30 minutes to get between the major stages maybe a little longer from Pyramid to Park. If it rains that can easily change to 40-60 minutes depending on how deep the mud gets.

 

This year it seemed worse with more congestion between stages, that could have been caused by the quality of the line-up and the timings of some of the sets which resulted in a bigger number of people "stage-hopping".

 

Also whoever put fat boy slim in the blues wants a good kick up the arse - he was great in the silver hayes tent in 2014 but it was so packed we gave up this year. moral is check the venue size and if it's small get there early if someone you really want to see is on.

 

If you want to visit the South-West corner make sure you check the time - there is a one-way system that kicks in at 22:30-03:00 and the queues to get in can get very long.

 

Pacing yourself is the key - don't drink too much early on as you'll miss out on loads and have to use the long-drops more, also don't get too wasted as finding friends/tents is hard enough.

 

If you can get up to the stone circle or the Glastonbury sign (or other good vantage point) for sun-set/sun-rise over the site - it's amazing!

[denzilbrown]

get all your gear that you are going to need and put it in a big pile and leave it at home, it is a serious walk between car park and camping. Took my two kids in 09 and biggest mistake was how much gear we took, minimalist is best though I have always refused to budge on a decent coffee maker

[giantkatestacks]

I would practise camping with the family first so that everyone knows what they are doing. Make sure that the kids can carry their own bag etc leaving you dealing with the tent.

Arrange a place to meet if you get split up and pore over the acts before you go and make sure everyone has at least one choice per day.

You may find that you are happy for your 15 year old to roam but be careful at night as its really easy to get disorientated and lost in the dark. I wouldnt take my 11 year old into the south east corner at night either though your 15 year old should be ok depending on your attitude to stuff. 11 is actually quite an annoying festival age as they ae too old for all of the kids field stuff and too young to send off on their own.

You will find the family camping very quiet, we like that but yes you wouldnt want to be making a massive noise at 12 as there will be very young children around you. There is loads of space in wicket though so it shouldnt be a problem. More annoying is the fact that if you camp too near people with tiny children then they will be up noisily very early so it goes both ways.

Make sure you all have waterproof trousers and proper coats. That way you can always sit down on the floor even if the conditions are horrid.

[Chris_Hayter88]

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Edited October 14, 2015 by Chris_Hayter88