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No ticket, then volunteer !


technokiduk
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No ticket... then volunteer !!

 

I didn't get a ticket last year so volunteered for the the Shelter. I worked in the Stonebridge Bar serving drinks, which if anyone has ever been in is the busiest bar on the planet for a few days of the year. One of the hardest things i've ever done but at least I was there.

 

Free ticket, free food, free hot showers, free transport.

 

I wont be doing it ever again but if you desperate to go then do it.

 

Memories were made

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This ranks amongst the poorest job adverts I've ever seen.

 

But accurate.  I worked in the Stonebridge Bar many years ago when it was run by WBC.  Absolutely grim.  If you want to make serving/getting served difficult, then squeeze your bar into a small tent with the likes of Hot Chip DJing, and deafen the bar staff with a wall of speakers facing them.

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This ranks amongst the poorest job adverts I've ever seen.

 

But accurate.  I worked in the Stonebridge Bar many years ago when it was run by WBC.  Absolutely grim.  If you want to make serving/getting served difficult, then squeeze your bar into a small tent with the likes of Hot Chip DJing, and deafen the bar staff with a wall of speakers facing them.

 

Cant recall if it was 2007 or 2008 - The Managers walked out of the Stonebridge Bar and there was a big row - My team worked The Park Bar which was all right apart from the long walk from the crew campsite.Lucky enough I was able to avoid the Stonebridge.

 

main-area.jpg

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I was in Stonebridge as well :)

Thought it was a good bar to work, yes it was busy but had cracking tunes. only done 1 and a half shifts there, was moved backstage. I would gladly have took Stonebridge over the back stage bar, serving champagne and pimms by the jug i felt as removed from Glastonbury spirit as I've ever been at the festival. But they were short backstage due to a whole load of volunteers being flung out.

2014 i was on the Glade, which was amazing as it was fairly quiet and you see the stage. Best one was the liquid bar a few years back, very quiet bar with cracking djs and a great view of the gully from the staff area. All water drinkers :)

The ones at main stage are horrendously busy, i struggled one day badly after being on it the night before.. I dont make that mistake now. Or rather i try not to.

I guess its luck of the draw, i enjoyed Stonebridge. Good tunes, party atmosphere and the punters know you can only go so fast. You could have a good time at work, felt glasto. Swap if i get the back stage bar again!!! :)

This year they did limit numbers in Stonebridge. They had crash barriers over entrance and security on the ball.. Ear plugs plenty.

Edited by garc1a
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I dreaded being asked to work at Stonebridge the couple of years I volunteered for Shelter. Both times I got bars with more staff waiting to serve than customers wanting serving most of the time. Nice for punters and staff that. I did have the whole deafen the staff thing one year though. DJ Yoda meant I could hardly hear U2 afterwards even after wearing ear plugs.

 

I'd be interested to know why you thought it was the worst job ever and wouldn't do it again techno.

 

Also be interested to know why a lot of volunteers got thrown out last year garc1a.

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I dreaded being asked to work at Stonebridge the couple of years I volunteered for Shelter. Both times I got bars with more staff waiting to serve than customers wanting serving most of the time. Nice for punters and staff that. I did have the whole deafen the staff thing one year though. DJ Yoda meant I could hardly hear U2 afterwards even after wearing ear plugs.

I'd be interested to know why you thought it was the worst job ever and wouldn't do it again techno.

Also be interested to know why a lot of volunteers got thrown out last year garc1a.

Did you work a shift with the Turn Left At The Womble bloke?

In case you don't know what I mean, a middle aged bloke wrote a couple of memoirs about going to Glasto for the first time. In the second book, he worked it in 2011 and saw DJ Yoda during one shift. Same shift as you?

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The word Womble is not ringing any bells Glasto wise. I'm going to have to check out that book (I presume it's a book) now. Guessing Yoda probably played more than one set that weekend.

 

This is the book:

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Left-Again-Womble-middle-aged-Glastonbury-ebook/dp/B00IBK2V6M/ref=pd_sim_351_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0DRYZSFTC6Z2TQYQNBBC

 

He was working the "Music and Cider" bar that just sold cider.

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Not working this year as successful with a ticket. Worked last year, only my second Glastonbury, for Shelter and was pretty good..

Mind you was on a small craft cider bar for most of the time steady away most of the time, A big Yomp to finish a late shift up at

the park bar which was infinitely busier. Fell lucky with shifts too.. two earlies one late but missed Florence and Lionel.

Would definitely do it again.

Good Camp site.. Infinite Coffee (not the best but did the job)

Edited by paddyclark
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The word Womble is not ringing any bells Glasto wise. I'm going to have to check out that book (I presume it's a book) now. Guessing Yoda probably played more than one set that weekend.

 

Turn Left At The Womble was the first year he went as Punter 
 
Left Again at the Womble is the one where he claimed he worked - his name is Rick Leach but whatever happened he did not work again for Avalon - something about shifts clashing.
 
Going by his book it was EJF and not Shelter now I did hear that for reasons that were not explained the recruits from EJF was on a different shift pattern than Shelter as I do know a few who volunteered via EJF - I was told they did not mix the two lots together but as I was with WBC I cant say for sure.
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Worked for Shelter in 2011 and was in the Park Bar for most of it, although worked in Stonebridge during the Radiohead secret set which was perfect as they turned all the sound systems off in the area so there wasn't any sound bleed, got to listen to the set and only served about 4 people

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Also be interested to know why a lot of volunteers got thrown out last year garc1a.

Apparently doing things they shouldn't have been doing, I dont really want to discuss it openly as I wasn't there to say if they did or didn't.

All I will say is that if you do volunteer there are a few things you don't do or you will get removed, wristbands taken off and escorted off site. Its not an idle threat and many of us who have been working a few years at the festival will have witnessed.

I've even heard of people not turning up for work then trying to walk back into the camp at night to get stuff only being stopped by security who do check numbered passes. If you do volunteer, do your job! Or you take the place from someone who would have and leave the rest of us working harder :)

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You might be in it. He wasn't exactly flattering about the youngsters he worked with.

 

Lol I can hardly be described as a youngster (though from what I've gathered from reviews of his work I may be to him) :) There probably were one or two lazy/incompetent people but that's par for the course in most places I've worked. 

 

Apparently doing things they shouldn't have been doing, I dont really want to discuss it openly as I wasn't there to say if they did or didn't.

All I will say is that if you do volunteer there are a few things you don't do or you will get removed, wristbands taken off and escorted off site. Its not an idle threat and many of us who have been working a few years at the festival will have witnessed.

I've even heard of people not turning up for work then trying to walk back into the camp at night to get stuff only being stopped by security who do check numbered passes. If you do volunteer, do your job! Or you take the place from someone who would have and leave the rest of us working harder :)

 

Hmm. I'll let my imagination suffice then ;)

 

Hear hear and good thing to.

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Not working this year as successful with a ticket. Worked last year, only my second Glastonbury, for Shelter and was pretty good..

. Fell lucky with shifts too.. two earlies one late but missed Florence and Lionel.

Would definitely do it again.

Good Camp site.. Infinite Coffee (not the best but did the job)

its great when you get good shifts,

 

i wasnt too lucky this year. but im hoping as i do every year that its my turn for a wed, thurs and a late start sunday shift :)

Edited by garc1a
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Apparently doing things they shouldn't have been doing, I dont really want to discuss it openly as I wasn't there to say if they did or didn't.

All I will say is that if you do volunteer there are a few things you don't do or you will get removed, wristbands taken off and escorted off site. Its not an idle threat and many of us who have been working a few years at the festival will have witnessed.

I've even heard of people not turning up for work then trying to walk back into the camp at night to get stuff only being stopped by security who do check numbered passes. If you do volunteer, do your job! Or you take the place from someone who would have and leave the rest of us working harder :)

 

Fully agree - I have lost count of the volunteers who have been removed { for various reasons } but the ones that really get in my tits is these jokers { not from my Team } who will claim illness to avoid a late shift and then be spotted staying up all night within the crew bar telling everyone what a great Band they had just seen - if I had my way they would be tossed out on the spot ' and they would have no time to take their tent down ' - its a right piss take to end up nearing the end of your shift and then staffing showing up asking for so many to stay on and do a double shift ' just to fill in for jokers who had claimed illness ' - How many times has that happened to you Peter ?
 
What makes it ten times worse is ' staffing wait until the last minute ' even although they may have knowing for hours '
 
I will not ask any of my Team to do a double shift so I end up doing it even although I may feel knackered - these days I have done enough of them and have made it clear that ' unless they can produce a death Certificate I am not filling in for any lazy Fucker ' but as you know not many can be that direct and many do worry that will affect their allocation for later years.   
 
A reverse of the above - At the Phoenix {93 to 97} two jokers climbed into the WBC camp thinking they could get into the arena very early one day - anyway Marie and I had just walked out of the crew bar and ran into them - as you know there will always be some people who don't have a clue the name of their Group but they at least will know what the WBC does - here is my pass so long before photo ID - I would have thought the full name would have given a hint - anyway they were close to our tent and was collecting firewood so I pulled them up - they clearly did not have a clue - I doubt they had climbed in for any other reason but I knew they would not have been able to leave the wbc camp but I could not let them stay there - I told them to pack up their tent and security would remove them - no big drama and that is what in fact happened and I made sure Scottish Security let them out without any extra repercussion's.  
 

Phoenix-img010-6.jpg

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Putting alot of effort into securing a Voluntary space, must have enquired to 20 odd various charities and through fiona for recycling crew but very few open yet.

 

Willing to do anything if it means going, just don't think volunteering is a dead cert as demand

will far outstrip supply this route too.

 

By Hook or by Crook!

Edited by joeltg
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Putting alot of effort into securing a Voluntary space, must have enquired to 20 odd various charities and through fiona for recycling crew but very few open yet.

 

Willing to do anything if it means going, just don't think volunteering is a dead cert as demand

will far outstrip supply this route too.

 

By Hook or by Crook!

 

 

its easy as long as you apply at the right time - I always advise people to volunteer at anything just to show you are not completely new - if I was starting again I would volunteer at my local Hospital or Blue cross centre - sure it has bugger all to do with working at a festival but it would make me stand out from the crowd - I am now a official WBC Organiser so I know what would impress me and other 
Organiser's.
 
sure some Charities its a bit of a race but they lay down the dates in advance - sure people who have been doing it before in general stand  a better chance than new volunteers but that is a fact of life.
 
Many people hold back and wait until all the tickets have been resold but that is not a wise move.
 
for a kick off - you should register with  http://www.oxfam.org.uk/stewarding
 
 
so you will be kept in the loop as to the dates.
 
I became a volunteer before there was any WWW in 1989 so I had to knock on doors although it was not clear where the doors were so really its so easy now as long as you are prepared to do your shifts.
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I have a ticket, thankfully but always considered working as a last resort. One question I've always had is how often does someone turn up on the premise to work, mooch around for a couple hours then leg it into the ether when the coast is clear never to be seen again? What safeguards are in place to ensure this doesn't happen?

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As well as stewarding, Oxfam also recruit Campaigners, Bar Staff (for the Arcadia bar), and Shop Staff.

Shop Staff are recruited through existing (high street) shop volunteers so if you're involved with them already it may be worth asking.

Bar Staff are recruited, through the same route as stewards, the main difference being that they require 3 months experience of bar work - whereas there's no batteries to entry for stewards.

Campaigner places took over a month to fill this year, as they're a bit more selective. To be specific, they ask for what amounts to an audition video, and also ask that campaigners do another festival in addition to Glastonbury. Because of this, places move much slower than most jobs.

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I have a ticket, thankfully but always considered working as a last resort. One question I've always had is how often does someone turn up on the premise to work, mooch around for a couple hours then leg it into the ether when the coast is clear never to be seen again? What safeguards are in place to ensure this doesn't happen?

 

well most people have to pay a security deposit so if a person does vanish they wont see that £250 again and they will end up being blacklisted - there will always be piss takers and if I was in charge I would have the security deposit far higher.
 
funny enough the WBC don't take a security deposit although the Group Organiser will have to pay back the cost of a ticket so we have to be careful in who we sponsor - 
 
+ the WBC don't recruit via the Internet so a new volunteer will have some connection to others in the Group { in my group six of them teach at the same University so they are not exactly strangers } - in fact most of them were friends before they ever joined the WBC. 
 
in 2014 a new Crew catering Company advertised for volunteers for Latitude and I knew there was going to be problems as they did not ask for any deposit - all the volunteers showed up got their crew wristband and 90% vanished { what a surprise } - this impacted all their meals as they had to cut back - they also had to cut down the time they were open so ending up having to pay back money to the Promoter and the other companies who they had a contract with.
 
It was so sad they were caught out as their food was good - they learned by their mistakes and they were back again in 2015 and this time service was very good and they are likely to get more contracts.
 
sure they made a mistake in their first year by not taking any  deposit but I am sure they wont get caught out again .
 
---------
 
where there is a gray area is where someone does work all their shifts but some Companies may claim they did not work hard enough - I do hear stories but there is less of that going on .
 
I take a different approach I am not a volunteer just because I cant get a ticket - in fact I have never tried to buy a ticket since 1987 - I already know I have a volunteer place next year at Glastonbury. 
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I think you're right on increasing the deposit.  

 

If you were an immoral person who had no intention of working, but wanted to get into the festival, then losing a deposit that's about the same price as a ticket seems to be an obvious thing to do. A dickhead move, to be sure, but in their interests. Sure they won't get the opportunity to work again, but why should they care if they didn't want to work in the first place?

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