New security measures in place

[payneruk]

2 hours ago, MJP said:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1RIQxyQrsp7RRgx5PSqx2Am5d2es&usp=sharing

This may help them - you can copy the map and add your own instructions and even do a navigation search like: Birmingham to Orange Car Parks Entrance

I'm coming from Yeovil (30 mins south of the festival). Every year we take the A37 North from Podimore to the East carparks. But this is saying that route is going to be closed? Have I missed something? Is this because of last years traffic or has it said this every year? I'm so confused...

[Hugh Jass]

11 minutes ago, The Nal said:

These lads aren't getting within 2 miles of the gate

 

 

Rubber Dinghy Rapids bro?

[JoBalls]

2 minutes ago, squirrelarmy said:

You may be better getting the people you don't want to queue to have an extra night in the cottage while most of you get in and get the tents and gear packed up. If the queues clear by Wednesday evening you can get them to join you then but if not they may be better waiting till Thursday if the worst happens with the queues.

Unfortunately we have to be out of the cottage by midday as there are other people staying in it for the festival! 

[MJP]

2 minutes ago, payneruk said:

I'm coming from Yeovil (30 mins south of the festival). Every year we take the A37 North from Podimore to the East carparks. But this is saying that route is going to be closed? Have I missed something? Is this because of last years traffic or has it said this every year? I'm so confused...

Have you zoomed in far enough? Sometimes the road closures merge and it looks like there's a barrier across the road, but when you zoom in then it's either side of the road.

I think what you're looking at is the part of the A37 near to the site, where they've closed off entry to local lanes in order to stop people taking shortcuts.

[Wellyboot]

I'm hoping its not going to be as long as we're all thinking! Or at least not pissing it down!

Could you keep the camping chairs to hand just incase they needed a sit while in the queue Jo?

[stopwn1981]

23 minutes ago, liamium said:

Exactly this. They're crude opportunists, never venturing too far from where they live to carry out these attacks

This does appear to be true of the ISIS inspired lot.

[payneruk]

7 minutes ago, MJP said:

Have you zoomed in far enough? Sometimes the road closures merge and it looks like there's a barrier across the road, but when you zoom in then it's either side of the road.

I think what you're looking at is the part of the A37 near to the site, where they've closed off entry to local lanes in order to stop people taking shortcuts.

Aha that's why some of  the red circles looked stretched! Duh. Thanks

[Heather90]

18 minutes ago, Hugh Jass said:

Rubber Dinghy Rapids bro?

Sure one of our members was in the dinghy at Wheel of 4 tunes ...

Edited June 7, 2017 by Heather90

[Mattty]

32 minutes ago, Hugh Jass said:

We did exactly the same. There were four of us in the car and we kept jumping out whenever we saw a pub and coming back with pints (plus we were using the toilets). Was nicely sloshed by the time we actually arrived, although my mate who was driving was less happy.

I remember hammering on the door of some countryside gastro pub at 11:55am begging them to open to serve us shots of sambuca (they didn't have jager). 

I really think we made the best of a shite situation

[stopwn1981]

30 minutes ago, squirrelarmy said:

If the queues clear by Wednesday evening you can get them to join you then but if not they may be better waiting till Thursday if the worst happens with the queues.

If the queues haven't cleared well before Wednesday evening, it won't be terrorism they'll need to worry about, it'll be middle class civil unrest!

[Fearless_Fish]

3 minutes ago, Mattty said:

I remember hammering on the door of some countryside gastro pub at 11:55am begging them to open to serve us shots of sambuca (they didn't have jager). 

I really think we made the best of a shite situation

Yep! Much better than last year when my girlfriend decided to start drinking alone in the passenger seat while I watched on forlornly from behind the wheel.

JoBalls - I'd imagine it'd be worth hanging on until noon in your B&B, perhaps fixing up a big brunch then setting off at 12 when hopefully the traffic will have died down a bit. On site, can you leave your friends in the car while you pitch up? At least it's a comfy seat, protected by the elements where they can read a book and have a cider while you do all the toil?

[Wellyboot]

1 minute ago, stopwn1981 said:

If the queues haven't cleared well before Wednesday evening, it won't be terrorism they'll need to worry about, it'll be middle class civil unrest!

have an upvote!

[jyoung]

Nothing to worry about folks. Get down there whenever you feel is best for you - join the queue, pop up your chair if you need to, crack open a beer, bathe in the sun and make some pals while waiting to get in! Everyone is gonna be buzzing, it doesn't have to be savage!

[Keva]

Quite happy about my midday coach from Bath on Wednesday now. Hopefully the queue won't be as horrific by then.. unless they plan to do a full cavity search of everyone.

[Zoo Music Girl]

The issue I have with the queuing though is that the scenario of "sit in your chair and have a beer" is a bit of a tricky one when it's one of those constant stop-start queues. It's that inching forward bit by bit with tons of stuff that gets me. You can't really sit and chill as you have to keep dragging all your stuff forward five paces.

[kaytee...]

Suppose the extra checks at Download might give us an idea of what kind of wait we're looking at.

[MadScientist]

3 hours ago, swede said:

I was chatting to the wife about the potential queuing last night and searching everyones bags. She made the point that in light of the recent events the security's focus will be shifted from what it usually is.

The years we've been searched on entry they've gone as far as to search through my wife's purse/small bag, looking for goodies. That's not going to be their point of interest this year, they will be instructed to look for things that look/feel like weapons, explosives ect, they'll have a quick feel of and look inside small bags, I think once they've emptied rucksacks out to the point where they think you couldn't feasibly conceal anything of danger they'll move you on.

Plus there's no way they could search everyone due to the time it would take.

Yeah just got back from primavera sound and this was what they did there 

[verrymerry]

25 minutes ago, MadScientist said:

Yeah just got back from primavera sound and this was what they did there 

How bad were the queues?  Appreciate it's a different festival but I guess it gives us an idea

[MadScientist]

1 minute ago, verrymerry said:

How bad were the queues?  Appreciate it's a different festival but I guess it gives us an idea

Not bad at all but it wasn't a camping festival so bags weren't as big to search but they did search everyone 

[Watergirl]

2 hours ago, Fearless_Fish said:

Think I may have been on your bus from Bristol. I take it that was 2009!

Could be right.  It was fun actually, though hard work when we eventually arrived and had to carry luggage and set up tent while drunk.

[Copperface]

2 hours ago, The Nal said:

These lads aren't getting within 2 miles of the gate

 

 

I wouldn't worry.

Apart from when he is on the Avalon Stage on Sunday, look who we've got looking out for us:

Edited June 7, 2017 by Copperface

[denwyn]

2 hours ago, liamium said:

Exactly this. They're crude opportunists, never venturing too far from where they live to carry out these attacks

Crude opportunists they may be, I'd rather have proper searches than seeng more innocent people murdered or injured. Concerts,Festivals anywhere with large crowds an opportunist target.

[verrymerry]

48 minutes ago, MadScientist said:

Not bad at all but it wasn't a camping festival so bags weren't as big to search but they did search everyone 

Thanks  

[richroet]

2 hours ago, JoBalls said:

My concern is not so much the being searched, it's the queues... we have a couple of older people in our group and we would like to avoid them being stood in queues for hours if we can. 

Ive emailed the office and asked them about how/how often they intend to communicate waiting times to people who haven't arrived on site yet. We are staying in a cottage in Wells on the Tuesday night so can be flexible about what time we arrive on site but that's only any good if they keep communication channels open (and properly... not like last year when they were saying that traffic was "free flowing around the site" when there was actually a 7 hour queue to get into the car parks).

Will report back if/when I get a response. 

Agree that communications need to be better but....

While people were in 7 hour queues we, by chance, found a route in with virtually no queues. We arrived at camp 30 minutes after friends who left 3 hours before us. Will be trying the same route this year hoping it works again

[Mattty]

12 minutes ago, richroet said:

Agree that communications need to be better but....

While people were in 7 hour queues we, by chance, found a route in with virtually no queues. We arrived at camp 30 minutes after friends who left 3 hours before us. Will be trying the same route this year hoping it works again

You weren't going from Sheffield were you? That happened to us