5co77ie, on Jul 16 2007, 10:39 PM, said:
Just out of interest is it the festival or the campsite that has you narked? I only ask cos in my experience a bad campsite puts me off more than the festie - ie lack of sleep. Last year we had the neighbours from hell - this year much better - and thus a better experience.
Bit of both really.
Think we had your last year's neighbours near us this year. I can put the earplugs in and sleep through almost anything but some kids in other tents around us were getting quite upset. What did worry me though was the fact that there was no security presence at night to regulate unacceptable behaviour. I was also less than impressed by the site security arrangements. Walking around the outside on Saturday morning the fence had been breached in a number of areas (not exactly difficult). Whoever the intruders were, they didn't bother us but that was through luck than competent organisation.
Why do Guilfest keep saying that there is a separate quieter family camping area? I assume it gives them some kudos with the authorities that they need to deal with in arranging the festival. The fact is that there is no separate area. I know there were particular problems this year but it's clear from posters on this and other forums that previous years were really no different. And sticking a few kiddy friendly activities and rip-off amusements off in a corner of the site does not make for the 'Best Family Festival'. Practical things like tables and benches around the food outlets might help though.
I think toilets have been covered on other threads - having raw effluent flooding over the site and the main entrance area is not acceptable under any circumstances.
Probably what irked me most was the rules (or lack of them), the lack of communication, and the 'it's not our fault' attitude of the organisers, when questioned about anything. No glass allowed (and someone mentioned that in a previous year they were even prevented from having a camping lantern with a glass shade). The campsite was awash with glass bottles and I saw quite a few in the arena too. I've witnessed what can happen when some moron finds an empty bottle and decides to lob it into the crowd. It's a necessary restriction - enforce it.
Signs everywhere telling us that only four cans of beer per person are allowed in and people marching by with a case on each shoulder. I've no problem with how much beer anyone wants to consume (provided they can handle it), but why go to the bother of producing posters advertising rules that don't actually apply? Better to use the space to advertise last minute changes of line-up and timings. Why do I have to walk all the way down to the Funky End to find the act I wanted to see had actually played an hour earlier than advertised and I'd missed them?
However I understand that the campsite problems were caused by people turning up on Thursday to a festival that was advertised as opening on errm ... Thursday, and the fact that the council inspectors would not allow the main site to open (because it was unfit for habitation!). It was also the council's fault that the the water supply was inadequate. It was the toilet provider's fault that these facilities were defective etc. etc. etc...
What is it that the organisers of this event actually do then
I could go on but I'm beginning to bore myself too
. There was a good atmosphere, I saw some great music, the weather was brilliant and I and my friends made it through without any serious problems. However there are numerous festies around now and others I have been too are much better organised and run then Guilfest was this year. There is no incentive for me to give it another chance, I'll just knock it off the agenda for next year and go somewhere else instead.
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