-TLR-

forget which year it was - but was this on the 1am coach out of Victoria? we were on a coach that was a joke from the start - 1) the toilet was broken and stank for the whole journey 2) the driver got lost 3) the coach broke down and we spent hours at Amesbury services... cant remember if we ever managed to get any sort of refund or anything tho... edit - just realised you are talking about See coaches so this would of course not be the same one.

few little things spring to mind - had a lovely breakfast time conversation with some chap by the Hive on thursday morning, for reasons we were both up and about early and it was just a nice thing the fella sharing his joint down the front at Dubkasm - nice one man. i was trying to buy two beers in one of the bars - my card would'nt work contactless, and then it wouldn't work trying to use the PIN... in the end the lovely bar lady just said aaaahh no worries, here you go man - enjoy! and just gave them to me with a big smile. (wont say which bar - these days i woulnt be surprised if i got someone fired by mentioning this).

nope, not at all! been trying to think, and i'm almost certain that aside from spending most of wednesday afternoon inside the Avalon Inn, i can't remember even going into an indoor venue this year. i think the only covered venues i went to were two shows in the Avalon stage. mmm.... ok.... Avalon Field not happy and trying to get back at us maybe?? 😀

thought it was a cold, did a covid test tuesday and negative. got worse overnight, just done a covid test and, yep, positive. so i have now gotten covid for the fourth feckin' time!

i know a couple of others have already basically said this, but... i think this is basically a moot point - its going to be £400 next year anyway - so the question is, would you be happy to pay £400 to go to Glastonbury. (someone said they don't think it will reach that point by next year, i don't agree and can see it being £395 / £400 for 2025 festival).

i've never, ever considered volunteering before - but i think i would really like to give it a go next year, i think i'm at a point were i would like to see the festival from a different perspective.

i stopped following NMA quite a few years ago now, and to hear Green & Grey live after so long was a real tear-in-the-eye moment for me.

my moment of the weekend was actually at Pam Ayres on sunday. she told a story about getting a ball for her grandson (i think) and how their little dog burst the ball in 30 seconds of unwrapping it, but how being the parent of a dog means that someday you will inevitably have to face that decision. she then recited a poem about how empty the home felt without her little dog, especially the sound of little claws on a hardwood floor as they run to greet you. it was really beautiful, and genuinely moved to tears.

i have bruises on my arms from the pit that i have not had since my days of following NMA 30 years ago! i also came out of that show minus a pair of glasses, doh! never seen them before, hell, i never heard them before - but they were f**king brilliant and the front man is amazing.

i ended up there just by chance, caught the second half of their set and thought it was fantastic.

good: Channel One opening the Temple, and Sasha Steppa on Firmly Rooted. Keane - playing one of the best shows probably ever. hearing "Green & Grey" live for the first time in probably 14 years, definite tear in the eye moment. Pam Ayres getting a standing ovation thinking i had missed BlackSkyWhite but actually just making it on time (and it was awesome) Skindred Woodsies area the coach journey there was great - the driver was amazing good vibes in the campsite (big ground) bad: the combined "service" of Great Western, and Great Northern rail on the way home - f**k them both (well, ok, can't really blame the festival for that! 😀) the slow death of the Avalon field f**king stupid scheduling almost getting into a fight with some absolute prick by one of the long drop blocks on the railway line in the crush after Avril Lavigne Dubkasm on Firmly Rooted - for some bizarre reason they seemed to turn down the volume and switch off the bass general feeling of, sort of... i don't really know... just sort of "meh"ness of it all. i don't think, really, i have anything properly negative to say about the festival this year, but then i also don't have anything amazing to say about the festival this year. everyone who has asked me so far how it was - the best answer i can come up with is "it was nice". as i walked past the pyramid on the way to the gate on monday i couldn't help but have a feeling it might be the last time i see it. i think the balance of extreme cost / effort Vs fun may have finally tipped in the wrong direction. i have no doubt that in november i shall be mashing the F5 just like everyone else - but right now, as i sit here and type this, i think i will be at peace with it if it should turn out that this was my last one.

pretty sure i have come back with covid - did a test last night and it was negative, but started to feel like absolute sh*t overnight and it definitely feels covid-y.

by a long, long way - Keane. they were f**king fantastic.

i tried to give SZA a chance - i lasted two songs and she was, literally, making my ears hurt so i gave up and went to bed.

New Model Army and Skindred were both absolutely fantastic - but i guess they would have been so regardless which stage they were on. the Avalon field was a pretty sorry affair this year - everything gone except the stage and the Inn, and the only way to access from the north was that f**king stupid tiny little walkway that snaked around from west holts.