Sawdusty surfer

Same here.

I think that you may be referring to the EPO wristbands (easy pass out) which were abolished a few years ago. They have, I believe, been replaced with wristbands with a QR code which get scanned on entry/exit. I've never had an EPO myself. I heard that someone made some fake Epos a while back hence the change.

If there's enough interest, I may make some this year on a preorder basis. Incidentally, the correct name for them is Somerset Log Candles, not Swedish. This stems from the fact that when the vikings invaded Somerset they found that the Somerset Levels dwellers were using these clever log candles as the ground was either very wet or flooded and they kept the fire from being extinguished. They then nicked the idea to use back in viking lands to keep the fire off the snow 😁

Haven't made any to sell for a while. The price of larch and spruce cordwood kept creeping up and then doubled in late 2020. Couldn't bring myself to ask people to pay the price that would make selling them worthwhile. Having said that, some people are still buying tomatoes 😄

Here ya go https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/mar/03/arctic-monkeys-guns-n-roses-elton-john-all-male-glastonbury-headliners-a-pipeline-problem-says-emily-eavis

^I'd like to add that I haven't read all this thread.

Mate, I've never in about two decades of being on here ever really clashed with you. Sorry, but that post is inappropriate and pointless. I know that you're better than this.

My phone will take two sim cards, I'm on EE. If I stuff a Vodaphone sim card into it, will any Vodaphone use be on another number or can it stay on the primary sim number?

Yep, when Blondie headlined in '99 we were prepared. The missus had her hair done like DH' s current style. A beautiful friend of ours was prepared to look like DH's glamorous friend from LA. I and three friends had matching black trousers, white shirts, black combat boots and fake ear pieces on curly wires. As soon as Blondie finished we hotfooted it up to our bus in Greencrafts and the girls got dressed up, did their make up and us lads got dressed as DH's security detail. We then launched ourselves into the night with a group of friends going ahead of us pointing and shouting 'wow, it's Debbie Harry' Did it work? .... Oh yes, like you wouldn't believe. Photos, aurographs, star struck middle aged men finally meeting their teen fantasy. We were out until about four in the morning ending in The Casino. Not one single person saw through it, it was one of my best ever nights at the festival. We've met people since who have told us that they met DH that night. We heard a few days afterwards that it was said on Radio One that if you think that DH is past it you're wrong, she was out all night after her set. I could write a very long post about that night 😁

I used to be an absolutely massive fan of Blondie in their heyday. Now they're like the expectation of a perfect avocado that turns out to been left for too long.

^Hanging out with Yog is on my Glastonbury 'To do' list. It is quite a short list.

I'm genuinely not that bothered about the acts although there's always something that'll float my boat. Some of the areas do nothing for me in particular SH as it feels soulless. I've been to every Glastonbury since '85 and my two girls in their late 20s have been to every one since they were born. Why do we still go? We all agree on this.... When we first pull onto The Farm, a little earlier than most, it really is like arriving home.

I was at a quiz night about three weeks ago and the GF of a chainsaw friend of mine mentioned that she'd seen me in an old Glastonbury film online. She couldn't remember what it was though. She's just sent me this. Incidentally I owe the tall dark haired chap an awful lot.He's in the film a min or two before the start time I've posted below. Harry Thomas was the first UK chainsaw carver. He taught a guy called Chris who got me started. We lost Harry about a month ago. 35min 45secs in. I've never seen it before. Talk about a coincidence of timing!

Hope he pops up somewhere.

The best bit🤣

To add. Some of us (well me anyway) have been known to over imbibe during the meetings. This is considered to be perfectly acceptable.

It has been chaos on occasion. Nothing wrong with that 😁 But generally speaking it's just a lovely bunch of folk from this forum having a gas. Chatting about the festival and chatting not about the festival. Some folk know each other and some don't.... initially.... but then everyone gets to know each other. I can honestly say that I can't quite believe how many wonderful friendships have been created from the virtual meets. At the meets there are always some regulars and of course new visitors. It can be quite daunting to launch oneself into a group like that. Tell me about it! In the early days I quite fancied it but my social anxiety (or just general oddness maybe😄) prevented me from doing it. I did find a work around... Full disguise so no bugger knew who I was. It worked. I now attend as the real me! So, the point that I'm trying to make is... go on, get aboard. You will be welcome and are likely to make a whole new circle of friends. Oh, and you don't even have to say anything, just hang out there!

If going down that road, actually need a giant Eden Project style dome over the whole site 🙂

Exactly that!

I'd like Lost Vagueness to get a bit of space again. It did need a reboot in its last couple of years but I'm sure that a return would be spectacular.

This is why I need to modify mine😃 Probably not necessary in normal use

1992 Well, back to '92 again. As I said in a previous post,' 92 was a huge turning point both for the festival and for me personally. Up to then I, in retrospect, had a huge feeling of entitlement when it came to festivals as did most of my friends and extended family that I travelled with. We collectively put on free festivals and interpreted that as granting us a god given right to attend any festivals that we wanted to free of charge..... and to behave in our 'normal' way (should anyone actually consider it to be normal) at those events. We were called 'New Age Travellers' at the time but that name was actually coined by some newspaper or other. It certainly had a ring to it and the name stuck. Looking back I think that Land Pirates may have been more appropriate. As Castlemorton was happening many of use realised that the scene was now completely screwed. We had been getting regular bad press (often deserved but usually not) and questions asked in The House. It was bloody obvious that there was going to be a massive crackdown otherwise there would be a Castlemorton type event every couple of weeks for the rest of the summer, but probably growing in size as the year progressed. Our little convoy left Castlemorton Common and headed back to a safe park up in the hills near Meifod in Mid Wales. We didn't watch much TV at all although a few of us had 12 volt black and white TVs. Our evening entertainment generally consisted of sitting outside around a fire chatting, listening to music be it recorded or played live acoustic by the people present. Often the live music was fantastic but please spare me the too stoned hippy dribbling into his badly played penny whistle. We'd drink tea but usually beer but spliffs were a constant feature of life. Anyway, a few days after Castlemorton we were sitting by the fire and decided that 'Something Has To Be Done'. We came to the conclusion that we needed our own land. Not owned personally, but land that we buy collectively that can treated like and utilised in the the way that common land used to be. Yes, we had it, the perfect solution! Oh to be a young and naieve idealist again. 😄 This resulted in Her and I, Jo and Chris and Brian (see previous very cool bus and chop pic) deciding to set up The Free Land Fund. Over the next few days we had meetings.... actually no, we'd just keep talking about our amazing new idea. We actually managed to kind of write down some of the ideas, visions and plans on paper in a haphazard way. Brian had an old mechanical typewriter in his bus and decided that that would make it official. We took it in turns (I managed to avoid most of it) to put everything down in print using laborious 'Hunt And Peck' technique on Brian's ancient typewriter. When our manifesto, if that is the right word, was finally finished we were, incredibly, efficient enough to go to a local print shop and get a load of copies. I'm guessing as I can't remember, but maybe 50. We were all incredibly excited about our plan. We discussed at length how it could all end, we could create the new hippy utopia, the sky's the limit. Then almost immediately reality hit. We had this gurt big and heavy load of stuff that we had to take to Glastonbury and build a lovely stage out of it. To cut a long story short, the journey down there was a nightmare as was the build, but we managed it. Before arriving at the festival we had no idea at all who was playing, that was pretty standard for us in those days. Once there we heard that The Levellers were playing. It slowly dawned on us that this was our big opportunity to promote The Free Land Fund. We clearly needed to have a chat with the lads, but all of our crew were less than keen. Like refusing point blank. I was volunteered and take it as a badge of honour that that might prove that I was actually possibly less of a hippy than the rest of them. OK, the plan is to blag it backstage, collar a Leveller, thrust one of our PRINTED info sheets into their hand, and tell them to tell the crowd about it. Then we'll all hit the crowd shaking buckets for people to chuck their contributions into. PERFECT!!! Back in '92 it was, among certain sectors of the alternative community, de rigeur to use a bit of speed, amphetamine sulphate, to keep going a bit longer. It also increases energy, prevents keeling over from too much alcohol and crucially boosts confidence. So, an hour of so before The Levellers were due to perform off I went. I was also several beers in. I casually but confidently (or that's what I kept telling myself) strolled up to the backstage entrance. I was immediately challenged but just gave one of the printed sheets to everyone and said that I had to get the rest of the prints to Mark, the lead singer as he wants to get involved. I started to explain ( well, that's how I like to remember it but was probably babbling) about The Free Land Fund but our joint effort on the leaflet must have been unexpectedly coherent. It worked. I was led deeper into the back and then introduced to Mark the lead singer and Jon, the fiddle player. I gave them a leaflet each and explained (OK, again babbled) what we were trying to do as they read the leaflet. I also told them that travellers were banned this year and who knows what else? I was, if I'm honest, completely off my nut and winging like I'd never winged it before. I asked Mark if he'd explain to the crowd what we were up to and we'd go through the crowd shaking buckets for collections. I remember this bit very well. He stepped forward and said 'wait there' and pointed to a spot. I started to open my mouth to say something but immediately looked me in the eye and pointed and repeated it. Well, I did what I was told. Blimmin' ace, I could see half the stage from where I'd been told to wait. Couldn't believe it, what a result AND Mark was going to promote our very worthy cause. I was a very happy chap! The gig started, this was arguably the era of peak Levellers. The crowd was going mental. It was the year when (I could be wrong, but it's how I remember it) the 'traveller look' went mainstream and army surplus clothes and dreadlocks were the fashion. The Levellers were the rallying point of all this. The band played a few songs and Mark had said nothing. He then looked at me and put his hand up indicating that I should wait. OK, all good. I'd been on my feet for ages and was becoming more and more aware of an old floral patterned sofa that was in the wings a bit closer to the band than me. I finally gave in and want and sat on it. Even better view! Then some more songs and again Mark glanced and nodded at me. At some point during all this Mark got quite ranty... He, erm, mentioned that travellers were not allowed at the festival and also called ME a lady's front bottom. I can't remember the exact details but started to feel slightly uncomfortable and was wondering what he'd say when he actually got around to mentioning The Free Land Fund. My thoughts were then interrupted by an obvious finale with masses of cheering. The band were bowing to the crowd and then turned to walk off stage. Damn, after all that it didn't happen , Mark didn't do it. But hey, what a view I've had! Then things for me went really rather peculiar. The band walk offstage together and Mark splits off from them and heads straight towards me. I genuinely thought that he was coming over to tell me off for not standing where he'd told me to and taking the liberty of sitting on the sofa. He marched right up and looked down at me with a big smile on his face. "Well, go on then" he said. "Eh?" said I. "Go and tell them" he said, pointing at the crowd the other side of the stage. It took a while for the penny to drop, and whan it did finally drop I immediately started making penny, sixpence, penny, sixpence on the floral fabric of the sofa cushion on which I was sitting. WTF, no way, shit, shit, shit. I was off my nut and with zero preparation was expected to chat to a bonkers crowd in front of the Pyramid Stage who were all chanting 'MORE'!!!!! Well, I couldn't not. Literally no option. I stood up and Mark kept pointing to a mic stand right at the front of the stage.. in the middle. I walked up to it, my brain turning somersaults while also getting turned inside out. The only words on that walk that my mind could generate were expletives, about ten or fifteen a second, but thankfully they were just flashes in my head. I got to the microphone, stood for a few seconds, and somehow the essence of what we were trying to do came to me in a short sentence. I started with "I believe in our right to hold free festivals'. The crowd went nuts. Instantly I felt it was all going to be OK. I'll remember that moment for the rest of my life.

Oi, who's side are you on? 🤣🤣🤣

Somerset Live in 2019 said that I'd brought my, and I quote, 'homemade garden furniture to the festival'. Thanks Somerset Live😄