cheesey_toastie

My link failed - the route didn't show properly. I suggested this: What I'm not 100% about is walking up Cockermill Lane.

WE HAVE A WINNER! Thanks for posting!

Someone asked a question on Twitter how to get their international tickets if they're parking for camping near Gate C. I think I've told them the correct thing to do - anyone know? 1) If there's a better suggestion (Guessing you can't pull up at the boxoffice - park temporarily etc) 2) If this route to walk is open? https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/51.1546679,-2.5760215/51.1623618,-2.5961653/@51.1560939,-2.5755348,258m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m9!4m8!1m5!3m4!1m2!1d-2.5897189!2d51.1646762!3s0x48722346eff71da9:0xa78c643b3726e6c1!1m0!3e2?entry=ttu

Today we get to see the tickets and who has the earliest postie! Probably, maybe.

2016 was not the worst / hardest I've been to but it was tricky to have fun. Was it 2005 that I'm thinking of that remains etched in my mind as starting raining on Thursday evening and I'm not sure it stopped once? In a wet year definitely dial down your expectations - limit how much stage trudging you're planning to do and your legs and feet will thank you for it!

Not sure if it's going to happen the same way but last year our coach emptied out and we were given access straight to the gate over folk coming from the car park. But planning for 2 hours (have some water, suncream handy, rain mac etc is not a bad plan).

This sounds like some journey. Have you done it before? What time do you usually get to the fields?

On the plus side - having done this - you'll walk straight through gate a with no queues and traffic wise you shouldn't get stuck getting out of Mank or passing Brum.

Just go to the coach departure early doors. If there's a space they'll let you on usually. Or get the shuttle bus to Castle Cary and get a train direct to London. No requirement to take that return coach.

Got the dream 6am departure Wednesday from Manchester. No pacing around Wednesday morning with FOMO here!

Well stop being so selfish and go this morning then.

A large rucksack, a tent will go underneath. And you can take a day sack. Anything else is driver's discretion. I've seen folk with crates of ale which have gone on but only after everything else. I've heard stories of it being left behind. I'd probably not risk a cooler.

Pretty sure our friend did this last year. She put her bag and passport in a lockup near the ped gate A and very early Monday morning to get a flight to Ireland - she just powered through the Sunday night.

Albert Hammond was criminally empty but he did a brilliant set. It's always worth a good look at the lineup even if the names don't immediately jump out at you. They know what they are doing booking on that stage IMHO.

If it helps it can be an idea to get off the coach and if you have a heavy load drop some bits at the property lockup closest to the gate. Then get your tent up and go back for your big bag.

I think it would be fair to say they are pretty casual about your coach home. That said some destinations might not have that many coaches. I've only been to / from Birmingham and Manchester.

Well this is a tease!

Hmm seems Sadlers Cat doesn't open at lunch now - not until 4pm.

If it helps it's usually a pickup around here: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Victoria+Rail+Station+(Stop+NU)/@53.4871876,-2.2409109,19.54z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x487bb1c7eb12ff5d:0xac64258528aa3737!8m2!3d53.4873097!4d-2.2402821!16s%2Fg%2F11c4skq009 Handy for Victoria Railway and / or the tram. Sadlers Cat a handy spot if you arrive early and need a beer 🙂

Your Pick-Up Point is: RAILWAY BRIDGE BUS STOPS, HILL STREET, B5 4AH That was what was in the email... where we actually found the coaches was Inge Street..... I suspect they'll do a better job this year. The coach drivers were not best pleased with See Tickets. But I have to say they organised themselves well and we all made sure no-one was left behind.

I've had drivers that check - and one or two that have handed the pack to a coach passenger to just dish out. The girl that did it last time took great delight in running up and down the aisle giving people their tickets. There can be a bit of stress when the coach isn't quite there or, like last year, in Birmingham where during Covid the coach bay had been built over so we were all scouring Brum city centre / China Town trying to find them!!! I'm hoping See Tickets have learnt from that one.... It's usually a pretty easy affair once your on - and you sail into Gate A and seem to jump any queues. About 20 minutes after pulling up had a wrist band on and was halfway up Hitchin' Hill last year.

Just to pick you up on "people who win the competition tickets will just sell them". I won tickets one year - they were *VERY* uncomfortable when asked if I could change the +1 as my partner might not be able to come after winning and it being short notice. They gave me 10 minutes to ring them back to confirm the name - so no chance to sell it and my name had to be on ticket 1. Our names were on the tickets and we had to show photo ID on entry (much to the amusement of the gate staff that kept telling me to put my ID away "you don't need it" until then they saw my actual tickets).

A good large rucksack is key. If you attach anything to it (tent / roll mat) ensure you can pop it off quickly. Depends on the driver but some like to pack their coach themselves and ensure everything gets on and like if if you can flatten your load. Some are free for all merchants - everyone piles their own crap on (badly) then the coach doesn't leave for half an hour whilst everyone tries to jig it around. I take a pocket rock stove, a plastic bowl, bag of muesli and an aeropress. Saves a fortune for breakie. Cleaning is a cloth, bar of soap outside the tent in my shorts. Though, I do have the luxury of some General Admission folk to bring me beer - if I didn't I'd jump on the shuttle to go to one of the supermarkets.

Well coach ticket emails. Festival tickets for coach folk are dispatched during travel to festival commencing 21/06 🙂 Not just being pedantic - you'll end up with questions from newbies to the coach!

OK - no takers so closing so someone else gets a turn on the server.