Reading for the Over 30s

[micawber]

I also think the £390 spent on ebay was during the pre-sale period, although I might be wrong.

[calumtom19]

It was. But I think that for most sane people ebay is the source of last resort. No one in their right mind would buy off ebay until they had failed in the normal sale. And even then, you'd wait to see if the prices were cheaper than face value.

[micawber]

(I bought two tickets)

I can see I'm never gonna live this down

[glimmers_of_hope]

I'm 28 & my girlfriend is 31 (we'll be 29/32 at Reading this year)

We go to about 3 festivals a year - always camped - We might consider vans in the future but I'm pretty anti it because I reckon you lose the atmosphere.

We still party hard but we take "Bio Ears" Which are realky good quality ear plugs and block out all the noise. You can get 'em in Boots.

We tend to camp in red and near a fence so not surrounded by people and have a bit more space.

To be honest never felt too tired to enjoy the festival and I love the energy that all the youngsters have it gives the festival a buzz that V & Latitude simply don't have.

[micawber]

I'm 28 & my girlfriend is 31 (we'll be 29/32 at Reading this year)

We go to about 3 festivals a year - always camped - We might consider vans in the future but I'm pretty anti it because I reckon you lose the atmosphere.

We still party hard but we take "Bio Ears" Which are realky good quality ear plugs and block out all the noise. You can get 'em in Boots.

We tend to camp in red and near a fence so not surrounded by people and have a bit more space.

To be honest never felt too tired to enjoy the festival and I love the energy that all the youngsters have it gives the festival a buzz that V & Latitude simply don't have.

[15 Year Old First Timer]

I'm 15 and this years festival (as you probably gathered from my username) is my first time. I honestly cannot wait and am really looking forward to seeing 50+ amazing acts, and just generally having a good time, and hoping that the "indie kids" don't get there hands on their WKDs and Smirnoff Ice's and ruin the fun.

From what my cousin said, there is very little rioting and stuff, and that everyone is really friendly with each other. Confirmation?

[Ashaz42]

I laugh at Calumtom, he'll be partying so hard for 3 nights yet he's scared of being burned alive.

If you're really hardcore, you'll party for 6. Que on tuesday (still a few thousand people partying), get an early pass, so you have tuesday to monday. That's partying hard. That's what we did last year it nearly killed me however 'cause I made several bad choices regarding what I did at the festival (learnt my lesson).

And 15 year old, it's not too violent, there probably will be some scary stuff going on on the sunday night especially, fires, gas cannister explosions, general carnage, but there's no real reason to be worried. There are quite a lot of dicks, but they're outnumbers massively by cool people. Don't worry.

[phil123]

but there's no real reason to be worried. There are quite a lot of dicks, but they're outnumbers massively by cool people. Don't worry.

[Dirty Bobby]

I'll be 33 this year and will still be camping in Yellow!

Been going to Reading since 1995 and am also doing Groezrock, Glastonbury and Fest 8 this year, so my body is used to the punishment I dish it...

[goodoldfashionedmosher]

1995 was my first year too, how do you keep your energy levels up?!?

[15 Year Old First Timer]

Hah. I hope to be like you guys one day.

I'm going out on the Wednesday or Tuesday, which just makes the countdown to 12:00 on Friday even sweeter.

[Dirty Bobby]

1995 was my first year too, how do you keep your energy levels up?!?

[kibster68]

Anyone over 30 going to Reading? - Do you still camp or do you fork out for a hotel?

i just can't justify paying £300 for a hotel for the weekend plus a weekend ticket, that's just ridiculous.

Do you camp in "quieter" white? is it worth the walk to the arena? & is it really as quiet as it's supposed to be?

i'm not an old fart, but i can't go 4 nights without sleep anymore, those days are gone.

i don't care about the grime or smelly toilets, that doesn't bother me in the slightest - it's the scary flying gas canisters & mental people on whatever they get their grubby hands on.

[ukdaasfan]

I don't know if this is particularly helpful to you but Ive been going to reading Festival for about 12 years, i'm 35 and my husband is 40. We have always taken our son too who is 5 now. Its slightly different for me as I work at the festival for the medical team but in the past before we got a caravan (yes I know very middle aged) we used to hire a long wheel base van and take it to the festival. I believe you can buy tickets for the camper area and you should be able to take the van in. We'd put our matress on the floor, its warm and dry and you can put the lights on at night. all your stuff is secure when you leave it and theres no limit to what you can take in. We found it great and relatively cheap compared to a hotel. Hope this helps...

[goodoldfashionedmosher]

I have been going for years and will be 35 this year. I had one year off last year and am returnign this year in a tent for the first time in years cause I can't be arsed to get back and forth from the campervan site. It'll be fine. Should be interesting. Maybe we should petition for an over 30's campsite with better loos. Softer ground and a bar that seems proper bitter :-)

[micawber]

An Over 30s campsite - what a brilliant idea!

[goodoldfashionedmosher]

We'll be used as guy fawkes by the little blighters. we'll be dunked in the loos, head first. it'll be like grange hill - pupils against teachers.

[Benj]

Im 32 and have Hoteled for the last 4 years and will be again this year.

I thought I'd miss the camp site and do a bit, I really couldnt do it anymore though, nothing beats getting a good nights sleep, having a nice crap and shower in the AM, lying in watching telly and having all the amenities of town, without the walk at this age.

The hotel is probably a shorter walk than White too, its only about 20 minutes or so.

Re- Cost, it doesn't have to be prohibitive, we spent £120 quid last year (booking the Travelodge in November) which worked out at only £20 a night each!

This year is a bit more, again booking in November and got the Ibis (with Wifi and movies!) for 31 quid a night each.

The ideal solution would be to have mates in the camp site near the arena, who you could visit before during and after but also have the hotel to go back to.

[goodoldfashionedmosher]

yeah, i kind of want to have my cake & eat it - have some campfire banter but then go to sleep when i want to & everyone else to at the same time, obviously never gonna happen.

you got a good deal there, £20 a night, bargain - it's now £115 a night!

think i'm gonna have to grin & bear it!

[headshrinker1979]

i too am reaching the big 30, prob going to Reading on my own this year. Debating on the hotel thing as i can't cope with no sleep very well any more!!! Mind you i think Red campsite last year may have been the worst one to go to to try and get some sort of sleep! Ah well, lesson learnt for this year!

[Queeg]

i'm 42 now and the first time i went to reading was 82....went last year and really enjoyed it but did leave about midnight on sunday. stayed right at the bottom of brown near the bridge into white... good spot... will try to get there again this year if i get tickets. a walk yea but as long as u got a few cans an chat to peeps on the way the walk flies past.

[goodoldfashionedmosher]

i've heard you can get a boat from white camp to the arena every morning. Is this true?

[ukdaasfan]

Great idea. I'll bring my cribbage set. Will it burn well when we riot on Sunday?

[dakyras]

i've heard you can get a boat from white camp to the arena every morning. Is this true?

[neiltring]

First year i went was 17, and we headed to the back of Orange camp, no violence, no one crashing into your tents or anything. Its a bit of a trek to the main arena (about 30mins from tent to main arena entrance) but its peace of mind to know your not going to have fire lapping at your tent.....

Though the layout has changed i find the more you walk the better the area. Or just go in the back entrance thats near the old Battle Hospital site/Tesco. Aslong as you have your wristband first then its the best option.

Happy Camping