Proposed Changes to the Licence

[lord stradmor]

increase the geographical size of the festival one year in the interests of the safety of the people already going, and then in following years apply for an increase in capacity of attendees as you have more space on site.

[wigstonmania]

biggest news is the park being open on thursday

it was rammed on the wed when there was nothing on last year so

[Kyelo]

2cars.full.for.3.of.you?That's.just.stupid.man

Edited January 10, 2010 by BenchBuddah

[Memory Man]

biggest news is the park being open on thursday

it was rammed on the wed when there was nothing on last year so

Edited January 10, 2010 by Memory Man

[Joshuwarr]

4 days of The Park yessss!

[Okky]

+1 was thinking the same thing. I once took me and 2 mates to TITP in a Renault Clio, I'm 6ft2 and both my mates are 6ft. It is more than possible with careful planning.

We didn't buy our drink until we got close the festival. Had 3 large backpacks and 3 tents in the boot, easy!

[Kyelo]

yeah.ffs.

I'm.6ft4.and.my.3.mates.are.6ftish.and.we.all.got.in.one.golf...And.we.all.had

.crates

one.4.man.tent.though(MAJOR.ERROR)

[LondonTom]

hahaha that is a deadly mistake. I go by the 2 spaces for 1 person rule, at a push a 3 man tent for 2 people.

[Glastoboy]

What on earth cannot work about that?

[t0paz]

If it is a cold night then it really is going to cause problems with either fires or engines running.

Opening the carparks at dawn would be a better option than 8pm IMO.

Edit: Typo

Edited January 11, 2010 by t0paz

[eFestivals]

1. Party atmosphere WILL take off on arrival. Nothing wrong with that in my book but seeing as this is supposed to be to the benefit of the Pilton residents this could cause problems.

No it won't, unless there's only arseholes that arrive early.

2. People will try and hit the local area/pub and despite your assurances I doubt this could possibly be policed properly. Again, this will affect the Pilton residents.

This will be dead easy to manage if done properly.

3. Will all car parks be open? As this makes policing/stewarding much harder. Also, people may want to meet up with friends who have come from a different direction and are in a different car park - This then adds to the 'people wandering around' problem.

I guess they will do what they always do an use one field at a time, so staff needs will be at a minimum - it's not like everyone will turn up during the night.

And I would think that people will be required to stay in the field they park within, so wandering will not be any problem.

4. Even if toilets are laid on, there are bound to people who insist on using the hedge, side of their vehicle etc. Surely you have witnesdsed what has happened within the site over the years?

toilets will be required to be laid on, by the licence.

As people would have to hang around where they'd pissed till the morning I would think ad-hoc pissing w9ould be lower than normal .... plus there'd be hundreds of people with nothing to do but make a scene of anyone pissing where they shouldn't.

5. Starting fires will be inevitable unless people are threatened with eviction. Even then, I would guess that as soon as one is distinguished another is lit somewhere else.

Only if there's only arseholes present.

Any arseholes will be kept in line by both security and the non-arseholes.

6. As pointed out by someone else, of course there is a percentage of arseholes. Add to that a percentage of mindless and irresponsible idiots and possibly a sprinkling of opportunistic thieves too.

as well as arseholes, there'll be a huge number of non-arseholes who will keep the arseholes in line.

It will be the responsibility of all of us to ensure that the arseholes aren't in charge.

7. If it is cold people will run their engines, neither environmentally friendly or particularly safe for long periods of time.

little different to those cars having their engines running when queuing.

8. Despite the extra allotted camping space, it has become increasingly harder to get a decent pitch (we turned up at 2pm on the Wednesday in 2007 and it was a nightmare). Because of this, I predict more people will abandon the public transport route and take to the car to avoid this problem.[/qute]

there's plenty of decent pitches. The problem is not lack of availability it's lack of brain to find them.

[Glastoboy]

1. WTF? Only arseholes party?

2. I'll take your word for it but personally I am unconvinced.

3. How can you be so certain that lots of people wont turn up on Tuesday night? How do you keep people in fields?

4. We'll just have to disagree on this one. I still think it will happen.

5. Just like the non-arseholes at Reading & Leeds managed to control the arseholes?

6. Depends how big the arsehole is, or the group of arseholes is I suppose. Also, I have seen some pretty ineffective stewarding over the years.

7. Fair point.

8. "there's plenty of decent pitches. The problem is not lack of availability it's lack of brain to find them." That's just bloody rude mate. Trudging round the site for a couple of hours with all your kit ain't a bag of laughs.

I notice you didn't give an opinion on the idea of opening car parks at 4/5am instead?

Neil, I am not having a pop at this idea for the sake of it - I am usually one of the organisers biggest defenders. I just forsee problems with this one idea. You obviously support it and that is fair enough but you seem to be defending it a bit over-zealously and acting like there aren't idiots and arseholes or that historically these people have been kept in line by other festival goers, the stewards and the police. I beg to differ that's all.

The only thing in my list that I am likely to be any way responsible for is the first (partying on arrival). I shall crack open a few tins, light a few Js, turn on the music and laugh my arse off. I think a lot of other people will arrive early and do the same and this is collectively going to make some noise that's all.

[Nixy]

I'm sure someone has said this before somewhere in this thread or at some point on the forum - apologies for repeating it

But why not go back to advertising the festival as it used to be - starting on a Friday? Or even Thursday if the Park is going to have stuff on? Or is that too dumb/obvious?

I'm settling for dumb

[ukslim]

But why not go back to advertising the festival as it used to be - starting on a Friday? Or even Thursday if the Park is going to have stuff on? Or is that too dumb/obvious?

[cejx]

I'm sure someone has said this before somewhere in this thread or at some point on the forum - apologies for repeating it

But why not go back to advertising the festival as it used to be - starting on a Friday? Or even Thursday if the Park is going to have stuff on? Or is that too dumb/obvious?

I'm settling for dumb

[eFestivals]

1. WTF? Only arseholes party?

no, only arseholes cause a problem for others when they party.

3. How can you be so certain that lots of people wont turn up on Tuesday night? How do you keep people in fields?

There's only a limited number of people who'll want to spend a wasted night in a field with nothing to do. It is not a party, it is a wait.

It's not the 'keeping people in fields' that's easy, it's the "don't let them back in again if they've left" that's easy. All it takes is a dedicated pass for the Tuesday night, which is taken from people when they arrive - without them still having that pass then they're not re-admitted.

4. We'll just have to disagree on this one. I still think it will happen.

it will happen to some extent, just as it happens to some extent anyway - it's a regular sight seeing people relieving themselves after their long journey when they've parked.

But the difference (if they do the early car park thing) this year is that people won't want to be pissing by their cars as they would normally, as they'd then have to spend the next X number of hours hanging out near their piss.

And so, if those people have a brain, they'll want to walk a little way away before pissing .... so that little walk might as well take them to the bogs.

I don't guarantee it'll be perfect but it really shouldn't be the case that everyone is pissing next to their cars for the duration of their wait.

5. Just like the non-arseholes at Reading & Leeds managed to control the arseholes?

Reading & Leeds is 50+% arseholes, while Glastonbury is not.

And few of the non-arseholes at Reading & Leeds are prepared to say anything to anyone who is doing something they shouldn't - I've tried over the years to put that self-policing idea into their heads, and most are simply too scared, thinking that anyone being naughty will pull out a knife and stab them if they say anything.

People at Glastonbury are more mature, more confident because of being more mature, and far less likely to think that the crap written in newspapers is true.

And added to all of that is the simple fact that any self-policing of the car parks will not be mid-festival but pre-festival. It won't be the case that there's 100% pissed-ness or 100% festival antics. It's a completely different situation.

6. Depends how big the arsehole is, or the group of arseholes is I suppose. Also, I have seen some pretty ineffective stewarding over the years.

There will be security, and the threat of never seeing any of the festival if mis-behaving.

8. "there's plenty of decent pitches. The problem is not lack of availability it's lack of brain to find them." That's just bloody rude mate. Trudging round the site for a couple of hours with all your kit ain't a bag of laughs.

There's more than adequate space for all people's tents. While it's not fun dragging your kit around, having to drag your kit around doesn't change that one jot.

If you head for an area that you know is normally crowded then it's no huge surprise if you find it crowded. Whose fault then is having to drag your kit around?

I notice you didn't give an opinion on the idea of opening car parks at 4/5am instead?

It's an idea that had occurred to me, but I'd guess that it's less likely to be acceptable to the council, as it's an encouragement for people to drive thru the night, which isn't the best idea from the point of view of safety (cos of the risk of falling asleep). I suspect that has had an impact on GF's consideration of how opening the car parks early is best done.

Neil, I am not having a pop at this idea for the sake of it - I am usually one of the organisers biggest defenders. I just forsee problems with this one idea. You obviously support it and that is fair enough but you seem to be defending it a bit over-zealously and acting like there aren't idiots and arseholes or that historically these people have been kept in line by other festival goers, the stewards and the police. I beg to differ that's all.

If everyone is saying "it won't work" then it's less likely to work &/or less likely to be acceptable to the council.

The simple fact is that it's perfectly possible for everyone to be more than well-enough behaved that there's no problems.

And added to that simple fact is that is some do get a too rawkus, then a few words from others nearby will in most cases be more than enough to calm the situation.

For the tiny number of other cases - if other cases do actually happen - then they'll be more than adequate security (with police back-up if necessary) to deal with those problems.

But the final thing is this: it's of no advantage to anyone to make the effort to arrive early but to then get hauled off-site (and delayed getting to the fest because of it, or worse - have your ticket taken from you) because of mis-behaving. If that's enough to keep you in line then it'll succeed with 99+% of others too.

The only thing in my list that I am likely to be any way responsible for is the first (partying on arrival). I shall crack open a few tins, light a few Js, turn on the music and laugh my arse off. I think a lot of other people will arrive early and do the same and this is collectively going to make some noise that's all.

There's a big difference between making some noise and making too much noise.

There will no doubt be stewards who will ask that any music being played too loud is turned down, with security to back them up for any that think themselves too self-important to respect the festival and the locals.

If your fears were held by the authorities then there'd be no festival at all in the first place. Luckily the world is not full of people with tabloid mentalities.

[eFestivals]

I'm sure someone has said this before somewhere in this thread or at some point on the forum - apologies for repeating it

But why not go back to advertising the festival as it used to be - starting on a Friday? Or even Thursday if the Park is going to have stuff on? Or is that too dumb/obvious?

I'm settling for dumb

the genie is now out of the bottle, and it'll be impossible to put it all back in.

[eFestivals]

I also think that Glastoboy has made very valid comments regarding the early carpark opening. There will be arseholes, there will be pissing arseholes, there will be fire lighting arseholes and lets face it - after a few bevvies, the arsehole comes out in a lot of us. Sad but true.

yes, there will no doubt be a few arseholes .... but I very much doubt their numbers will be large or that they will not be able to be controlled.

The stewards and security are more than able to deal with the festival itself so they'll have little difficulty in dealing with far fewer people who will be mostly sleeping.

[Okky]

Neil.quit.being.a.dick

[eFestivals]

Neil.quit.being.a.dick

the dicks are the ones predicting trouble.

There is no reason for anyone to be predicting trouble - after all, there's no trouble during the fest itself - unless they're planning to be the cause of any trouble.

[.jay.]

i really dont give a f**k one way or the other regarding this nonsensical squabbling i just want o know what the deal is with this Okky and the full.stops.between.every.damn.word.he.types?

[refriedgenes]

i really dont give a f**k one way or the other regarding this nonsensical squabbling i just want o know what the deal is with this Okky and the full.stops.between.every.damn.word.he.types?

[Okky]

Don't.you.guys.think.it's.cool.then?

Maybe.I.should.stop.it.then

[refriedgenes]

Don't.you.guys.think.it's.cool.then?

Maybe.I.should.stop.it.then

[LusciousLucy]

Enter troublesome dick stage left...

tbh trying to understand any concept of the policing of this is making my brain hurt.

I havent seen this mentioned anywhere yet so my ha'pennies worth is going to be laid out on the debating table.

HOW is this going to be policed? The brain hurt I have is trying to contemplate how or when people will be told/allowed to physically start queueing and where?

As a regular arrivee at West car park to enter at what is now White Gate (for the easiest access to Pennards), the regular queueing field has a clearly marked entrance that could easily be gated off to stop anyone 'pre-queue-queueing'.

It is the 'pre-queue-queueing' that would have to be policed quite severely yes? As soon as the first cars arrive, will bodlings run over to the start of Pre-Queue 1 that will lead to a firkin gigantic queue of folk sleeping under the stars/rain just to be in line for the later queue that will open at 8am or whatever the time will be?

Tempers will very likely be ridiculously frayed after an uncomfortable, alcohol fuelled (and who knows what the bloody weather will be like!!!) night and to wake up/stay up all night watching the Pre-Queue-Queue become stupid before one has to even contemplate the following 2-6+ hours of ACTUALLY TRYING TO GET IN ONCE THE GATES HAVE OFFICIALLY OPENED...

an example...you are parked at the top of West whatever cos you were the first to arrive at 5pm Tuesday, you wake up at 6am to find that everyone else has pre-empted the queueing and you now have to lug all your gear from the top of the car park to the BOTTOM of the field to join a queue that is going back up the hill and not likely to move for at least a further 3 hours...that's just one example!

Yay...Wednesday morning's going to be a fun occasion isnt it???

I know we as Brits enjoy a queue but a potential double queueing system that could last for over 15 hours...erk!!!

My brain hurts so much trying to understand how GFL plan on doing this without people getting upset.

Best suggestion...a timed ticket system? First arrivals get to start physically queueing from a certain time and so on and on so that there is not a human queue snaking back to G Town from 5pm on the Tuesday!

It works for many other types of events with timings. Could it work for the G and its suggested early bird car park thang?