Twist my arm.

[ambientcoast]

If the kids were really looking forward to it though, it might be nice to take them?

I'm very sorry to hear of what's happened to you with your partner

Edited February 4, 2010 by ambientcoast

[ampersand]

C'mon, who's voted for staying at home?

Own up.

[IamChappu]

Sorry to hear what happened

I'd say go on your own & build up some new good memories of Glastonbury. Start your new life in style!

[ambientcoast]

was myself. you obviously put it there as you are contemplating it. remove the feeling sorry for yourself part and remove the stay at home bit.

i know what it's like to go back to a place that has bad memories and it's not nice. perhaps go on some sort of road trip with your kids to somewhere you've never been before? make some new nice memories?

[psychology]

Mmmmm....

I have two kids, a campervan and a wife, and to be honest if I was in your situation I would definately go in a tent. You know yourself what the campervan fields are like, friendly enough but quiet really, as people just tend to go there to sleep, and it's good to havee a beer and a chat to other people, which is much more likely camping. If you were not planning on taking the kids anyway then you could just take them somewhere else in the van as way of recompense. Go for it

[DrWackadoodle]

My heart goes out to you mate. Go there on your own and take the kids somewhere else as a treat.

[geztival_09]

These guys have pretty much covered it

Wow, what a bitch...sorry to here that to.

Whatever option you choose it should be one of the go one's, forget about her and just get there and have a great week almost..

I couldn't advice on taking your kids, or going by yourself as I am 20 therefore would instantly choose go alone and get wrecked with no worries of responsibility But defo go!

[amfy]

Shambala or Womad are really child friendly so maybe go for one of those, but one way to be sure of spending Glastonbury missing you wife is surely to take the kids!

If you are going to do Glastonbury, you have to do it for you, take the tent, find efests if you can - and just spend the weekend trolleyed! You know it makes sense.

[Red_Eye_Jedi]

Come by myself with a little tent and find myself some action, and maybe some nudey prod tent games!

Go on mate! You'll have a ball. After a few 7% brothers you'll forget all lifes problems and be having a great time! Best of luck to you.

[Insomaniac]

Perhaps we shoud set up a lonley hearts camp lol wink.gif

[guypjfreak]

I went to Glasto 2009 with my missus and kids (amongst a bunch of other fests) and had a cracking time (well, apart from listening to my missus whinge about the kids, who in turn whinged at my missus, who in turn yelled at the kids, who in turn... etc, etc, etc )

Either way, me and the kids enjoyed it.

However, said missus went all mid life crisis on me three weeks ago, ended our 10 year relationship without any warning whatsoever, and with no chance for discussion, and no hope of getting back together, and moves out of our house next week. f**k. Yep, i'm completely and utterly devastated, but am also trying to keep moving.

But enough of the sob story. Sorry. We'd paid the deposits on our 2010 tickets and just have the balance to pay before the end of Feb. Only my wife doesn't want to go anymore (I don't think she really enjoyed it first time round anyway, tbh).

So, my dilemma is this. Do I...

1) Come all by myself. I quite like the sound of this - ultimately it will give me something to look forward to, and I quite like the idea of meeting a bunch of new people in that kind of setting. I also quite like the idea of having a total f**king blowout and the 4 or 5 days I spend there would definitely come as a huge release to all this stress I'm under right now! (I also like the idea of some random nudey prod tent games, but not sure I'm ready for that just yet. Maybe in 6 months... )

And if I do come by myself, do I come in my campervan or just bring a little tent? The downside of bringing the van is that you need to get offsite every night and it's a bit of a walk up that hill...

2) Come with the kiddos again in our camper. They both want to come (they'll be 6 and 9 by then) but while I'd still enjoy it, I'm not sure I'd enjoy it quite as much as coming by myself because I wouldn't get to see everything I wanted - and neither would they. Probably.

3) Not bother going at all because at the minute the last thing I want to do is to go somewhere I last went to with my wife and (even though it wasn't great) the memories will still be there.

Ack. Horrible, horrible situation. So there you go. I'll let you decide.

[ambientcoast]

but one way to be sure of spending Glastonbury missing you wife is surely to take the kids!

[Guest musiclove123]

I think you should go on your own and like you say-have a blow out. You deserve to after what you are going through. Maybe you could take the kids in 2011?

[rexclark]

Go on your own and let of some steam, you deserve it!

[lord stradmor]

It is a matter of some astonishment to me that parents would ever take their children to a festival of any kind at all, twice.

Little Jake and Saskia are not going to enjoy it, no matter what. No matter how many jugglers and story telling workshops , they're never going to enjoy it, because children only want to spend time with their parents away from home, TV and toys if they are going to be the centre of attention, and thats not going to happen if they are competing with Hot Chip. Its just not.

At one point I saw a parent at Glastonbury a couple of years ago lean down and scream into the face of his bawling five year old, who was clearly having some kind of crisis because the bubble blower he had been bought was the wrong colour and he'd actually wanted a blue one, and dad yelled that he was "never going to take him anywhere nice again if he was going to behave like this"

And the child stopped screaming and a wave of understanding came over his face and then he bawled louder and harder, till the snot came out his nose and he went bright red because he realised that if he did, his dad had said he'd take him home and away from these funny smelling people and these awful toilets with their funny blue water in, and he could curl up and go to sleep in the quiet with his teddies and his nintendo, which is what he really wanted to do.

And if you look at a parent with anything close to disapproval while their little charge is trying to emasculate you with a diablo the response is that you are clearly some kind of evil child hater who doesnt deserve to be breathing the same air as them.

Please don't take children to festivals once they've got past three. They hate the mud, the music, the food, the fact that mummy has lost her temper with daddy because he's looked once too often at the pretty 20 year old in the crop top with the braids, living in a tent, the lack of fizzy pop, in fact everything about it.

And don't try to take them again until they say they really want to go.

You'll miss all the bands you want to see, and spend all your time making wicker fish and fairy wings.

[ambientcoast]

Please don't take children to festivals once they've got past three.

[pman]

Definately go to the fest..you will only spend the last weekend in June thinking about what you are missing.

Having four kids myself & taken them to a few fests although not Big G(missus wont do it with the kids or herself these days so get to go on my own...nevermind eh) I wouldnt advise it on your own 5 days is a long time to keep them happy chappies & your sanity!!

Get tickets for Beautiful Days down in Devon, have been to nearly all of them, last 2 with all the kids lovely fest, loads of other families, safe, friendly & well chilled out nowhere near as hectic as Glastonbury but very similar in many ways.

That way you can have a blow out without having to worry & after you will have BD's to look forward to with your kids

What ever you decide (you know the answer) hope all works out.

P

[lord stradmor]

I'm told Camp Bestival is very child friendly

[ambientcoast]

I'm told Camp Bestival is very child friendly

[pman]

Yep, just been reading about Camp Bestival. Thing is, I'm based in the North East so if I'm taking the kids by myself, a huge journey there and back probs isn't the best idea. Having said that, I'll be in the camper so not as much of an issue as just being in the car. Plus long journeys can be broken up over a couple of days...

Also like the look of Beautiful Days.

[Buglet]

Not having kids I'm not really qualified to comment, but do you really think you'd enjoy yourself more with or without them? (not in general, just for that one weekend where the babysitter's already to go!)

You know what they say about when you get throw off the whorse, get straight back on.

Go.

You'll either have a great time or a cathartic wallow, either way it's going to beat the misery of sitting at home wondering.

[ambientcoast]

You'll either have a great time or a cathartic wallow, either way it's going to beat the misery of sitting at home wondering.

[lord stradmor]

Despite my aversion to children at festivals, why make a decision now?

Kids go for nothing and don't need a ticket.

Buy your ticket so you are committed, and then make a decision at a later date when the dust has settled

[MilkyJoe]

Oh man,

the same thing happened to me in 07, 11 year relationship and to be honest although I feel a bit of a girl saying it, I was a bit devastated and dazed and 'Christ what do I do now' kind of thing.

It took me about 3 months to get my head round it, fortunately I was working offshore and had lots of thinking time but then I started looking forward and I can now honestly say it was the best thing that could have happened to me.

You will do your grieving now but pay that balance off and go yourself, it will either be the start of a brand new chapter in your life or you'll already have turned it around and have a great time.

Head up, it will get better!

I'd still like to poke her eyes out with a spoon mind!

Edited February 5, 2010 by MilkyJoe

[MilkyJoe]

Oops, double post. My bad.

Edited February 5, 2010 by MilkyJoe