Secret Garden Party 2010

[fingers_mark]

Apparently a majority of the capacity increase is for extra crew and not a hugely increased number of paying-public tickets.

I am very much looking forward to this. Massively so, in fact.

Last year was my first and it's easily in my top 3 festivals, and that's after 11 years and about 100 different events.

Woop!

[WildWayz]

I am new to SGP, so I was hoping you might be able to help ('cos the website doesnt really give much info)

Is there a cash point on site?

Or do they take cards?

What kinda stalls are there?

What kinda eateries are there?

What's the boutique camping like - are the toilets and showers ok?

Thanks!

[fingers_mark]

I am new to SGP, so I was hoping you might be able to help ('cos the website doesnt really give much info)

Is there a cash point on site?

Or do they take cards?

What kinda stalls are there?

What kinda eateries are there?

What's the boutique camping like - are the toilets and showers ok?

Thanks!

[Filthy]

Properly excited especially having seen the Pagoda lineup! Adam Freeland and Alex Metric should be brilliant. Has anyone had a nod on the secret headline DJs?

Last year was my first and had an absolute ball. Really lovely friendly crowd, met some great people. The whole site is so well thought out. We've got a first timer coming with us and I'm sure her face will be a picture when she sees the lake.

2 more sleeps!

[WildWayz]

Really looking forward to it now

Let's hope the weather bucks up!

Is traffic bad into the festival?

[Filthy]

Yeah I'm looking nervously at forecasts, at least it's generally warm so any showers shouldn't affect things too much.

We arrived about 3pm on the Thursday last year and drove straight in pretty much. There was a bit of queue on the pedestrian gate, they're strict with how much booze you bring in so there's a fair few checks.

[krisskross]

Yeah I'm looking nervously at forecasts, at least it's generally warm so any showers shouldn't affect things too much.

We arrived about 3pm on the Thursday last year and drove straight in pretty much. There was a bit of queue on the pedestrian gate, they're strict with how much booze you bring in so there's a fair few checks.

Edited July 20, 2010 by krisskross

[Filthy]

I didnt see anyone have problems with the amount of booze being taken. i guess you just have to be slightly subtle and not walk in with a crate under your arm...

*i did arrive early on the friday though

Really wish i was going this year. My fave festival

[Dr Seuss]

I found that leaving things in the car and going back when it's much, much busier worked out quite well for getting more booze in more people, more busy staff with less time. Also did a 6am run and ended up going back in through a different entrance (at the end of the campervan field that isn't by the main entrance) where all they did was check my wristband.

There are ways and means, you just have to not try and get everything all in at once...

BTW, as for the capacity: It's a total of 26,000 allowed on-site at any one time, with a maximum 17,000 of those being paying public. Last year it was total 17K with 12.5K public. This info is directly from the licence application, which can be found by clicking here.

Edited July 20, 2010 by Dr Seuss

[kagey]

OOOOOOMMMMMMGGGGGGGGGG IIIIIIITTSSSSSSSS AAAAALLLLMMMOOOOOSSSTTT TTTTTTIIIIMMMMEEEEE

[hatethisandillloveyou]

So I've finished my shift at work for a week, now I just need to go out, get beer, cider, food, gaZbo, wash and dry clothes and and pack, NOT ORGANISED!!

Ps: on a side note apparenly you arnt allowed camping stoves this year

[mikeutopianmusic]

Can't wait for this, first time at a "real" festival (been to loads of one day dance-music festivals before).

Will post a fresh topic about this, but just wanted to give everyone a heads-up on an artist called Ryan Keen, singer-songwriter and amazing acoustic guitarist. He's playing the Living Room Tent at 12:30pm on the Saturday and we're basically just trying to build him up a bigger following. There'll be free CDs given out so if it sounds like your cup of tea, come down, if not, tell your friends!

He's got stuff on YouTube, MySpace, etc. all of which can be accessed via his website:

www.ryankeen.co.uk

Hopefully see a load of you there.

Mike

[hatethisandillloveyou]

So, it's not even 8 am and the sun is shining in Cambridgeshire, a few hours untill we leave, definitly

time to think about packinG soon

[WildWayz]

Is it really sunny in Cambridgeshire? We're up in Leeds and it has been having heavy showers and we're a little worried!

I guess we should start packing soon too - think we're heading off about 10ish....

[hatethisandillloveyou]

It's cloudy now, but nice, actually very good festival weather :-P

However I do live about 30 minutes from the site so it could be different there,

shall be picking a gazebo up on route just incase we get any of that umm wet sort of weather

[hatethisandillloveyou]

Onsite waiting for the carparks to open in 3 minutes, no queues at all :-D

[Palace gardener]

No queues huh?

We arrived at 1.30pm and there was already a queue of several hundred. We didn't get through the gate until gone 5pm. Over three and a half hours!! I heard others talk of a 5 hour wait. That is just plainly rediculaous and a terrible start to any festival. This was a serious cock up. I can't believe they had only one entrance for a festival of 20k plus. This was such poor organisation. I've been going to festivals for 20 years and have never had to queue up like that for entry. God knows what would have happened had there been a downpour all afternoon!!!??

Apart from that terrible start had a great time, site was beautiful, people friendly, all good.

[WildWayz]

Gotta admit - boutique camping was VERY good - no queues or searches.

Heard of 4hour+ queues, everything searched.

In Boutique camping, not enough toilets and even tho the Andy Loos guy was cleaning pretty much non-stop, the loos were still backed up!

[hatethisandillloveyou]

Just got back, as I said I arrived before gates opening so only had to queue for about 20 minutes,

Was very annoying having every single person searched, but maybe this Is a condition of the license. They seemed to be doing all the Security and seachers at the gates, then seemed pretty lax onsite, low police presence etc,

the searches are my only complaint though,

awsome weeked, nice and chilled out, friendly people good music :-D

[dan_abnormal]

We had at least a 2 hour queue to get in but no searches.

My tent got robbed twice. The first time when we were exploring and our beers and two broken phones were nicked which we weren't that pissed off about but still didn't expect it to happen. The second time was when a couple of guys came over, got chatting to them and when my mate came back to the tent the scarpered and i realised that my wallet had left with them.

Also saw loads of people break in on Saturday night. So much for the Glasto style super fence. It was shit.

Really disappointed by this weekend as i have had some great times at the garden in the past but i don't think i shall be going again.

[fingers_mark]

Superb weather made another great festival.

I thought the site layout last year was poor, but now it was back to how it was initially in the main.

Highlights - RODIGAN, Infadels, Fenech-Soler, Example, The Whip and Mercury Rev for a very hazy ending.

Lowpoints - 4/5 hr queue to get in on Thursday afternoon. It has to be said. If you're going to up the capacity by a third, then make sure you cater to cope with the influx of people by adding a second entry. Or just have spotcheck searches, not everyone.

[fingers_mark]

We had at least a 2 hour queue to get in but no searches.

My tent got robbed twice. The first time when we were exploring and our beers and two broken phones were nicked which we weren't that pissed off about but still didn't expect it to happen. The second time was when a couple of guys came over, got chatting to them and when my mate came back to the tent the scarpered and i realised that my wallet had left with them.

Also saw loads of people break in on Saturday night. So much for the Glasto style super fence. It was shit.

Really disappointed by this weekend as i have had some great times at the garden in the past but i don't think i shall be going again.

[refriedgenes]

From a first timer. I thought it was a really enjoyable weekend. The people, for the most part, seemed friendly. Bit expensive, 4.00 for a pint of cider, but I guess it's majoritively Londoners so expect London prices.

I didn't experience any tent theft although a girl did start unzipping my tent this morning, saw me, and gave it the old "Sorry friend, wrong tent" She actually had the nerve to call me friend, I thought I'd pulled at first so didn't get cross but on reflection she was on the scavenge. This was about 11.30am and half the tents had already dissappeared.

Queueing for 4 hours to get in was shit, it didn't seem so much the searching that was holding it up (I wasn't searched - did have to walk past a Policedog though), but there were only 6 stewards giving wristbands out. Not nearly enough for that many people. Searching may be a license condition, but the job should have had 5 times that. Think Glasto where you probably have 15 at each gate - that seems to run smoothly.

Roots Union and Peoples String Foundation were brilliant, as was the bass at Chai Wallahs - Think I'd consider it again.

[dan_abnormal]

Where did you see people breaking in? Did/or will you report where? Sorry to hear you had items stolen.

[fingers_mark]

They were breaking in fairly close to the property lock ups. I haven't let them know yet but i will.