Leaving time

[gooner1990]

Well, some of our 30 strong group think we're panicking over nothing.

We usually camp in Kidney Mead, which over the last 3 festivals has proved to be very popular. We usually set off from nr Oxford at around 6am in convoy, with the aim to be at the gates for between 8 and 9am.

Last year we pitched up at just gone 11am and we only just squeezed us all in (after some people were shooing us away shouting "we're saving this area for our mates )

I know it's hard to judge but I'm wondering whether some of the more keen of us should drive down through the night, get the tents in at opening time to secure a decent spot for everyone else.

Some people think it won't matter and you won't actually get that many people queing up in the car parks from before 6am......

My fear is that if we arrive at 9am we'll get into the campsite and then have to lug all our gear somewhere else (which could take a while as there is so many of us so will have to find somewhere else to camp)

The other option is to come in at normal time and camp in one of the bigger campsites out on the west side of the site.

But for me and a core few of the others who've been going for 5+ years, Kidney Mead feels like home and anywhere else wouldn't feel right!!

[Scott Martin 88]

Well, some of our 30 strong group think we're panicking over nothing.

We usually camp in Kidney Mead, which over the last 3 festivals has proved to be very popular. We usually set off from nr Oxford at around 6am in convoy, with the aim to be at the gates for between 8 and 9am.

Last year we pitched up at just gone 11am and we only just squeezed us all in (after some people were shooing us away shouting "we're saving this area for our mates )

I know it's hard to judge but I'm wondering whether some of the more keen of us should drive down through the night, get the tents in at opening time to secure a decent spot for everyone else.

Some people think it won't matter and you won't actually get that many people queing up in the car parks from before 6am......

My fear is that if we arrive at 9am we'll get into the campsite and then have to lug all our gear somewhere else (which could take a while as there is so many of us so will have to find somewhere else to camp)

The other option is to come in at normal time and camp in one of the bigger campsites out on the west side of the site.

But for me and a core few of the others who've been going for 5+ years, Kidney Mead feels like home and anywhere else wouldn't feel right!!

[gooner1990]

Scott - Yes the gates are opening at 9pm...hency my worry about getting in at our normal time of 9am Weds and seeing it all full.

I'd much rather not have to do a full days work in Oxford, go home, load the car, drive down and sit in the car park...put tents up and then try to enjoy the Wednesday not having slept a wink all night - I'll get about 6 pints of burrowhill down me during the football and probably hit the deck

[Langdale Wolf]

Scott - Yes the gates are opening at 9pm...hency my worry about getting in at our normal time of 9am Weds and seeing it all full.

I'd much rather not have to do a full days work in Oxford, go home, load the car, drive down and sit in the car park...put tents up and then try to enjoy the Wednesday not having slept a wink all night - I'll get about 6 pints of burrowhill down me during the football and probably hit the deck

[tHomBleached]

Scott - Yes the gates are opening at 9pm...hency my worry about getting in at our normal time of 9am Weds and seeing it all full.

I'd much rather not have to do a full days work in Oxford, go home, load the car, drive down and sit in the car park...put tents up and then try to enjoy the Wednesday not having slept a wink all night - I'll get about 6 pints of burrowhill down me during the football and probably hit the deck

[gooner1990]

Hey guys, I'm perfectly chilled out about it...just that its where everyone likes to camp.

I'm wondering whether it might just be worth arriving for say 7am rather than 9am...leave at say 5am.

I suppose we won't know what the actual demand is until the day.

LW > TBH, I'm more worried about still setting up camp when the football is on than anything else

Where else doesn't get filled up quickly on the East side of the site....just in case we get to Kidney Mead and it can't acccomodate our large numbers.

[noodle24]

if the worsst happens then come and sleep over near paynes ground where we stay because last year it was still fairly quiet there until thursday

Edited April 22, 2010 by noodle24

[fionchadd]

hey, you're still getting there on Wednesday! Some people can't come down til the Friday.

I've camped in Kidney Mead a few times and I know it's popular, but I imagine Wednesday morning you'll still be alright. As others have said, the gates aren't opening any earlier, and they're really trying to get people to stay in their cars on the Tuesday night so there's not going to be people sleeping by the gates.

Also, if I can say something without sounding rude (because I don't mean to) at the beginning of your post you sounded angry with the people who tried to move you because 'they were saving the area for their mates' (and I'm not saying your anger isn't justified) but then at the end you suggest doing pretty much the same thing!

Just go with the flow, you'll be a'right

[gooner1990]

hey, you're still getting there on Wednesday! Some people can't come down til the Friday.

I've camped in Kidney Mead a few times and I know it's popular, but I imagine Wednesday morning you'll still be alright. As others have said, the gates aren't opening any earlier, and they're really trying to get people to stay in their cars on the Tuesday night so there's not going to be people sleeping by the gates.

Also, if I can say something without sounding rude (because I don't mean to) at the beginning of your post you sounded angry with the people who tried to move you because 'they were saving the area for their mates' (and I'm not saying your anger isn't justified) but then at the end you suggest doing pretty much the same thing!

Just go with the flow, you'll be a'right

[fionchadd]

haha well saving space for other people is 'allowed' even if it's seen as bad form

putting tents up looks less bad, I'll admit, but it's technically the same thing

But I'm just playing Devil's advocate really. I've been on both the giving and receiving end in the past so I can't really talk. I'd say watch the forums nearer the time, see what people are planning etc.

To be honest I don't think any more people will go down on Tuesday than normally go down on Wednesday - people that can't take much time off work normally still won't be able to. It'll just (hopefully) ease congestion on the roads on wednesday morning

[radioheadchick1970]

haha well saving space for other people is 'allowed' even if it's seen as bad form

putting tents up looks less bad, I'll admit, but it's technically the same thing

But I'm just playing Devil's advocate really. I've been on both the giving and receiving end in the past so I can't really talk. I'd say watch the forums nearer the time, see what people are planning etc.

To be honest I don't think any more people will go down on Tuesday than normally go down on Wednesday - people that can't take much time off work normally still won't be able to. It'll just (hopefully) ease congestion on the roads on wednesday morning

[fionchadd]

I don't fancy sleeping in the car all night so leaving at midnight and hoping to get there for about 6am all being well ! Anythings got to be better than that bloody traffic last year !!!

[gooner1990]

haha well saving space for other people is 'allowed' even if it's seen as bad form

putting tents up looks less bad, I'll admit, but it's technically the same thing

But I'm just playing Devil's advocate really. I've been on both the giving and receiving end in the past so I can't really talk. I'd say watch the forums nearer the time, see what people are planning etc.

To be honest I don't think any more people will go down on Tuesday than normally go down on Wednesday - people that can't take much time off work normally still won't be able to. It'll just (hopefully) ease congestion on the roads on wednesday morning

[LetsGoToMars]

we're camping in Glastonbury town on Tuesday night, and think we're setting off about 7-8ish Wed morning and hoping to drive near enough straight into the car parks...or at least assuming we won't be stuck for hours and hours in car queues...

Anyone any experience of setting off from the town? For the last couple of years we've got the shuttle bus from there early lunchtime and it's only taken just over an hour to get to the coach station, similar for cars?

[radioheadchick1970]

Well tbh I think at worst it would only be a couple of tents out of the 30 or so going....these girls last year were guarding a huge spot in the middle of Kidney Mead last yr - was enough for nearly 30 of us to try and pitch up before they came flying over and told us to go elsewhere.

I think your right, I may suggest just an earlier leaving time for all of us and se how well that goes down. I think most would be up for it as leaving at 5am is not much difference to 6am imo.

[fionchadd]

we're camping in Glastonbury town on Tuesday night, and think we're setting off about 7-8ish Wed morning and hoping to drive near enough straight into the car parks...or at least assuming we won't be stuck for hours and hours in car queues...

Anyone any experience of setting off from the town? For the last couple of years we've got the shuttle bus from there early lunchtime and it's only taken just over an hour to get to the coach station, similar for cars?

[gooner1990]

Its a bit of a situation if you all want to camp together , we have friends going but they are arriving by coach , i think it would be a little unfair for us to "save space" as we can meet up anytime and or spend evenings at each others tents regardless of if we are camped next to them or not . Personally if someone told me i couldnt camp somwhere and there wasnt a tent there i'd tell them to bugger off and put up my tent lol , after the walk you have to do i wouldnt give a shit if they liked it or not lol.

[radioheadchick1970]

True, we also have plenty of others going but at different times, and some are litter picking etc. But i think its pushing 30 of us heading down in convoy at the same time. (Give or take 1 cars worth that might come down later that day)

I guess it will just be a case of wait and see...I suppose if we are there for the gates opening there isn't much else we can do!!

[gooner1990]

Just hope for the best mate , hopefully you will all get in and get set up together , its not the end of the world if u dont though is it

[fionchadd]

Yeh I know, but half the fun for me at festivals is being with my friends and that includes around the campfire at night and all the sillyness that goes with it!

[radioheadchick1970]

Yeh I know, but half the fun for me at festivals is being with my friends and that includes around the campfire at night and all the sillyness that goes with it!

[possum]

Yeh I know, but half the fun for me at festivals is being with my friends and that includes around the campfire at night and all the sillyness that goes with it!

[LetsGoToMars]

I go pretty much through the town getting there from my parents. It's pretty speedy (for country roads) until you hit the queue, and then it's just solid. Timings really just depend on time of day/number of cars etc... Never been ridiculously bad tho. Last time I went (08) I left work at 1, drove home, picked up my (ready packed) stuff and headed off. Was pitched by 3.30 (I live about 40 minutes drive away)

[gooner1990]

Don't take it personally. but I hope I'm not next to your crew as you giggle around your camp fire through the night.

[fionchadd]

How far away are you when you usually hit the queues though? I've been 2 or 3 times via coach from the town but I've honestly just crashed out every time due to partying the night before, so never really paid attention to how the queues on the A361 are...