From joy to desolation...

[bexj]

So I emailed my mum full of joy to tell her the tickets had arrived. She rang me back to she has broken her leg:-(

It is her first glasto, first gig even at a good (middle) age of 65. She is still hoping she can go!! Credit to her for her optimism - I'm not so sure.

[rexclark]

Good on her for the optimism! I can't imagine it'll be easy doing the fest with a broken leg but it's not impossible. She'll just have to take it easy and take her time but that's what Glastonbury is all about!

Really hope it works out for you both.

[jimmyt]

You need one rollerskate!

[DeadAmos]

You need one rollerskate!

[matt2007]

Get her used to crutches, get a good camping chair, plenty of time, she will enjoy...............

Don't let her say no

[4AssedMonkey]

Having broken a foot and a leg, i'd say make sure you get the old style armpit length crutches if possible. So much easier and more comfortable for the longer distance stuff. Managed a full pub crawl on mine and even stayed upright whilst half pissed. The others are f**king agony.

[norainplease]

So I emailed my mum full of joy to tell her the tickets had arrived. She rang me back to she has broken her leg:-(

It is her first glasto, first gig even at a good (middle) age of 65. She is still hoping she can go!! Credit to her for her optimism - I'm not so sure.

Edited May 31, 2011 by norainplease

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

Lash her to a stack truck in a Hanibal Lecture stylee and wheel her around.

[dirty_dog]

throw her in a shopping trolley. sorted.

Edited June 2, 2011 by dirty_dog

[bexj]

Loving the suggestions! I've emailed the disabled enquiries person to see if there's anything they can suggest. But if any of you see a knackered looking lady pulling a delighted smiling older lady about in the trolley, then spare me a wave (or a pint!)

[Gnomicide]

Lash her to a stack truck in a Hanibal Lecture stylee and wheel her around.

[LusciousLucy]

Oh bad luck Bexj's mum.

BUT...the weather is looking good and so along with everyone else I am going to say, if she feels up to it then go. Ok so possibly Shangri La may be off the menu now due to distances needed to be travelled etc although its open by day and without the one way system.

There is an option if you are strong enough. A bit pricey maybe but when I was at Camp Bestival a gentleman who would normally be have been in a wheelchair was being pulled around in one of those large green garden trolley/trucks. (The type you normally see kids being dragged around in and having been customised. Speaking to him and his family, he said this was an easier option and then when it comes to others needing to sit down to rest from the effort of pulling the trolley, the sides of the trolley can open and it turns into a sofa.

Camp at the base of Pennards and you may even get some willing recruits from CT as extra pullers!

[paulo999]

So I emailed my mum full of joy to tell her the tickets had arrived. She rang me back to she has broken her leg:-(

It is her first glasto, first gig even at a good (middle) age of 65. She is still hoping she can go!! Credit to her for her optimism - I'm not so sure.

[Andeeroo]

Oh no!

But it sounds like your mum is determined to go. And if she is, she'll survive it fine! Do get advice from a medical guru first though!

[Kyelo]

Get her a wheel chair(weather permitting)and she won't notice the difference!

[Breeze]

Bust my foot just before Glasto 97 which was a mudfest - if your mum has to keep her leg elevated (usually the case if the cast covers the ankle) then she will need a wheelchair - it's a nightmare to keep your foot up enough and get good bloodflow any other way. Poor bloodflow = probably poor healing and complications.

[Mackem]

Bust my foot just before Glasto 97 which was a mudfest - if your mum has to keep her leg elevated (usually the case if the cast covers the ankle) then she will need a wheelchair - it's a nightmare to keep your foot up enough and get good bloodflow any other way. Poor bloodflow = probably poor healing and complications.

[Spindles]

It would be really brave to go to her first glasto at such an age with a broken leg. I have always been impressed by the tenacity of those who go with leg in plaster (I know how much of a drag it can be just dealing with that on normal streets and conditions) and for someone of senior years, with no experience of festivals it seems like a tall order. If she has plenty of support from those around her I'm sure it will be manageable though. Good luck.

People WILL rally round and help, I can assure you, complete strangers.

On the friday morning in 2009 I saw a beautiful sight. The rain was still pouring and access to the railway track was a little slippy, having made my way up on the pennards crossroads I was met with the sight of a chap in a motorised wheelchair, surrounded by lads carrying a gazebo over him, each on a corner. They were wandering along, sheltering him from the elements completely nonchalantly as if it was the most normal thing in the world. I have seen a photo somewhere (one of the '09 photo reviews in the press iirc) of the same scene elsewhere on site, so this wasn't just a momentary thing.

Sadly, disabled camping mentions that temporary injuries are not covered, however based on her age, being her first festival, I would drop them an email (closing date for disabled camping requests was also last friday).

Festival medical are BRILLIANT (I have some fantastic friends who work shifts as nurses with them) and will be happy to provide any medical support needed during the festival if she finds it hard going.

[MyTwistedWords]

People WILL rally round and help, I can assure you, complete strangers.

On the friday morning in 2009 I saw a beautiful sight. The rain was still pouring and access to the railway track was a little slippy, having made my way up on the pennards crossroads I was met with the sight of a chap in a motorised wheelchair, surrounded by lads carrying a gazebo over him, each on a corner. They were wandering along, sheltering him from the elements completely nonchalantly as if it was the most normal thing in the world. I have seen a photo somewhere (one of the '09 photo reviews in the press iirc) of the same scene elsewhere on site, so this wasn't just a momentary thing.

[Spindles]

Absolutely, it was everything about the spirit that you could want. I hadn't made it to glastonbury since the fence went up til then and it just rammed the message home that, despite all the "it's not as good as it used to be" comments I hear from every direction, the heart was still there.

[amfy]

How long are you planning on going for? My mum did her first Glastonbury at a simailar age last year (68) and joined us by coach on Friday, and we took all her stuff so she had nothing to carry. She had had a knee operation only a few months earlier and had been advised not to "walk up or down hills and to avoid uneven ground" so we had a contingency plan that my brother would come and get her if she found she couldn't cope. As it turned out she was fine, but of course it was sunny then, so we have all the same plans in place for this year in case the conditions aren't as favourable.

The deciding factor for my mum to come again this year was that theres not another one for 2 years and at that age, you don't know how long you'll have good enough health to go for it (actually - in this life do you ever?). Also - tickets are becoming more and more of a lottery again so everyone should treat every Glastonbury like it might be their last anyway - who knows whether you'll get tickets again?

So - my advice would be to try and keep the festival short for her, and have a back up plan to get her off site if she's not coping, but I think she should give it a go.

[anoldhippie@60]

Like another poster said I am sure people will help push your Mum around if you are going the same way. I will give you a hand if I happen to see you. Look out for an old git with a rasta hat on, but not the hair to fill it.