Going again ?

[denwyn]

I said this was to be my last Glastonbury,my age and aching body is telling me to quite now. This year was a total disaster, i was really very poorly on Thursday afternoon and could not cope at all and had to go home. Really very pissed of i spent £200 on a ticket only to end up watching it on TV. I am now thinking of trying for a ticket in 2013, and seeing how things pan out,i will never do the camping again though,maybe a camper van if i can hire one cheap enough,or more likely B&B near Glastonbury or travel daily from home (25miles one way ). i would not have to go then till Friday midday....Downsides i can think of is two ciders a day,due to driving....but no uncomfortable nights in a tent again and i can take my own food in daily.....I will never eat at Glastonbury again as i am 99% certain a vegie breakfast in Park area was my downfall,not knocking the food at all,but i won't ever risk it again...

[LusciousLucy]

Two years is a long way off. What you choose to do and how to cope is down to you. There are plenty of people who stay in campervans or stay off site and cope well enough.

[doubledutch]

That is such a shame that you had to cut your festival short.

I found it tough going too; at 55 my knees and ankles not up to walking through the heavy mud and and standing for long stretches. However, I must add I am at least 3 stone overweight and not very fit.

I cannot contemplate not going in 2013, have already investigated hiring a campervan - though the camping itself is not the issue, it is the carrying rucksack, tent etc from car to pitching place and back I find the real killer! My mission now is to lose the extra weight and get fit, as I want to continue to enjoy Glasto for years to come!

Edited June 30, 2011 by doubledutch

[liamgazza]

I had my worst year last year and didn't plan on going this year but then when tickets went on sale, the thought of not going was too much. Luckily, I got one and had perhaps the best year this year!

So hopefully will be there in 2013 but we're also tempted to go in a campervan. But, as said, a hell of a lot can change in two years.

[The Nal]

What age are you? I saw a 70 year old (minimum) couple climbing out of a tent on Friday. They seemed ok.

Id suggest a campervan maybe?

[rabid]

We didn't go this year and didn't miss it at all. We may not be back.

[amfy]

Sorry that after deliberating so long about going you ended up not being able to enjoy the festival, and after this one was "stolen" from you, I think coming again in 2013, but looking at some different options in a good idea.

We're also thinking a campervan or some other off-site option for next time. I have never struggled so much as I did getting in on Wednesday. We arrived just after the rain and trying to drag our trolley as a dead weight with jammed wheels through the mud churned hell of gate D to ever dwindling camping spaces, and ending up next door to campervan west anyway, the advantages of camping felt ever less important!

In fact, when we were chatting to anyone around the site and they asked us where we were camped we found ourselves saying "You see the furthest field you can see, just past the ribbon tower on the right? Well we are 2 fields past that!" The camping stretches so much further than it ever did before. I used to love being in the middle of the action, but when you end up camped that far away, it is hard to see why you have struggled so hard to drag your stuff on site, when you could have just parked it 200 yards away!

I honestly have no problem with the "being in a tent" part of camping - in fact it is still something I love and will be sad to say goodbye to, but when the weather turns on you in the way it did on Wednesday, there comes a point where you say "I'm nearly 50 years old! I don't need this!"

Not meant to be a whinge, or a moan, or a criticism of the festival, just an admission that I'm not as young as I used to be I guess!

[bumpy_capers]

After seeing what it has become ? No.

My expectations are clearly at fault. Couldn't possibly by anything wrong with Glastonbury's ethos, execution or demographic

[jimmyt]

Despite the misery I was experiencing as I crashed (hard) on Tuesday, I have already begun looking into the cost of campervans and fully intend to go again in 2013, if I can get a ticket. I've told myself many times (normally the day after a festival) that I'm done and won't go again. I always change my mind. I need Glasto.

[pie_and_a_pint]

I'm only in my mid-30s but I have problems with my knees and I struggled in the mud - I was in a lot of pain by Sunday. I'll be back in 2013 (and every year thereafter) but I'm going to have to make some adaptations. I'll either have to consider a campervan or invest in a tent I can stand up in, an airbed, some walking poles etc. Plenty of time to sort it out!

[Bisque]

Most definitely. But my feet could do with the year off & I fancy creating carnage at Reading.

[ukslim]

Denwyn, you can't let this one bad year (for you) ruin everything.

I spent a day in 2005 puking into a carrier bag in my tent. I'm not prepared to blame a stallholder -- it could just as easily have been my own carelessness with hand washing. And I've had many joyous Glastonburies since then.

You needn't be uncomfortable in a tent. A decent camp bed works wonders.

I dunno how old you are -- I'm pushing 40 myself -- but it's always possible to just take it a bit easier.

The campervan options sounds good at first - but the long walk onto the site uses up valuable energy. Ditto the long walk from the car park if you drive in daily.

[Amii]

This makes me very nervous. My currently 55 year old Dad will be coming with me in 2013, to be fair he looks about 25 and goes to the gym daily - he's fitter and stronger than I'll ever be, but now even I'm questioning it!

[Redwinevino]

Yes

[mike46]

So sorry to hear you had to leave, but You can't wave goodbye with that! get a campervan or offsite (hell it's two years away and if it's going to be your last one save up and do that 'flyglastonbury' thing!) and go out win a blaze of glory

[strudders]

This was my last one and I defiantly wont be back

On a physical level I simply cant do it justice, moping about the pyramid is not Glastonbury for me when there is so much to see and do elsewhere and when I did venture further afield (we made it up to the stone circle on Wednesday) I spent most of the next day in the camp recovering. It also took as an hour to get back on Wednesday night as I had to keep stopping.

Also I did not enjoy the huge crowds on Sunday. We left Paul Simon to go back to camp to get some shade and for me to have some rest and it took us half an hour to go 20 meters.

Its fine if your able bodied but I am not and is something I now know I need to avoid.

The festival for me this year was always going to be different and I know in two years I cant see me being in an any better position to be able to have as much fun as I used to at one of the worlds greatest party's

So I bow out and leave to everybody else....

So long and and thanks for all the fish....

Edited June 30, 2011 by strudders

[amfy]

This makes me very nervous. My currently 55 year old Dad will be coming with me in 2013, to be fair he looks about 25 and goes to the gym daily - he's fitter and stronger than I'll ever be, but now even I'm questioning it!

[Aragorn]

in 2 minds - queues to get in have become ridiculous tuesday night / wednesday and I am never doing that again

I only really like the naughty corner and greenfields part of the site as I am not really into music in a massive way so if next year we find a festival of that ilk - we may not return to glasto for awhile, I could never say never

if I do go again Tangerine Fields or campervan to avoid having to get there at silly o clock tuesday just to get a decent camping spot

[HurrahBrother]

My current thinking is that if I go again, i'll likely be working my ticket.

I know a couple of people involved with the Green police and they keep trying to badger me in into joining! I wouldn't mind doing a few smaller events with them next year first.

[amfy]

Strudders - it is such a shame that our tickets don't come with an accurate weather forecast. If you could guarantee that nice middling weather that we got for most of 2008/9 then I know you could do it again, but even as an able bodied person, there were times over the weekend when the challenge of the mud had me questioning my sanity. Oddly - I coped with 2007 with no difficulty so I'm not sure if it's me being 4 years older or just a different kind of mud.

I too ended up spending most of the weekend at The Pyramid because my mum couldn't cope with the conditions, and I know exactly what you mean about it not being a proper Glastonbury. It made me really cross with myself that I was there and not doing it properly! I can fully understand your sense of pointlessness at turning up there to feel only that frustration.

Still - I feel sad that you have to stop now, but I hope that you can find a smaller festival that has the quirks and interest to be worthwhile for you, so that you can keep the torch burning for a while yet.

[Oddone]

You needn't be uncomfortable in a tent. A decent camp bed works wonders.

[geebus]

As far as camping goes, as ever it's often about having the right kit.

I have some issues so did stay in my campervan this year (which is a decent bit of a walk as it is, it should be noted, especially when you've set your mates tents up in Oxylers), but previous years I have taken a full sprung single mattress. King size duvet, blackout tent with ear plugs and face mask (well, random black tshirt) and I've generally managed to sleep better than my friends, despite being a lgiht sleeper. Sure, the mattress might be taking it a bit TOO far, but there's certainly plenty of ways to make camping more comfortable.

The site has got bigger over the years, but you can always limit yourself to one section per day.

The obvious answer for food poisoning etc is just to sort food yourself.

This makes me very nervous. My currently 55 year old Dad will be coming with me in 2013, to be fair he looks about 25 and goes to the gym daily - he's fitter and stronger than I'll ever be, but now even I'm questioning it!

Edited June 30, 2011 by geebus

[tinktink]

when reading posts on here I can't work out if the camper van is a good option or not ? last year was up hitchens hill say no more, this year because it took us 4hrs to get it we were soaked and knackered and as we got in gate A we just walked down and there was an field with a dozen tents in, we decided to set up here, half hour later they cornered of the field and explained to us that this was also a family field and should have been blocked off, they said we could all stay but to be aware of noise ( no problem anyway), but the trek down to even the pyramid in sore wellies especially as the walk consisted of left welly in twist welly out of mud and same again with other foot was a nightmare, so i take it the camper fields are just the same distance away, I think they should make a over 40s field in the centre having said that its a wonder the very young healthy ones who come on a shoe string come back to the gates and lug your stuff for you for a tenner or that I would have easily paid up. is there a thread on here just to discuss campervan pros & cons ?

[ukmountie]

I'm going to be crucified for this... but Winding Lake have regular buses to and from Gate C. Very welcome at the end of a long days walking. Next time I'll be 50 and I'm a HFS so I will be doing it again.

[Spindles]

This was my last one and I defiantly wont be back