Back home early

[solitaire]

Not looking for any sympathy on here I wasn't hard done to, but it didn't all come together for me this time and I did try my best, but it's always nice if people do try to understand others even if it isn't something they would do and if they sympathise so be it. I do know what festivals and toilets are like I have been going to them since Reading 1975 and know what the toilets were like at Glastonbury in the 80's. But yeah I did spend a lot of money and it wasn't up to what I had paid for but that wasn't the whole of the reason I decided to come home (some of which is covered further down the thread). As for mentioning it to the "bloke on the way out" I believe he was some sort of site manager and he was very understanding and he did ask me to write it down on a proper comments form so it could be discussed at the debrief and followed up. Saying that though it wasn't a complaint I understood that the staff had done their very best and the weather had conspired to not make things work as well as they should (toilets out of use due to loss of power), but there was in my opinion and I believe the site manager a serious under estimation on the amount of facilities required.

[gibbin82]

I had the same feeling last year at Leeds festival but had no way of getting home so stuck with it. Thankfully once it got to Saturday night I started to enjoy myself and had a nice weekend.

Sorry to hear you didn't enjoy yourself. Nothing worse than something not living up to expectations and you end up in a shitty mood.

Hope you give it another go next year and look for other options rather than WV, you never know, it might end up being the best yet. Every year is different at every festival.

Edited June 28, 2014 by gibbin82

[frostypaw]

This reminds me very much of how in the original Worthy View thread some people kept mentioning how those who pay extra think that should buy them a superior festival experience

I think a lot of people will be reassessing if that's even ever a possibility - and to be honest I won't really miss them if they don't come back and join in with us commoners in the general camping. We are all in it together whether we like it or not!

And FFS people quit with leaving loo roll on long drop seats - barely been able to use one without peeling off what someone has left. Do kinda sympathise with the op having paid so much feeling pissed but generally a lot of folk who can't cope with festival

[amfy]

I think to some extent the OP may be suffering what we did last year. I think that for some of us, you do too many times, and you find yourself picking at everything that's wrong with it, simply because you've started to take everything that's brilliant about it for granted.

Last year we knew we had to have a year off, or we'd reach the point of never wanting to go back. This year, having watched it from home, and even if we hadn't watched it, hearing stuff from people we know who are there, we are dying to get back next year. The feeling that we should be there is ridiculously strong!

However, I know if we'd gone this time, especially with the weather being as it has, we'd probably be there for our last time.

Sometimes, you just have to know when to give it a rest. We've taken a step back, thought about what we want from it & what we get from it & simplified it a bit. We've recognised that at 50 odd we are too old to believe in Glastonbury magic. Its physically harder, our expectations are higher & less easily met, but we simply don't get a better 5 days anywhere else.

[Pauljoanss]

Having some trouble understanding this post.

Any regular festival goer is fully aware of the physical obsticale course that is involved and Gibbin82 appears to be very experienced. He is not someone who saw it on TV , thought that looks fun and then unable to face the hard realities.

I suspect he had mentally convinced himself that "this year will be easier" because of paying for WV, even though he knew the disadvantages of staying there. However with a bit of rain, some bad crowding experiences and WV not meeting expectations turned the experience into a disappointment.

I persuaded my wife to come in 2007 (Mudfest), we were aged 55 and she was someone who likes her home comforts. However we stayed until Sun night had a great time and that weekend remains one of the highlights of our married life, sadly she passed away last year.

I think the answer is that your expectations should not be too high, there definitely will be some very difficult times (in our case 2 return trips to the car on Fri taking 4 hrs each) and some highs (in our case watching her learning Samba dancing in her Wellies in The Pussy Parlour). Just a shame that money and tickets have been wasted.

[atomised]

It is a shame. I'm in my 3rd year away now following a bad year though so I too understand. The first 2 fests I watched on tv I enjoyed but didn't feel the pull but this year seems different, like all the negative memories are fading and I'm ready to discover it anew next year ticket permitting

[Bonedaddy]

I think to some extent the OP may be suffering what we did last year. I think that for some of us, you do too many times, and you find yourself picking at everything that's wrong with it, simply because you've started to take everything that's brilliant about it for granted.

Last year we knew we had to have a year off, or we'd reach the point of never wanting to go back. This year, having watched it from home, and even if we hadn't watched it, hearing stuff from people we know who are there, we are dying to get back next year. The feeling that we should be there is ridiculously strong!

However, I know if we'd gone this time, especially with the weather being as it has, we'd probably be there for our last time.

Sometimes, you just have to know when to give it a rest. We've taken a step back, thought about what we want from it & what we get from it & simplified it a bit. We've recognised that at 50 odd we are too old to believe in Glastonbury magic. Its physically harder, our expectations are higher & less easily met, but we simply don't get a better 5 days anywhere else.

[mattgimmeshelter]

I appreciate that you wanted to go home

But can those who care about being tired and have a tendency to leave festivals early steer clear of ticket day and make it easier for those who actually want to go. Thanks.

Even if I broke my leg from walking and became drenched in rain i'd stay at that fest till the bitter end - I find it shocking you can pay so much and then just leave

[amfy]

@gibbin82 - go on - just drive down with a little tent, airbeds & sleeping bags - keep it simple - pitch on Bushy near Gate D - & see Kasabian!

You can do it. It'll just be the latest crazy Glastonbury story!

[Random Circle]

Glastonbury is fucking hard work, no two ways about that. And it simply ain't everyone's cup of tea. I always advise these two points to any new people. I just don't get this 'bucket list' mentality that saw my brother's mate going with her elderly parents for the first time this year because 'it's something you have to do'. Some people fucking hate it, and nothing to do with age.

Just narrowly avoided having to drive down to site today to pick up 'abandoned' passengers, as their lift, on his first festival, has got the hump, hates the festival and packed to go early this morning.

To the OP: I wonder (and hope) if you decided to travel back down today, refreshed after a shower and shave.. I once did 400mile round trip twice during the festival, as ex was on curfew. Arriving refreshed and showered late in the festival did enhance the experience, slightly. It can be done! And frankly, the NYC thing, etc, was always going to be over-subscribed...

[Big Vern]

I think this year will be a bad one for overcrowding due to the line up, there are very few big clashes. I imagine Dolly will be horrendous this afternoon (not her).

[Random Circle]

Oh, and to the person who mentioned that nasty jeering in the crowd: I definitely read something (in The Guardian, I believe) that said security had ejected a heckling trouble-maker who was making inappropriate jeers towards a performer. Let's hope it was that sorry fucker..

[mattgimmeshelter]

I think this year will be a bad one for overcrowding due to the line up, there are very few big clashes. I imagine Dolly will be horrendous this afternoon (not her).

[Ed209]

I appreciate that you wanted to go home

But can those who care about being tired and have a tendency to leave festivals early steer clear of ticket day and make it easier for those who actually want to go. Thanks.

Even if I broke my leg from walking and became drenched in rain i'd stay at that fest till the bitter end - I find it shocking you can pay so much and then just leave

[mattgimmeshelter]

Put a sock in it, mate. I thought you didn't even try for tickets this year.

It's alarming to me that a veteran is leaving that early.

I have to reiterate the sentiments of amyf. Fell out of love with glasto last year after 10 successive festivals. It was time for a break this year. This weekend has been very strange but not the depressing hell I had imagined. It has made me want to go back and i might well do next year. But glasto isn't the be all and end all and the "Glasto spirit" isnt a unique quality of the festival that it once might have been. In fact, as I have discovered there's loads of other festivals that do the "glasto spirit" much better than glasto does it.

Be interested to hear how others have found it this year because I know there were quite a few on here last year who felt the same way I did but wanted to give it one more go

[Aragorn]

Ill read this whole thread when i get home but whilst i have had a great time its also been shocking at times. I've been 9 times and never seen such arseholes but also met some great people. At the urinals by the cabaret tent last night loads of blokes pissing on the floor right in front of signs saying thanks for not doing that. People pushing past aggresively to get to the front. The blondie crowd at the other stage was dangerous and almost resulted in casualties. So many people here these days that just think they can do what they like with no regard for others. Having said that i've still had a good time but the festival dynamic is changing.

[gibbin82]

For anyone who thinks I just couldn't hack it, please bear this in mind. I was there in 2007 and the conditions were horrendous, people breaking ankles after getting stuck in the mud, tents washed away in mud slurries, yet we both really enjoyed ourselves (it was her first Glastonbury). Then last year my partner had a bout of severe gastro-enteritis very early Saturday morning that lasted about 6 hours, it was so bad I and the camp stewards were considering calling an ambulance for her, but once it had stopped despite her being completely drained (literally) we carried on and even went down to see the Rolling Stones, and the festival on the whole was one of the best we have ever had (on the Monday we joked we could do another 5 days of it).

But for us this year was different, and things added together made it all not worth it for us. It took quite a bit of heartache and consideration before we decided to leave the descision was not taken at all lightly, but take one of the things away that was spoiling our festival (thinking WV here) and the balance would have been tilted so much we would still be there enjoying ourselves.

[wbarenno]

The whole festival going crowd has changed. Its now a festival season in the shops and that. Its the in thing to go to a festival now. Glastonburys seen as the king so its always going to attract more and more dickheads.

People are just going cause its the in thing and

have no appreciation of the history or the vibe of glastonbury.

Im affraid thats the truth for us now,you either accept it or dont bother going.

Edited June 29, 2014 by wbarenno

[wolfamongwolves]

The green man and the end of the road festivals are just big enough. I honestly look at Glastonbury and don't know how you do it. If I were I'm my twenties I would struggle .

[Big Vern]

180,000 people go to this thing what do you expect?

I don't understand why people complain about over-crowding. YOU'RE AT GLASTONBURY

[Riggins]

The green man and the end of the road festivals are just big enough. I honestly look at Glastonbury and don't know how you do it. If I were I'm my twenties I would struggle .

[hedgepeg]

looks terrible this year. i think it's got far too bloated, like the no- face spirit in spirited away.

[king of carott flowers]

maybe its becuase I am watching it through the ever creeping coverage of BBC but shite, it just looks like someone has tried to put on the biggest ( not necessarily best ) festival in the world.. all way too serious, lost its cause, meaning, collective spirit and purpose..Sad days... Or maybe its because I am old and Glastonbury have achieved its aim of shifting the demographics.

[neil999]

wonder when they will reach tipping point..

been getting bigger and bigger since mid nineties

[king of carott flowers]

difficult to tell without being there but the this now seems to be a goal rather than just someting happening...Or maybe for what ever reason I now have different view. Genuinely dont know..