Worthy View

[Squiby]

Stayed at WV in 2013 and it was fabulous. Stayed in 2014 and it was crap. 2.5 times more people, tents miles up the hill within the campsite, no increase in shower provision and they broke down for 1.5 days and reopened with queues of over 2 hours for women. Probs with the electricity so no hairdryers or the like either most of Saturday and Sunday and no refunds for lack of service either!!

That hill is a killer and I am reasonably fit - go the gym etc.. different being at gym I am not drunk/stoned!

When tickets wen ton sale for WV 2014 it was like T day - most good options for 2-4 people sold out in under 4 minutes and you need to pay in full for what you book so a big outlay around xmas. Not worth it at all now. Going back down to main campsite with a pass to a pamper parlour somewhere this year.

[phillyfaddle]

This is puzzling - were we staying at different places? I'm a woman who had a shower every day around 8:30 to 9am. I didn't queue more than 30 mins or so (the queue looked bigger than it was). The time went past quickly chatting to peeps. I also used the hairdryers/straighteners facilities and never experienced any problems with the electricity supply. Didn't have to queue that long for those either. Maybe it was just worse later in the mornings.

The hill up is short and I found it fine, even after copious amounts of booze. For me, it seemed a very short walk from the gate to our scout tent (which was right at the top end of the site) compared to where we usually camp in Hitchin Hill. But then I spend most of my time at West Holts, Avalon, The Park, Greenfields and Shangri-la. I guess if you prefer the Silver Hayes/John Peel/Other/Pyramid areas it would be a complete pain.

Ref the leaking tents, I did a quick check of ours when I arrived and adjusted the pitching, as the inner sheet was not covered properly by the fly sheet in places at the back. It was hardly a major hassle adjusting a couple of pegs and it meant we kept dry when the inevitable rain arrived.

WV is definitely not 'boutique' camping though. I agree the prices are equivalent to boutique at other fests. But honestly, escaping that 1 hour plus SAS yomp from the car park to campsite with all your gear, was so worth it - I'll be back this year.

[tullux]

This one is from 2014. Note how small The Park looks.

wow, great pic!!!

i am now a little bit doubtful. my plan was to book a podpad.

but the statements above let me rethink.

last time i have been at tangerine fields and was quite happy with them.

where are on the picture the breakfest facility, the showers and loos,

where are the podpads?

can anybody help?

Edited October 6, 2014 by tullux

[LittleLil]

We booked a Scout tent in the Tangerine Fields today. Was thinking of Worthy View but couldn't wait till end of October to book! Preferred the location of the Tangerine Fields as nearer the Pyramid stage.

[kingjamma]

wow, great pic!!!

i am now a little bit doubtful. my plan was to book a podpad.

but the statements above let me rethink.

last time i have been at tangerine fields and was quite happy with them.

where are on the picture the breakfest facility, the showers and loos,

where are the podpads?

can anybody help?

When looking at this picture, the pod pads are in the group that looks a bit like an equilateral triangle in the field next to the car park. The showers and main toilets are by the large white tents next to the farm on the scout tent side (the multi coloured ones). There's also a smallish food stall there and then the large white tent right at the bottom at the top of the hill from the gate is the main food area with places to sit inside and out.

[tullux]

big thank you, kingjamma!

its quite bigger than tf...

[The Nal]

Are the Tangerine Fields huge too?

[Field Commander Jefferson]

How long until people camping INSIDE the fence are the minority?!

[Wherethewildthingsare]

Fabulous pic! I could find My car If I could remember which row I parked it in...

My bell tent had a big flag so I think I can spot it

This one is from 2014. Note how small The Park looks.

[Wherethewildthingsare]

No - a fraction of the size, you can see the mainly orange mass of tents at the very top rightish of Stubert's photo

Are the Tangerine Fields huge too?

[Wherethewildthingsare]

I second all of that, the (open) showers certainly didn't encourage lingering... only discovered the private showers on the last day!

This is puzzling - were we staying at different places? I'm a woman who had a shower every day around 8:30 to 9am. I didn't queue more than 30 mins or so (the queue looked bigger than it was). The time went past quickly chatting to peeps. I also used the hairdryers/straighteners facilities and never experienced any problems with the electricity supply. Didn't have to queue that long for those either. Maybe it was just worse later in the mornings.

The hill up is short and I found it fine, even after copious amounts of booze. For me, it seemed a very short walk from the gate to our scout tent (which was right at the top end of the site) compared to where we usually camp in Hitchin Hill. But then I spend most of my time at West Holts, Avalon, The Park, Greenfields and Shangri-la. I guess if you prefer the Silver Hayes/John Peel/Other/Pyramid areas it would be a complete pain.

Ref the leaking tents, I did a quick check of ours when I arrived and adjusted the pitching, as the inner sheet was not covered properly by the fly sheet in places at the back. It was hardly a major hassle adjusting a couple of pegs and it meant we kept dry when the inevitable rain arrived.

WV is definitely not 'boutique' camping though. I agree the prices are equivalent to boutique at other fests. But honestly, escaping that 1 hour plus SAS yomp from the car park to campsite with all your gear, was so worth it - I'll be back this year.

[ladybird33]

I stayed at Wv for the past 5 or 6 festivals. Last yr and the one before when Gf took over were fine if you don't have the previous years to compare it to, but it's increased in size by about 10 fold and is now soulless. Don't get me wrong, the advantages do outweigh the negatives, as long as you only want a place to crash. And who wants anything more at pilton? I particularly love the location.

However, there's no real community feel there anymore and people keep themselves to themselves.

So next yr we're passing on Wv and trying camping elsewhere - incidentally with a group we met there about 4 festivals ago!

[kingjamma]

I 100% recomend Worthy View as this year was the most stress free arrival and departure I've had. Instead of slumming it in the car all night not getting any sleep, we stayed in a hotel in Frome and got on site for about 10ish (no traffic what so ever) with no worries about having to trek with all our kit looking for a decent place to pitch. The car park wasn't that full by then either so I was parked a mere 100 metres from the gate. There was no queue to get in and the check in was very well organised as there was seperate tents for you to go to depending on what you bought. I had torn my ACJ in my left shoulder only two weeks before hand and the total distance to carry my stuff from car to tent didn't aggrivate it at all.

I thought the showers and toilets were very good and were cleaned frequently. I did notice that from the Friday the queues were getting longer, but the only major problems were when they had a power failure and had to close all the toilets. But if you walked to one of the sets of portaloos that weren't to far away then all was good, and the portaloos were also cleaned very well. The shower queues were as to be expected, but weren't too bad and moved quite quickly. Although Saturday was very bad, especially for the male showers as they had such a high demand they had problems with the pressure and were getting close to their water quota. The water quota might be something to think about with the amount of people there for next time.

The hill can be a killer, but it's over quite quickly. I found the more drunk I was, the less I noticed it.

I stayed in a two man yurt and have to say it was excellent. It looked a bit small on the outside, but was actually very spacious inside and did not get hot in the sun.

When exiting the site there was once agian no traffic at all.

I personally feel the ease of getting on site, the closeness to the car, arriving not long after gates open and feeling fresh and with no worries about walking all your kit for miles before setting up a tent, and then being able to just go straight inside to enjoy yourself knowing everything is sorted is well worth the money.

[al_coholic]

I stayed in WV in 2013 and it was very good, although only about half the size of 2014. The toilets were ok till the sunday, the showers were fine. The walk back at night was tough but it was worth it for the closeness of the car park and ease of getting sleep.

In 2014 I camped in Oxylers right by the path between the campsite and the other stage. It was a brilliant location during the day could sit in a chair at my tent and watch the Other stage, but the noise was constant for 24 hours. This was mostly due to people going back and forwards to Arcadia in its stupid new location all night. I barely got any sleep Friday - Sunday. I have no intention of camping there again.

I suppose I like the idea of WV and the cost doesn't bother me so much, but the hill does and the stories about not enough loos etc.. I really hate queuing.

[bsolxiv]

How long until people camping INSIDE the fence are the minority?!

Don't worry, one day the whole site will be a giant Worthy View:

Quote from ME: "I would actually like to see, in about 10-15 years time, a situation where every single tent is provided by us, and we can make sure that we can keep them, and store them for the following year.”

[russycarps]

I cant believe there was no electricity for hairdryers and straighteners! Must have been absolutely devastating.

[bsolxiv]

I cant believe there was no electricity for hairdryers and straighteners! Must have been absolutely devastating.

:sleep: :sleep:

[OBface]

Don't worry, one day the whole site will be a giant Worthy View:

Quote from ME: "I would actually like to see, in about 10-15 years time, a situation where every single tent is provided by us, and we can make sure that we can keep them, and store them for the following year.”

But wasn't ME's comment aimed at reducing the number of tents etc left behind each year rather than something more sinister?

[bsolxiv]

But wasn't ME's comment aimed at reducing the number of tents etc left behind each year rather than something more sinister?

What do you mean by sinister?

[OBface]

Sinister was probably too strong. I mean replacing what we have now with neatly lined up tents with more luxurious facilities etc.

[bsolxiv]

I would say that "luxurious" is relative, in WV it ain't luxury. And I doubt half the people there even used the extra facilities.

Sinister was probably too strong. I mean replacing what we have now with neatly lined up tents with more luxurious facilities etc.

Well I wouldn't be surprised if that happens, I bet Worthy View will get bigger (there are loads of fields around the site unused that would love the extra cash), then Tangerine Fields will get taken over by GF. Eventually the tents will bleed inside the fence slowly taking over the other camping fields (which are getting smaller every year).

WV sold out in record time, so why wouldn't ME want to do it? people are clearly willing to pay extra to camp in a pre erected tent outside the fence. I bet he could charge double for the same in Pennards and still sell in minutes.

[gmb1992]

I cant believe there was no electricity for hairdryers and straighteners! Must have been absolutely devastating.

If people want to use hairdryers and straighteners why is that an issue?

The festival has those facilities for people to use and if you are expecting it i'm sure you'd be a bit put out if there was no electric

I'm just looking forward to perhaps having a shower if get a podpad.

[bsolxiv]

If people want to use hairdryers and straighteners why is that an issue?

The festival has those facilities for people to use and if you are expecting it i'm sure you'd be a bit put out if there was no electric

I'm just looking forward to perhaps having a shower if get a podpad.

[russycarps]

I would say that "luxurious" is relative, in WV it ain't luxury. And I doubt half the people there even used the extra facilities.

Well I wouldn't be surprised if that happens, I bet Worthy View will get bigger (there are loads of fields around the site unused that would love the extra cash), then Tangerine Fields will get taken over by GF. Eventually the tents will bleed inside the fence slowly taking over the other camping fields (which are getting smaller every year).

WV sold out in record time, so why wouldn't ME want to do it? people are clearly willing to pay extra to camp in a pre erected tent outside the fence. I bet he could charge double for the same in Pennards and still sell in minutes.

What rot.

[bsolxiv]

It's just, like, my opinion man.

What IS rot is the view that everyone camps inside the fence for some kind of "communal experience". Most people these days just want somewhere to sleep, so why not provide that too?

Honestly, if ME said Glastonbury 2016 would be £100 more expensive and only pre erected tents, do you think it wouldn't sell out?