Queueing at Glastonbury

[Staff_Sav]

As absurd as it may seem, if it's raining, I'll queue in the rain to poop in a toilet with a roof

I queued to use the flushing loo's whilst raining last year (was camped in big ground anyway), and when I finally got to my throne, there was a leak in the roof directing all the water directly on my head. I don't think I've ever been so upset in my life

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

Arrive Wednesday afternoon about 2pm and walk straight in has been my experience in later years. Just enough time to get to your camp site, pitch up and make your way over to the efests meet up. I'm going to miss meeting up with you lot this year. Oh well. absence makes the heart grow fonder.

[kalifire]

Good calls on the phone charging queues. Each to their own, but I stood in disbelief at the length of the queue to have the opportunity to sit next to a plug socket for 45 minutes. All in, those people must have wasted a good couple of prime time Glastonbury Festival hours so they can send rubbish photos of what they're watching to people at home who have an televised, HD version beaming into their living room. Mind-boggling, really. One of the things I loved about it last year was that once through the gates, the outside world ceases to exist.

[stuartbert two hats]

It didn't take long last year for the queues for the urinals to descend into absolute chaos, with many men openly urinating onto the ground next to the barrier, while other men queued patiently for a trough.

That is something I'll never understand. I think they should redesign the urinals so that there are troughs on all sides. At least that might reduce the number of animals that piss on the barrier and onto the floor. Not that they *should* have to, but it's probably a cheaper solution than getting stewards to shout at the floor pissers all night.

[davefrompompey]

I'm firmly in the 'wouldn't queue for more than five minutes for anything' camp, although that's consistently meant missing out on the Temple as there always seems to be a massive queue. Anyone know the best time to get in there? It's a catch 22 really - if you don't have to queue then you run the risk of it being empty and a shit atmosphere inside. Ideally want to get there just as it's filling up.

Sometimes, though, the queueing experience at Glastonbury is just as good as the venue! I met and had a lovely chat with an Australian girl in a queue last year - she'd flown over, alone!, just for the festival.

Another fantastic queueing experience last year was at a bar in Shangri-Hell (not sure which) where a transvestite was signing people off of an imaginary guest list. Told her my name was Professor Monobrow Snazzypants and that I was conducting research into Martian Golf Course Design and she took me in the bar and got me a free drink! Wonderful stuff.

[Harry3]

Best time to go to Temple would be to miss headliners on the Friday/Saturday and go to SE Corner before the rush

[gmb1992]

I hate queuing for a wee... need more sheewees

[Untz]

I hate queuing for a wee... need more sheewees

If I could use my shewee funnel thing without getting it all over myself/floor/everything in a 50m radius, I would be fairly happy with just using the normal urinals especially after a few drinks. I have no shame.

[cham08]

Only thing I queued for last year was the helter skelter in Avalon - my 18 month old lad had to go on it at least 3 times a day. Still better than being in the kids field though - and Yam the Cassava - a Glastonbury must for me.

I went up the Ribbon Tower on Wednesday night last year (well about 2-3 am on Thursday morning) only went up as there was no queue. Also ended up being in some venues in SW corner I haven't been in before as there was no queue. Everyone else must have been in the queue for the silent disco.

In a random conversation I had with someone working at the festival about the phone charging areas - I was saying I don't see the point in queuing etc. He said that they run on a 45 min cycle, so if you join the queue at the end of this cycle you should only have to wait a few minutes. I have never felt the need so didn't try.

[dondo]

I have never been up the ribbon tower [edit: not a euphemism]

The most tedious queue and only one i will do is for lunch in toms field, the crew canteen is heaving at lunchtime but I've worked damn hard for that vegetable lasagne and I'm fucked if I'm paying for my own lunch.

Feeling very belligerent today, I think the headliner thread has finally worn me down.

Yes- Q in Tom's Field canteen can be a bloody nightmare

I rememeber my 1st time back litter picking for 5 years in 2010 waking up with what I thought was plenty of time to get breakfast before my shift started (and in need of breakfast due to few too many beers/ciders night before) to be greeted by ginormous queue and no hope of getting my fry up :-(

[gmb1992]

If I could use my shewee funnel thing without getting it all over myself/floor/everything in a 50m radius, I would be fairly happy with just using the normal urinals especially after a few drinks. I have no shame.

Haha fair enough

I got the sheewee extreme, best tenner i have ever spent!!

[glasto-worker]

Yes- Q in Tom's Field canteen can be a bloody nightmare

I rememeber my 1st time back litter picking for 5 years in 2010 waking up with what I thought was plenty of time to get breakfast before my shift started (and in need of breakfast due to few too many beers/ciders night before) to be greeted by ginormous queue and no hope of getting my fry up :-(

The WBC owns its own Catering Company and they start at 6am so I make sure I have breakfast as soon as they open - very few people about and its a bigger breakfast { image is from Glasto 2014 } - the Catering Company shares the same mess tent to where I work and I start my shift just after breakfast and as the hours tick on the queue gets bigger but the breakfast gets smaller.

sure its a dead early time to start but it means a better breakfast with no hassle over a queue.

Some people waste hours just standing about but with a bit more planning they can avoid it.

[giantkatestacks]

Our shifts start at our working field at 6am and so I think breakfast is from 5am - still no chance of making it though as it is so heaving at that time. I just grab my thermos of tea and belt down the hill.

Whats more, the vast majority of us come off shift at the same time and head up for lunch just after 12pm so no chance of avoiding that queue either.

Edited March 10, 2015 by giantkatestacks

[Keithy]

The WBC owns its own Catering Company and they start at 6am so I make sure I have breakfast as soon as they open - very few people about and its a bigger breakfast { image is from Glasto 2014 } - the Catering Company shares the same mess tent to where I work and I start my shift just after breakfast and as the hours tick on the queue gets bigger but the breakfast gets smaller.

sure its a dead early time to start but it means a better breakfast with no hassle over a queue.

Some people waste hours just standing about but with a bit more planning they can avoid it.

God that has got my mouth watering. I dream of a breakfast like that at Glastonbury.

[glasto-worker]

Our shifts start at our working field at 6am and so I think breakfast is from 5am - still no chance of making it though as it is so heaving at that time. I just grab my thermos of tea and belt down the hill.

Whats more, the vast majority of us come off shift at the same time and head up for lunch just after 12pm so no chance of avoiding that queue either.

Lucky enough most in the WBC who work bar shifts don't start at 6am - The bars are up and running from 11am although most will have a later shift.

Only the stock guys and my Team are about at 6am so its empty.

The WBC uses a overlapping shift system so this splits up when people end their shift so they are not all showing up at a specific time - I think they do lunch from 11am to 4pm so this spreads out the numbers.

its only people getting up late for breakfast causes a queue all the other meals are not as busy.

must be a right pain in the arse for you.

is there any reason why they don't use a overlapping shift system ?

[kalifire]

When I tried to get up the ribbon tower on Wednesday last year, a couple of security-looking blokes informed me it wasn't open until Friday, so I didn't bother then didn't like the look of the queues. I'm a bit narked that it was actually open on Wednesday night!

[Hugh Jass]

One thing I remember from last year was the constant spectacle of 300 hipster/gap yah types waiting to go up the ribbon tower.

Glastonbury shouldn't be hard work. As others have said, walk on by and find the path less traveled.

Never seen the point of going up the Ribbon Tower. You can get higher (not a euphemism) and see more simply by climbing the hill at the top of The Park.

The one thing I'm always happy to queue for is a Growler from the Meal Machine next to the Other Stage. Have one every year, it'll keep you full for an entire day.

[Hugh Jass]

That is absurd. I love taking a dump in the rain.

It is very refreshing, although last year I was in the toilets by the JP when the thunder and lightning started. Realising that I was in a metal box my first thoughts were "I don't want to die having a poo."

[Winslow Leach]

The one thing I'm always happy to queue for is a Growler from the Meal Machine next to the Other Stage. Have one every year, it'll keep you full for an entire day.

Yep, soaks up all of yesterday's residual booze and stocks you up for the rest of the day. A glorious concoction of a meal.

[glasto-worker]

God that has got my mouth watering. I dream of a breakfast like that at Glastonbury.

Here is another crew breakfast - over the years the WBC has used tons of catering Companies and some are better than others.

although we are issued food vouchers even if none were used the catering Company gets a set fee so they know exactly what they will be earning - some think they can buck the system and will try to claim that a fried egg and one sausage is breakfast - they don't last long .

its a really daft move because to get the contract they have to submit full details of what quantity of food they will be supplying for each meal so if they try to short change the WBC they end up paying a fine and they will never get the catering contract again so they are shooting themselves in the foot.

One year at one event it was supposed to be Roast Chicken - Roast potatoes and veg but for some strange reason they ' boiled the chicken ' - I suspect it was going to be quicker to bang them out - so they wasted a good meal and it cost them a fortune as they did not mention they were going to boil roast chicken.

Now if I owned a catering company I would make certain all the meals matched the menus sent at the bidding process so avoiding a fine and with a very good prospect that further contracts would come my way.

After years of trying so many catering Companies the WBC decided to buy their own catering company which is funny enough local to Pilton so its all local workers and the food is good.

I have not calculated out how much I have saved since I started being a volunteer 26 years ago but it must be a fair amount.{ free soft drinks - water - cheap drinks - it all adds up }

[Perks]

Here is another crew breakfast - over the years the WBC has used tons of catering Companies and some are better than others.

although we are issued food vouchers even if none were used the catering Company gets a set fee so they know exactly what they will be earning - some think they can buck the system and will try to claim that a fried egg and one sausage is breakfast - they don't last long .

its a really daft move because to get the contract they have to submit full details of what quantity of food they will be supplying for each meal so if they try to short change the WBC they end up paying a fine and they will never get the catering contract again so they are shooting themselves in the foot.

One year at one event it was supposed to be Roast Chicken - Roast potatoes and veg but for some strange reason they ' boiled the chicken ' - I suspect it was going to be quicker to bang them out - so they wasted a good meal and it cost them a fortune as they did not mention they were going to boil roast chicken.

Now if I owned a catering company I would make certain all the meals matched the menus sent at the bidding process so avoiding a fine and with a very good prospect that further contracts would come my way.

After years of trying so many catering Companies the WBC decided to buy their own catering company which is funny enough local to Pilton so its all local workers and the food is good.

I have not calculated out how much I have saved since I started being a volunteer 26 years ago but it must be a fair amount.{ free soft drinks - water - cheap drinks - it all adds up }

Are they heinz beans?? If so, Im jealous

[giantkatestacks]

Lucky enough most in the WBC who work bar shifts don't start at 6am - The bars are up and running from 11am although most will have a later shift.

Only the stock guys and my Team are about at 6am so its empty.

The WBC uses a overlapping shift system so this splits up when people end their shift so they are not all showing up at a specific time - I think they do lunch from 11am to 4pm so this spreads out the numbers.

its only people getting up late for breakfast causes a queue all the other meals are not as busy.

must be a right pain in the arse for you.

is there any reason why they don't use a overlapping shift system ?

Yes, when you consider that theres hundreds of us on the Pyramid alone you can see why the system creaks. We are all at the same time because the bulk of the public litterpicking needs to be finished before the stages open and therefore all has to be done at the same time. Plus we need to have done most of it while lorries can still move around to pick up the bags and aren't a danger.

[Spindles]

The first one looks like the best breakfast at Glastonbury, the second more like what I'm used to getting

This thread now has me thinking about food at the festival, another great attraction.

[glasto-worker]

Yes, when you consider that theres hundreds of us on the Pyramid alone you can see why the system creaks. We are all at the same time because the bulk of the public litterpicking needs to be finished before the stages open and therefore all has to be done at the same time. Plus we need to have done most of it while lorries can still move around to pick up the bags and aren't a danger.

do you have to share catering with other crews ? which can make things even more tricky.

clearly in your situation your stuffed .

when I first started with the WBC although the shifts were longer each person had a one hour break but this was spread out - it was all sorted out between us so if there was 25 on my Team only four would be let away at the same time - the next day people would switch so over the time they all had a chance of a middle break - in later years as more Teams came on the scene they changed to shorter shifts but they were overlapping and the break was much shorter as well.It even things out so there is no massive queue to get a meal + people do have the option to take a packed lunch if they are working some distance away.

As I am now very experienced I am allowed to pick where I work and when so I am not stuck on a conventional shift and by good fortune the other Teams I work with are not very keen on early shifts so none of them ever volunteer to do the 6am shift - The only late shift I do now is the last night as that will be the busiest shift of the event - does not bother me at all as by the time we shut the crew bar is the time when the London Coach arrives so we pack up on the Sunday evening and are ready to board the coach while most others are still trying to drink up ' and pack '

I would say the only time the catering tent is busy is between 8am and 10am but all the other meals its rare to see any queue at all due to how the shifts are spread out.

From time to time the Catering Company will put on a BBQ { they have really neat chicken rotisserie oven's } and they get packed as its held late at night but as I am working in the same tent ' we get fed before the rest ' { well there has to be some benefits for working in the crew tent } - its the best meal of the event and sometimes we end up with a large tray of roasted whole chicken's - its amazing I have not put on any weight.

[coma girl]

You're doing breakfast wrong then.

Chorizo breakfast near grand bouffe in West holts or bubble and squeak just before park entrance and you'll never go back to shitty beans again.

That bubble and squeak stall was lovely, bastard of a queue for it though.

Chorizo brekkie sounds good, is that from the Tapas place in West Holts?