The state of the ground

[slipmatt]

15 minutes ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

Doubt you've got time to break them in before Wednesday morning, squire.

Still better than cheap wellies no?

[MrHew]

10 minutes ago, pie_and_a_pint said:

I'm taking wellies and boots, but only because I'm litter picking and don't have a choice what I walk through! If I wasn't working I'd take boots only and avoid what I needed to avoid - I hate wellies - they're too cold or too hot, and they don't support my ankle. 

Same, I'm working the bars and it's not unknown for the mud/water behind some of the bars to be higher than boots.

[ourkid1984]

At the moment from the pictures I've seen and the descriptions I've read using horse racing ground guides it seems like the going is soft heavy in places. I fully expect after the rain that's due this evening and into Monday I reckon it will be heavy but raceable. The weather from Monday looks fine to me if you take a average from the 6 or so forecasts that I've been checking so I predict the going by Wednesday to be soft, Thursday soft, good to soft in places and then Friday onwards good to soft. 

I fully expect by the time I arrive on Thursday it will be perfect tent pitching ground. I am being way more optimistic about the weather than I usually am on a run up to a festival. I believe! (Probably stupidly).

[CaledonianGonzo]

Just now, slipmatt said:

Still better than cheap wellies no?

Honestly,  I dunno.

At this point I'd favour comfy shoes that spring leaks over the pain and blisters of trying to break in new footwear.

[Nobody Interesting]

3 minutes ago, ourkid1984 said:

At the moment from the pictures I've seen and the descriptions I've read using horse racing ground guides it seems like the going is soft heavy in places. I fully expect after the rain that's due this evening and into Monday I reckon it will be heavy but raceable. The weather from Monday looks fine to me if you take a average from the 6 or so forecasts that I've been checking so I predict the going by Wednesday to be soft, Thursday soft, good to soft in places and then Friday onwards good to soft. 

I fully expect by the time I arrive on Thursday it will be perfect tent pitching ground. I am being way more optimistic about the weather than I usually am on a run up to a festival. I believe! (Probably stupidly).

I absolutely agree with this. Last year I was very pessamistic about the forecast. This year despite what has happened I see it being really rather bloody fantastic.

[Nobody Interesting]

2 minutes ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

Honestly,  I dunno.

At this point I'd favour comfy shoes that spring leaks over the pain and blisters of trying to break in new footwear.

I will second this. Earlier this year I got a new pair of boots to wear in and on the fist two wears I got very bad blisters on my little toes. I can assure you that at the festival would be awful.

[Spindles]

That's what I'm agonising over Calgon.  Retired my trusty boots that lasted me 20 years, bought some nice walking boots and spent the spring wearing them in.  First few days in any new footwear is a struggle as they form to your foot shape, 3-5 days of wearing a new pair of footwear for that length of time, that amount of walking and lack of relief is no enticing prospect.

 

FFS, I've ummed, ahhed and changed my mind over this more often than the Saturday headliner.

Edited June 19, 2016 by Spindles

[parsonjack]

1 hour ago, Sawdusty Surfer said:

Drizzle on and off all night,  no change in the ground 

x 

Surprised at that. It's not rained a drop overnight just 10 miles away in Frome.  

[CaledonianGonzo]

If you've got a decent pair of broken in walking boots then that's your #1 choice.

I've been wearing my walking boots around town the last few months just to re-break them in after them having been mothballed since G15.  Was sitting in the barbers yesterday with them on.

[Spindles]

Same with my new ones, I do my shopping in them, wear them every where I walk except work.  Fail to look after your feet at Glastonbury and you'll regret it by the time the music starts and you are in too much discomfort to enjoy yourself fully.

[parsonjack]

Band of rain approaching the site from South West right now eta 30 mins. 

[Spindles]

Just now, parsonjack said:

Band of rain approaching the site from South West right now eta 30 mins. 

Sooner it hits the sooner we know it's impact and the sooner it's gone.  Fingers crossed for a breezy & sunny Tuesday.

[Splatt]

You know what, after the last 36 hours or so of panic, I'm now resigned that what will be will be. Mentally I am now prepared for total mud-shitsville-armageddon anything else will be a nice surprise. I'll be still glued to this thread though! 

[parsonjack]

7 minutes ago, Spindles said:

Sooner it hits the sooner we know it's impact and the sooner it's gone.  Fingers crossed for a breezy & sunny Tuesday.

Looks like it's just an hors-d'oeuvre to the main course later on....... 

If you want to depress yourself download NW Storm Radar and you can watch it all developing in 15 minute intervals.  Torture.

[Spindles]

1 minute ago, parsonjack said:

Looks like it's just an hors-d'oeuvre to the main course later on....... 

If you want to depress yourself download NW Storm Radar and you can watch it all developing in 15 minute intervals.  Torture.

6 hour intervals on met office visible satellite have been grim enough,  I can see how much there is coming, get a rough idea of when but the shape of it when it arrives and where it falls is hard to call from that.  BBC forecast shows Ireland and Wales taking one for the team, but the latter part of the rain is going to roll right across the south west.

[coughedoutmyheart]

So the only Glasto I've been to is the muddy one of 2011. Is the ground likely to be better/worse/the same as 2011? Any ideas?

[Twisted Melon]

8 minutes ago, coughedoutmyheart said:

So the only Glasto I've been to is the muddy one of 2011. Is the ground likely to be better/worse/the same as 2011? Any ideas?

Not sure about the ground but I think the advantage over 2011 is that it won't have that constant depressing rain over the first few days like 2011 had. That was hard work. The forecast for the festival itself this year could be a lot worse.

Edited June 19, 2016 by Twisted Melon

[CaledonianGonzo]

It's a bit too early to tell, I think. We might need to wait another 24 - 36 hours until we see what the next it band of rain has in store for us.

[coughedoutmyheart]

Just now, Twisted Melon said:

Not sure about the ground but I think the advantage over 2011 is that it won't have that constant depressing rain over the first few days like 2011 had. The forecast for the festival itself this year could be a lot worse.

Yes that's very true. Getting soaked in the queue and putting the tent up in the rain was not the finest start to my first Glasto. 

[Charm]

2 hours ago, grumpyhack said:

I carry a 35mm film canister in my pocket for butts till I get to a bin where I can empty it.  Good because they're airtight so the smell is contained.

Thanks for the tip GH, I use these to store essentials and didn't think to use one for fag butts, great idea.
Charm x

[Spindles]

3 minutes ago, Twisted Melon said:

Not sure about the ground but I think the advantage over 2011 is that it won't have that constant depressing rain over the first few days like 2011 had. That was hard work. The forecast for the festival itself this year could be a lot worse.

Exactly how I see it, but the next 48 hours will decide things.  I was previously expecting it to be a little better than 2011, but it could be a touch worse considering how much came down this week, particularly if it is similar volumes falling this afternoon/tonight.

[Mr.Tease]

5 minutes ago, Twisted Melon said:

Not sure about the ground but I think the advantage over 2011 is that it won't have that constant depressing rain over the first few days like 2011 had. That was hard work. The forecast for the festival itself this year could be a lot worse.

Don't talk too soon, some forecasts now have this and some even go for thundery showers too- it's like a greatest hits set from 2005, 2007 and 2011

[stuartbert two hats]

20 minutes ago, parsonjack said:

Looks like it's just an hors-d'oeuvre to the main course later on....... 

If you want to depress yourself download NW Storm Radar and you can watch it all developing in 15 minute intervals.  Torture.

I did. Can't see any rain incoming  this morning.

[parsonjack]

3 minutes ago, stuartbert two hats said:

I did. Can't see any rain incoming  this morning.

[Gnomicide]

At least this year the festival has time to prepare, they can put down wood chippings etc. without thousands of punters in the way. The drainage is also much improved in recent years, it ain't going to be a doddle but it ain't going to be a shit storm either.