Camping near the Pyramid

[Quark]

1 minute ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

To be fair, most tents were banging on about politics this year on the Friday morning.

Not like this one Calgon.  Her idea of "discussion" was just talking over everyone else, saying the same thing over and over in this foghorn nasal voice that cut through one's delicate morning moments.  *shudder*

[Calvin Klein]

What's the latest two people could get to Big Ground and find space for a 3 man tent (and not camp next to the toilets)?

[EZYSEY]

2 minutes ago, Quark said:

Not like this one Calgon.  Her idea of "discussion" was just talking over everyone else, saying the same thing over and over in this foghorn nasal voice that cut through one's delicate morning moments.  *shudder*

Ha! we must have been neighbours. It really did ruin my mornings. Its literally what woke me up every morning. I heard a few telling her to shut up from the comfort of their tents so knew it wasn't just me she was winding up.  

[Quark]

Just now, EZYSEY said:

Ha! we must have been neighbours. It really did ruin my mornings. Its literally what woke me up every morning. I heard a few telling her to shut up from the comfort of their tents so knew it wasn't just me she was winding up.  

Yeeeeessss.....a few.....

[EZYSEY]

3 minutes ago, Calvin Klein said:

What's the latest two people could get to Big Ground and find space for a 3 man tent (and not camp next to the toilets)?

This year was midday i'd say. Not the best year to judge it by though due to the traffic and weather conditions. Others may be able to elaborate on previous years. Of the 4 years i've been only 2 have been on site, the rest have been in CV East.

[russycarps]

31 minutes ago, FuzzyDunlop said:

Thanks - we also thought of Kidney Mead if that filled up.

We camped on Paines ground in 2016. Dairy other times and 2014 in Woodsies. Fancy somewhere new

 

Good luck with it. Waking up, unzipping your tent and seeing the pyramid stage a stones throw away always gave me an extra shiver of excitement in the morning. 

[Gnomicide]

Michael's Mead has a good view and doesn't fill up as quick. But I'm an incline though so you tend to wake up in a scruched up heap at the bottom of your tent. 

[Madyaker]

I'm thinking of trying for Micheals Mead this year. Getting the bus from Bristol at 7:30 so hopefully I'll get in quickly enough.

[Ashl]

This year all the tents were definitely slightly more spaced out in Big Grounds due to there being a slightly slower trickle of people, if you had a funny shaped tent or small tent there was still a little space Wednesday evening due to delayed arrivals, I managed to bag a spot for 2 at 2pm the year before.

[danegg]

i'd never even thought of camping at the Pyramid, for some reason it just doesn't appeal to me.

Having said that, though, I am quite keen to change next time I go, so may give it a whirl.

[Cooter]

3 hours ago, Quark said:

Always wondered - how do those guys get that spot every year?

 

I happened to be standing next to the Palais crew pitch for an hour or so a couple of years back and I must say I found them to be really abusive and offensive to most innocent passers by on the busy path in front of them. Almost as if they were showing off that, in their opinion, they had the best pitch of the festival and had the right to bully other people. It may have been just horrible people gathering around their pitch that they had no control over but if not then good riddance I say.

[alien]

Never camped in view of the Pyramid either, always camped at the bottom of Pennard hill. Feels nice and tucked away and safe from the majority of crowd movement, yet its a short walk to numerous areas of interest. Having a long holy pilgrimage to the Pyramid is a thing in the group as well.

Can't imagine coming out of my tent in the morn to a direct view of the pyramid, intense.

[oneeye]

5 minutes ago, alien said:

 

Can't imagine coming out of my tent in the morn to a direct view of the pyramid, intense.

That's camping

 

[grumpyhack]

Before we 'went soft' and moved to CV East, Big Ground was always favourite, though I preferred it a bit higher up.  Still get a good view but less crowded and less soggy.

[Quark]

1 hour ago, alien said:

Never camped in view of the Pyramid either, always camped at the bottom of Pennard hill. Feels nice and tucked away and safe from the majority of crowd movement, yet its a short walk to numerous areas of interest. Having a long holy pilgrimage to the Pyramid is a thing in the group as well.

Can't imagine coming out of my tent in the morn to a direct view of the pyramid, intense.

It's wonderful! The good thing with Big Ground, as @grumpyhack said, is the combination of view and space.

It's not just the view of the pyramid but pretty much the while site from up there. It's just the best thing when opening up your tent in the morning.

Although this year in honour of @CaledonianGonzo I'm only going to enjoy the view as seen through a kaleidoscope while walking backwards up the hill on my hands.

[guypjfreak]

7 hours ago, russycarps said:

row mead is by far the best place I've ever camped. But after the capacity was slashed a few years back you definitely need to know someone who will pre-erect for you if your group is bigger than 2 tents.

 

Do you still camp there old son??? 

[HalfAnIdiot]

We've camped in Big Ground for the last 3 years near to the lockups. its a spot that suits us now as a family. 

Great views of the pyramid stage mean we can be a bit lazy if we want and sit and watch the opener of the day before venturing out. Also great place to chill at night after returning from a hard days partying with great views of the festival site. 

Great food bars there too. excellent and good value veggie breakfast and coffee from a place I wish I could rember the name of. Help me out anyone?

Good access to longdrops just accross muddy lane too although there were also some compost loos nearby this year too but they didnt fare too well in the mud!

 

Edited October 24, 2016 by HalfAnIdiot

[guypjfreak]

6 hours ago, incident said:

I'm not sure that's really a good example.. The Festival are pretty strict about staff camping in public areas in the build up - In 2015 I was on site before gates opened - as of approximately 10pm on the Tuesday night, Row Mead was 100% empty, and security had been actively removing the tents of anyone who camped there. And yes, there was no sign of the Pyramid Palais crew at that point.

The difference in Pennards is that you've got the Staff Camping Area at the bottom of the hill, and the large Camplight area at the top so you will see some tents. But the rest of the field is kept clear.. Here's a couple webcam shots from this year that demonstrate it a bit better.

7:20pm on the Tuesday, 12 hours before Gates Opened - Pennards is largely empty except for the Staff Camping & Camplight:

7:20am on the Wednesday, approximately when gates opened - a bit more difficult to see because of the drizzle & mist, but it looks approximately the same to me:

We have  camped at row mead since 99 and touch wood ( wife's head)  we will be on front row again... We have 3 people who save all our spot and it's maybe.. There are a few groups apart from us. 

You have the Pimms lot with Bob etc us big John's family  the sofa lot that are mad and some how get there sofas brought on site about mid day lolllol and the pyramid plaice  lot there are lots more that are always there and it makes for a great festival But it does fill up fast 

May be well say Hi some time.. 

[guypjfreak]

3 hours ago, Cooter said:

 

I happened to be standing next to the Palais crew pitch for an hour or so a couple of years back and I must say I found them to be really abusive and offensive to most innocent passers by on the busy path in front of them. Almost as if they were showing off that, in their opinion, they had the best pitch of the festival and had the right to bully other people. It may have been just horrible people gathering around their pitch that they had no control over but if not then good riddance I say.

Yea I got that vibe but not from all of them....... Definitely not as friendly as they could be. 

They did  have a face book page but I can't find it now........... I think at Glastonbury you have to be nice I've only had two big bits of trouble one got knocked out and kicked out the other I see most years and it's cool in the how you doing sort of cool but that's cool with me lol 

It's no

It's nice to be nice imo 

Edited October 24, 2016 by guypjfreak

[russycarps]

46 minutes ago, guypjfreak said:

Do you still camp there old son??? 

No mate I haven't camped there since 2010. But if you've been on the front row since 1999 I am 100% sure we've chatted in the past at some point!

[Wakan Tanka]

We camped in Row Mead one year and thought it was great   some guy connected their own water supply with a hose pipe from the mains and ran it around the tents all the too their own tents was quite funny, obviously when security found it they removed it. Seen the same guy every year since. He wears a red beret and a some sort of sheepskin coaty thing. Anyone else ever seen him.

Edited October 24, 2016 by Wakan Tanka

[kalifire]

I've always been a bit perplexed at why Row Mead fills so quickly and is such a field of choice for workers. Obviously there's the view of the Pyramid, but until Friday that's purely aesthetic. It's always felt super busy up there as well.

I've always camped about two thirds of the way up Pennards, although I'm considering a move for 2017. It's a fantastic position for me - nice and close to the Park and healing/green fields, with Other and the SE corner not too far away. That said, it does mean I've never really spent much time up near Silver Hayes, and the Pyramid has always been a long walk away. I'll let the line up dictate things this time.

Oh, there were tents up on Pennards (aside from Camplight), at least last year. The Young Greens have little areas set aside with a fire and invite people to camp with them in the attempt to create a little community. I camped with them in 2015 and although it didn't really work out quite as they'd hoped, it did provide somewhere to sit down and smoke/have a cup of tea, and an extra layer of security. I'd definitely look out for them again next year.

[Ducky89]

Bloody love Kidney Mead / Big Ground. I'm the super militant one in the group. It does fill up pretty quick, if you are in a small group, you'll find space.

[Aragorn]

Camped in row mead in 2002. Nice experience but prefer greenfield side

Also camped with Mr Funk's camping lot in kidney mead once. Had a view through the trees of the pyramid.  That was a good spot 

[Doug85]

We camped in Bushy Ground this year after being in that monumental traffic jam entering site from 7am until midday. Quite enjoyed being there although a slight walk to the Pyramid and a journey through the dance village it was quiet enough for a decent kip especially when drunk! Had a great view of the back of the Pyramid and a fantastic view looking up to The Park and the Glastonbury sign. It wasn't massively crowded either. We did get woken up by some neighbours at 7-8am every morning without fail with some brummie lass with the most annoying nasal laugh in the world always talking over her camp mates. Not what you want to hear when you wake with a hangover but that's the luck of the draw with neighbours, everyone else were lovely. i would go back there in a heartbeat but i am very very tempted to have that experience of camping very close to the Pyramid and seeing it each morning when you unzip the tent. If i get a ticket ill be considering that.

Edited October 25, 2016 by Doug85