Boomtown 2018

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

2 hours ago, dumski said:

Have been camper vans past 4 of 5 years and every year they have either taken it apart (screwdrivers and dogs) or just wave us through. Entirely dependent on luck and timing I would suggest.  

Even in the disabled campers we were thoroughly taken apart but that was probably being 1st in the queue. 

Last year they chose to deconstruct my luggage and I lost 4l of spirits but everyone else was fine.  Made for a better festival being just mildly pickled tbh. It just annoyed me there were better things to be found. I guess we helped others! 

Just be creative!

Hello dumski,

Thanks for that post, as it's made me realise that I shouldn't rest on my laurels on this one. It would be true to say that I've got complacent with my perspective.  I'm not exactly surprised that they go to town on a few people, but doubt that they have the capacity (or inclination) to try to nail everyone in a campervan or caravan. To my mind it would be more dangerous to the users (festival goers or not) of the road infrastructure to have it jammed with backed up traffic, on going congestion, or whatever. If that happened, any emergency (eg. a medical one) on site couldn't necessarily be transferred to a more suitable location away from the festival - unless they have a designated and fully functional exit route that they can only access, be it by road - I gues they've got the free reign on air transport.

Talking of which, this is always a nice video clip to watch;

 

[manateemike]

3 hours ago, Yoghurt on a Stick said:

Hello dumski,

Thanks for that post, as it's made me realise that I shouldn't rest on my laurels on this one. It would be true to say that I've got complacent with my perspective.  I'm not exactly surprised that they go to town on a few people, but doubt that they have the capacity (or inclination) to try to nail everyone in a campervan or caravan. To my mind it would be more dangerous to the users (festival goers or not) of the road infrastructure to have it jammed with backed up traffic, on going congestion, or whatever. If that happened, any emergency (eg. a medical one) on site couldn't necessarily be transferred to a more suitable location away from the festival - unless they have a designated and fully functional exit route that they can only access, be it by road - I gues they've got the free reign on air transport.

Talking of which, this is always a nice video clip to watch;

 

At Glastonbury they do the C/V search just before you enter the field to park. 

Last year at Boomtown, and no doubt due to the late opening, they had an entire field of parked campers in nice queues waiting for the ticket and wristband check. 

Because of this delay everyone were sitting ducks for checks. We were 4th ish in queue for family at front gate so we had the dog do my car and van plus three people search each. People conducting searchers with previous experience were friendly enough, those new to it were a bit more diligent shall we say. Running to their boss with the slightest of finds. I lost a hammer to one of these twats. 

Edited June 9, 2018 by manateemike

[Paul ™]

Been near the front of the CV queue last year, we got a quick check, and in 2016 we were first in queue and basically got a quick check again, though some mates had stuff pulled out vans.. its just luck.

Oh and that is my video haha 

[manateemike]

2 hours ago, Paul ™ said:

Been near the front of the CV queue last year, we got a quick check, and in 2016 we were first in queue and basically got a quick check again, though some mates had stuff pulled out vans.. its just luck.

Oh and that is my video haha 

Indeed, previous year, we didn't get searched at all. 

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

11 hours ago, manateemike said:

At Glastonbury they do the C/V search just before you enter the field to park. 

Last year at Boomtown, and no doubt due to the late opening, they had an entire field of parked campers in nice queues waiting for the ticket and wristband check. 

Because of this delay everyone were sitting ducks for checks. We were 4th ish in queue for family at front gate so we had the dog do my car and van plus three people search each. People conducting searchers with previous experience were friendly enough, those new to it were a bit more diligent shall we say. Running to their boss with the slightest of finds. I lost a hammer to one of these twats. 

Thanks for the further information manateemike,

Looks like I'll really have to do my homework on this one then, to be on the safe side. There are a few places within the van that lend themselves to storage because of their virtually total inaccessibility. Then again, I could always fill the water tank with gin, and dispense it via the tap! As for the other 'commodities' I'm going to have to think even more deeply. I used to have a special plastic bag (since lost in a house move) that I got from America. It's used by people who go camping in the woods, to keep their food in and to stop bears from smelling that food. Apparently they work, and as bears have a sense of smell about six times stronger than a bloodhound are just the ticket when there are sniffer dogs around. Might invest in a new one, though if memory serves me right, they aren't cheap - as plastic bags go. I've heard of people sealing their 'stuff' in the plastic bags that you can cook chickens in. They'd be a lot cheaper. Will have to see.

Thanks for the tip off about the hammer too. I keep a small box of tools on the van in case they are needed to repair things. I'm not sure why I do this really, as the only thing that I can do with a broken down engine is look at it!

 

 

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

7 hours ago, Paul ™ said:

Been near the front of the CV queue last year, we got a quick check, and in 2016 we were first in queue and basically got a quick check again, though some mates had stuff pulled out vans.. its just luck.

Oh and that is my video haha 

Hello Paul,

I had no idea that that was your video. I've looked at it several times over the years, and it's always put a wry smile on my face, so thank you for that.

Hope that you are having a fab time on your travels. 

 

 

[Paul ™]

All good, currently in Bali, and here in Indonesia for 8 weeks in total before going to Vietnam. 

 

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

17 hours ago, Paul ™ said:

All good, currently in Bali, and here in Indonesia for 8 weeks in total before going to Vietnam. 

 

Hello Paul,

You really are living the dream. I'm green with envy that you are going to Vietnam. I've been before and have a constant hankering to go back. Maybe it'll happen one day.

 

[Tommy101]

Looking forward to some idea of set times. There's some good stuff on in Disorder Alley but don't think I'll be spending any headliner time there.

[mr flow]

1 hour ago, Tommy101 said:

Looking forward to some idea of set times. There's some good stuff on in Disorder Alley but don't think I'll be spending any headliner time there.

I was actually thinking about this earlier. Unfortunately, i haven't been able to get much info on days and times splits yet, although it was a lot closer to the festival that i found things out last year!

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

 

Just got my tickets through. Makes it a little more real to me now.

[vintagelaureate]

45 minutes ago, Yoghurt on a Stick said:

 

Just got my tickets through. Makes it a little more real to me now.

As did I... although the wording is confusing... 

"This email contains your ticket but is not your ticket" 

Presumably, meaning because it needs printing? 

Also, first interactive part at the end of the email too...

[Sku]

4 hours ago, vintagelaureate said:

As did I... although the wording is confusing... 

"This email contains your ticket but is not your ticket" 

Presumably, meaning because it needs printing? 

Also, first interactive part at the end of the email too...

The email is not your ticket.

The email contains links to download your tickets. But printing the email itself will not get you in. Click the link, and print that instead.

I think they probably could have phrased it less confusingly.

[vintagelaureate]

12 minutes ago, Sku said:

The email is not your ticket.

The email contains links to download your tickets. But printing the email itself will not get you in. Click the link, and print that instead.

I think they probably could have phrased it less confusingly.

Cheers - they probably should have said click the link to access your ticket and print!  

Getting close now! I also didn't realise entry wasn't 24 hours... not that that makes a difference to me.

[Tommy101]

6 hours ago, vintagelaureate said:

Also, first interactive part at the end of the email too...

I'd missed that;

AMI is coming! You will never be alone again!
Bang Hai Technology are proud to present their biggest breakthrough in ADVANCED MACHINE INTELLIGENCE, or as they like to call her AMI! She's in your phone, your laptop, your watch! She's here, she's there, she's everywhere! You can ask AMI anything and everything, AMI will always know what to do.

As BHT prepares for the auspicious launch of AMI at this year’s annual fair we ask you, 'what can AMI do for you?' Click here and log on to ask your unique question. The lucky three winners will have their questions answered at the grand unveiling ceremony on Sunday evening. The answer we have all been waiting for is here! AMI knows all! 

[bennyhana22]

7 hours ago, vintagelaureate said:

Cheers - they probably should have said click the link to access your ticket and print!  

Getting close now! I also didn't realise entry wasn't 24 hours... not that that makes a difference to me.

I sort of quite like that...

At my annual festival, I love the opportunity to shut myself off from the outside world. The fact that, for a few hours overnight, the world is shut out from us, is strangely comforting!

Ben

[stalemate9]

What does everyone think of the Wednesday entry, do you think if you turn up early Thursday you will still be okay to get in and get an okay camping spot?

[mr flow]

32 minutes ago, stalemate9 said:

What does everyone think of the Wednesday entry, do you think if you turn up early Thursday you will still be okay to get in and get an okay camping spot?

Yeah you'll be fine. Not all of the site is open on Weds, so you'll still get a good spot if you turn up early enough on the Thursday

[stalemate9]

Thankyou.  I plan on getting there as early as I can on the Thursday, getting excited now the tickets have come out.

[vintagelaureate]

 

[Tommy101]

Wednesday line up

[Winslow Leach]

Boomtown being a tad unhelpful over what's happening with coaches for people who had Thursday but have got Wednesday entry. Told me to contact National Express but surely they must know? 

 

 

[Miesh]

1 hour ago, Winslow Leach said:

Boomtown being a tad unhelpful over what's happening with coaches for people who had Thursday but have got Wednesday entry. Told me to contact National Express but surely they must know? 

 

 

Hi. I contacted National Express yesterday. They haven't sorted Wednesday coach times yet. They suggested I contact Boomtown. The chap said they are waiting for Boomtown to confirm numbers before they schedule coaches and that I should get a ticket emailed to me two weeks before the event.

[Winslow Leach]

2 minutes ago, Miesh said:

Hi. I contacted National Express yesterday. They haven't sorted Wednesday coach times yet. They suggested I contact Boomtown. The chap said they are waiting for Boomtown to confirm numbers before they schedule coaches and that I should get a ticket emailed to me two weeks before the event.

Yeah I just got told basically the same. Cheers anyway.

[Miesh]

25 minutes ago, Winslow Leach said:

Yeah I just got told basically the same. Cheers anyway.

I'm tempted to try Boomtown again but think it would be pointless as they clearly haven't sorted it yet. 

If you go into your Thursday booking it shows times for Wednesday but won't let you amend. Also these are not the times but they might be (according to NE).

Standard Boomtown disorganisation but hey ho. All part of the experience