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Glastonbury Virgin


Ridge75
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Lock Ups for all the stuff, now you are on site, you realise you really didn't need to bring.

Lock Ups to stash your evening gear nearer to where you might be without carrying it all day.

Lock ups - get your receipt - take a photo of the receipt.

Wander about - go make something in the green crafts area - lie in a tent while someone hits a gong...

Let the kids stay awake longer than advisable and meet the sweet weirdos that only come out at night. We were having a lovely chat with a guy who said words to the effect of "oh well better get on with the job" - this seemed to consist of putting a live coal fired stove on his head and wandering off into the night. Glastonbury!!

And read Tort's guide every week until you go - there is so much in there you need to.

Rip up any plans on entering and go with your flow...

Edited by Gedh
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1 hour ago, Gedh said:

Lock Ups for all the stuff, now you are on site, you realise you really didn't need to bring.

Lock Ups to stash your evening gear nearer to where you might be without carrying it all day.

Lock ups - get your receipt - take a photo of the receipt.

Wander about - go make something in the green crafts area - lie in a tent while someone hits a gong...

Let the kids stay awake longer than advisable and meet the sweet weirdos that only come out at night. We were having a lovely chat with a guy who said words to the effect of "oh well better get on with the job" - this seemed to consist of putting a live coal fired stove on his head and wandering off into the night. Glastonbury!!

And read Tort's guide every week until you go - there is so much in there you need to.

Rip up any plans on entering and go with your flow...

paging @Sawdusty Surfer

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On 1/2/2019 at 11:50 AM, Ridge75 said:

Just had a quick look at the Torts guide and it looks like a mine of useful info. 

My natural characteristic is to plan to the minutest detail before going anywhere so looks like I will have to chill with this and take it as it comes.

well I was a Glasto Virgin ' 40 years ago ' so I know how you feel but the big difference between 1979 and 2019 is 

in 1979 there was no Internet and in fact you would be hard pushed to find anyone in London
who even knew there was a festival and certainly there was no Tort's guide and none of us had a clue where Pilton was .

It certainly did not appear on any normal A to Z car map ' and no GPS ' or mobile phones nor lock up's and there was not even any Oxfam Stewards.

So really even although you have never been ' you have at your fingertips ' all the information you would ever need.

So I have been going 40 years and I still have not seen everything.

You can plan everything out but there is one thing you cant plan out and that is the Weather.

It has a huge impact and there is bugger all you can do about it and it can have a huge impact on the ground even before you arrive.

If I was planning to go for the first time I would make up a plan A/B/C but I would leave it very flexible time wise as the ground conditions has a major impact on time.

Be realistic - I have a friend who is into a wide range of music and will have detailed times of which stage - all looks great on paper but he never gets though the list as things happen beyond his control.

just remain flexible and take in the whole thing.

en.thumb.jpg.056a742f0b8b6e5f5dfec6ac68a4fcd1.jpg

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8 hours ago, glasto-worker said:

well I was a Glasto Virgin ' 40 years ago ' so I know how you feel but the big difference between 1979 and 2019 is 

in 1979 there was no Internet and in fact you would be hard pushed to find anyone in London
who even knew there was a festival and certainly there was no Tort's guide and none of us had a clue where Pilton was .

It certainly did not appear on any normal A to Z car map ' and no GPS ' or mobile phones nor lock up's and there was not even any Oxfam Stewards.

So really even although you have never been ' you have at your fingertips ' all the information you would ever need.

So I have been going 40 years and I still have not seen everything.

You can plan everything out but there is one thing you cant plan out and that is the Weather.

It has a huge impact and there is bugger all you can do about it and it can have a huge impact on the ground even before you arrive.

If I was planning to go for the first time I would make up a plan A/B/C but I would leave it very flexible time wise as the ground conditions has a major impact on time.

Be realistic - I have a friend who is into a wide range of music and will have detailed times of which stage - all looks great on paper but he never gets though the list as things happen beyond his control.

just remain flexible and take in the whole thing.

en.thumb.jpg.056a742f0b8b6e5f5dfec6ac68a4fcd1.jpg

Love the map ??? @glasto-worker

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Im surprised not one person has mentioned it yet ... but there is always the efest meet to pop along to if you want to meet some friendly characters and put some names to faces that are more than likely going to offer plenty of advice in the run up to the festival usually on the wed eve in the ridge and furrow bar ... but yet to be confirmed ..... stay on here chat rubbish and you will meet loads of people who will offer help in different circumstances above and beyond the festival :) 

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On 1/3/2019 at 3:42 PM, giantkatestacks said:

Quote @Gedh

"Let the kids stay awake longer than advisable and meet the sweet weirdos that only come out at night. We were having a lovely chat with a guy who said words to the effect of "oh well better get on with the job" - this seemed to consist of putting a live coal fired stove on his head and wandering off into the night. Glastonbury!!"

Haha, guilty as charged :)

fire hat done.jpg

Edited by Sawdusty Surfer
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On 1/2/2019 at 11:50 AM, Ridge75 said:

Just had a quick look at the Torts guide and it looks like a mine of useful info. 

My natural characteristic is to plan to the minutest detail before going anywhere so looks like I will have to chill with this and take it as it comes.

Hi Ridge

I am somewhat known for bucking the consensus trend and championing the above model! It is possible to do Glastonbury with military precision. Harder than almost anywhere else, but it is possible.

 

 

 

And it's bloody GREAT!!!

:)

Ben 

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1 hour ago, bennyhana22 said:

Hi Ridge

I am somewhat known for bucking the consensus trend and championing the above model! It is possible to do Glastonbury with military precision. Harder than almost anywhere else, but it is possible.

 

 

 

And it's bloody GREAT!!!

:)

Ben 

Agreed. Both ways are possible. In fact the days when we bin it all off and sit and have a lovely chat with random people I very much enjoy but they are also the hours responsible for making me miss (for example) Mavis Staples etc. Dammit. I would rather my husband had herded me over there at top speed tbh. Not running you understand but definately Walking with Purpose.

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For kids - theatre and circus fields are a must - circus tent ideal to have a rest as well! The outdoor trapeze displays are breathtaking.  Also Greenpeace area has skate park and play area. Kids Field. Cinema tent also good to rest up. Avalon and Bellas also have lots of non music stuff going on for kids. Lots everywhere to explore especially on Weds and Thursday- find the dragon, go up the ribbon tower, 

wellies are a must - even the 15 year old will realise this! 

If you are staying in Worthy View its a steep climb up the hill at the end of the day so you can leave stuff for evening in the lock ups during the day- free of charge. 

It can can very very busy in certain areas at night and with popular bands- always find a meeting point in case of getting separated at the end of a band or to meet up before one if not together. Put your phone number on a wrist band for the 10 year old. 

SE corner is great but very busy late at night so take the kids there earlier in the evening to wander round without getting squashed! 

Arcadia is also great to watch- they have rehearsals on Thurs nights. 

You wont see everything Glastonbury has to offer and there will be major music clashes so just go with the flow- have a few must see favourites but if you miss something it won’t be the end of the world as there will be something else equally great instead! 

Hope you have a great time and the kids enjoy it?

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Obviously go to the Kids Field it's absolutely wonderful. 

I've found the green fields and permaculture areas to be child friendly too and lovely places to chill out/ get some food. (Permaculture has the best pizzas)

 As mentioned the craft areas in the green fields are great too. 

If you keen on planning (and with kids I would), you can still plan but be flexible within it. For example, you could plan to spend 2 hours in the areas mentioned above and just have a wonder, then walk up flagtopia to the Glastonbury sign for sunset. That's the sort of plan I'd do, with time for change to stop at places on way etc.

Don't try to do too much, I always regret this.

Get decent shoes and be mentally (physically?) prepared for walking far. Also there will be times when you feel exhausted/ youve had enough/ why am I not enjoying this? This is completely normal, it will pass. 

 

Edited by danbailey80
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On 1/4/2019 at 11:30 AM, fuzzy_logic said:

Love the map ??? @glasto-worker

I still recall us driving down that tiny lane and coming up to what looked like a Garden shed { near where the red dot is } - it was so laid back although many were tricked out of their tickets by two jokers who claimed they were Security who would attempt to stop cars before they reached the final bend and then walk away with their tickets and vanish into a hedge and then pop out again behind the cars to sell the tickets on - they tried it on me and I told them to bugger off and I warned other people in the queue not to hand over their tickets - must have been loads who were caught out if they did not know the procedure.In fact they still used the same shed for many years ' until they changed the entry point ' which was about the same time { or close } to when Oxfam started providing Stewards and that stopped many of these jokers.

One of these days I will start going though my negatives - I have thousands of shots of Glastonbury during the early years but its a major task to digitise them.   

Sadly cant find my bands for the previous years { but I do have the programme's I bought for 1979 - 1981 and 1982 } and all the rest are Crew wrist bands .

to-87.thumb.jpg.0ae4c6e49f3d06fc8d92c5115df22540.jpg

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Everyone’s first time is different, I was 19 so surprisingly didn’t have a 10 or 15 year old kid. Old enough to now, mind. Different approaches for different people too, I like not having a plan, stumbling around. Only thing I will suggest is spending the Wednesday and Thursday getting to know the site. Course you won’t know it all, even Michael Eavis won’t. Enough to get a decent overview of the place, just about everyone finds themselves wanting to race from one stage to another at some point.

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My tip would be not to expect every moment to be the time of your life. There's an extraordinary amount of hype attached to Glastonbury, most of it totally deserved, but to some, it distorts expectation and can lead to a belief that every moment is going to be great. Spoiler: it isn't. At times, you may feel tired, hungry, your feet will hurt, you'll regret your choice in a clash, the whole thing will be a bit overwhelming and there'll be a voice somewhere in your mind that blames you for not getting more out of it. I've seen people really struggle with this, and some even leave the festival early as a result.

So when one of more of those moments inevitably happen, give yourself a break. You're there for five full days, so you can afford half an hour to have a sit down, or maybe a couple of hours in a quieter field. There's nothing wrong with how you're feeling - everyone will at some point. There's also nothing wrong with not enjoying things that are popular with others - I enjoy a lot of the SE corner, for example, but being there for more than a look around for a while isn't my idea of a great night. At the same time, it's incredibly popular, and that's fine.

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On ‎1‎/‎2‎/‎2019 at 9:37 AM, Ridge75 said:

Now we have reached 2019, I’m starting to get giddy at the the prospect of my first ever Glastonbury. I’ve attended a couple of festivals before but was looking for any hints/tips/advice for attending or what to do whilst there to get the full experience.

To give a little more context, I’ll be attending with my wife and my kids (aged 10 and 15).

Ticket, Cash and spare pants. (pants optional)

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Wellies just in case, pace yourselves, see Kylie as she will have the biggest crowd of the weekend, take snacks - I take cereal bars, peanuts etc. take refillable water bottles, £1 from poundland every water tap has clean drinking water. And a fleece as at night it can get surprising cold finally take you time

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7 hours ago, glasto-worker said:

I still recall us driving down that tiny lane and coming up to what looked like a Garden shed { near where the red dot is } - it was so laid back although many were tricked out of their tickets by two jokers who claimed they were Security who would attempt to stop cars before they reached the final bend and then walk away with their tickets and vanish into a hedge and then pop out again behind the cars to sell the tickets on - they tried it on me and I told them to bugger off and I warned other people in the queue not to hand over their tickets - must have been loads who were caught out if they did not know the procedure.In fact they still used the same shed for many years ' until they changed the entry point ' which was about the same time { or close } to when Oxfam started providing Stewards and that stopped many of these jokers.

One of these days I will start going though my negatives - I have thousands of shots of Glastonbury during the early years but its a major task to digitise them.   

Sadly cant find my bands for the previous years { but I do have the programme's I bought for 1979 - 1981 and 1982 } and all the rest are Crew wrist bands .

to-87.thumb.jpg.0ae4c6e49f3d06fc8d92c5115df22540.jpg

Have you considered using an online service? I've just had a quick google and there seems to be a number of places that do it.

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8 hours ago, kalifire said:

My tip would be not to expect every moment to be the time of your life. There's an extraordinary amount of hype attached to Glastonbury, most of it totally deserved, but to some, it distorts expectation and can lead to a belief that every moment is going to be great. Spoiler: it isn't. At times, you may feel tired, hungry, your feet will hurt, you'll regret your choice in a clash, the whole thing will be a bit overwhelming and there'll be a voice somewhere in your mind that blames you for not getting more out of it. I've seen people really struggle with this, and some even leave the festival early as a result.

So when one of more of those moments inevitably happen, give yourself a break. You're there for five full days, so you can afford half an hour to have a sit down, or maybe a couple of hours in a quieter field. There's nothing wrong with how you're feeling - everyone will at some point. There's also nothing wrong with not enjoying things that are popular with others - I enjoy a lot of the SE corner, for example, but being there for more than a look around for a while isn't my idea of a great night. At the same time, it's incredibly popular, and that's fine.

This is a brilliant post - well done @kalifire

And he's totally correct.

love festivals. I've done them on my own plenty of times. I'm a ridiculous enthusiast...

...at my first Glastonbury there were moments on the Wednesday and Thursday when I was...overwhelmed. I felt really strange, just for a bit, and a little out of place! Mental, really, but it really is an overwhelming experience. So, Kali's advice is excellent. Don't try to feel that any moment/period of time has to 'be' anything. Just take it as it comes. Allow yourself a break from the hysteria and madness, if that's what your inner self is telling you. The wonderful thing about Glastonbury is that there are so many amazing places away from the mayhem - try sitting up in the field above the Tipis (used to be 'Flagtopia'). It's lovely for a quiet sit, without feeling you have to be having the same time as all of the people up by the Glastonbury sign in the next field along, above The Park.

You'll love it, I'm sure.

Ben
x

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3 hours ago, bennyhana22 said:

This is a brilliant post - well done @kalifire

And he's totally correct.

love festivals. I've done them on my own plenty of times. I'm a ridiculous enthusiast...

...at my first Glastonbury there were moments on the Wednesday and Thursday when I was...overwhelmed. I felt really strange, just for a bit, and a little out of place! Mental, really, but it really is an overwhelming experience. So, Kali's advice is excellent. Don't try to feel that any moment/period of time has to 'be' anything. Just take it as it comes. Allow yourself a break from the hysteria and madness, if that's what your inner self is telling you. The wonderful thing about Glastonbury is that there are so many amazing places away from the mayhem - try sitting up in the field above the Tipis (used to be 'Flagtopia'). It's lovely for a quiet sit, without feeling you have to be having the same time as all of the people up by the Glastonbury sign in the next field along, above The Park.

You'll love it, I'm sure.

Ben
x

All very good advice, or if you're too lazy to walk quite that far just go for a brew and a slice of cake at the Tiny Tea Tent ?

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14 hours ago, Stretlow said:

Have you considered using an online service? I've just had a quick google and there seems to be a number of places that do it.

 

Yes I have thought about it. 

You wont be aware but I am a retired University Lecturer in Computer Science so I know how to do it and what equipment is involved but that is not the stumbling block

On line service demand  ' each strip must be scanned in full. '

so with 8 negatives to a strip that works out at £1.60 per strip - say about 12,000 strips and that adds up to £19,200

which in my book is a bloody lot of money

+ unlike today's photography ' we had no facilities to review a shot with a SLR ' so there  will be a lot of dud photos.

I can buy a High Resolution 35mm Film Scanner plugged into my PC for under £50 but its the time factor - it would take years to do it all .

Some shots of us  in 1986 - I know that because it was the only year Bud { standing by the bike went to Glastonbury }

there was 4 adults in that mini and it got us from London { boot was full of drink } and got us back again. 

38917_o.thumb.jpg.347a8e82763d9810393e2d942875c92e.jpg9047_o.thumb.jpg.7084bcd35c3d6b5237c0031f8e9ea9e2.jpg44110_o.thumb.jpg.8edba462907b97b7277b809db5829419.jpg

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