Your unofficial - official start to the festival

[fred quimby]

I reckon it is when I have put up the tent got everything out the car and then gone and parked it. Walking back from the Car Park is when it really starts.

[Woffy]

10 minutes ago, RyanSmith9311 said:

exactly this. Awful but great at the same time

Again, weather dependent:

There's this wonderful blissful moment at about 1, 2am-ish; the chatter between groups of friends - and their queue neighbours they've been chatting to - dies down naturally, you're at just the right level of dozy pissedness, sat in a camping chair, wrapped in a sleeping bag, feet up on your rucksack, cozy, your eyes close to the hum of the nearby lighting rig generators and you nod off knowing you'll be awakend in the morning by a mate nudging you saying, "wake up...looks like they're gonna open the gates"*

 

This is all dependent on him with the acoustic guitar not playing Wonderfuckingwall again, mind.

*Although the gates (C or D) are effectively 'open' all night. Gate D is odd insomuch as you can walk through the gate during the night to go use the portaloo.

 

Edited March 29, 2019 by Woffy

[Quark]

5 minutes ago, Woffy said:

This is all dependent on him with the acoustic guitar not playing Wonderfuckingwall again, mind.

One of the very few occasions where the threat of physical violence and/or destruction of personal property is acceptable.

[Steel city camper]

Setting off around 9pm from sheffield is the start of it for me ,and the feeling of complete giddyness when I see the first motorway sign for the South West.  On another note that collective cheer around the site is something else , fuck me I'm getting excited now ,the 700 odd days are nearly at an end !!!!

[Eyebrow]

1 hour ago, Doug85 said:

This definitely happened in 2017 but it coincided a cloud that covered the sun for about 30 seconds and give everyone a momentary rest from the heat, the whole site erupted. Beautiful.

T’was a great moment! God it was hot...

[Woffy]

4 minutes ago, Quark said:

One of the very few occasions where the threat of physical violence and/or destruction of personal property is acceptable.

I was pretty trollied in the 2017 queue and he was properly doing my (and a lot of other people's) head in. I think I vented my spleen on Twitter, then fell drunkenly asleep until @Gnomicide reminded me of it after the festival.

Other than that, i love it. 

My friends queued overnight in 2016 (I think) when I couldn't arrive until late Thursday. They sat through an all night downpour. Especially after the ridiculous traffic jams. Complete and utter madness. Sod that.

[ravermum]

Er, I think mine’s already started. I’m now talking about it non-stop and my friend at work has even arranged a pre-Glastonbury lunch with colleagues for me ?

[Hugh Jass]

11 minutes ago, Quark said:

One of the very few occasions where the threat of physical violence and/or destruction of personal property is acceptable.

 

[Doug85]

3 minutes ago, Eyebrow said:

T’was a great moment! God it was hot...

It was surreal and a couple of stages to it for me anyway: first stage of feeling relief from a bit of shade from the sun and then utter joy of hearing the roar of approval across site knowing everyone else was feeling the exact same at that moment. 

[priest17]

The second I finish work the day before. 2 fingers up at the usual shite, I'm off to Glastonbury.

[RyanSmith9311]

22 minutes ago, Woffy said:

Again, weather dependent:

There's this wonderful blissful moment at about 1, 2am-ish; the chatter between groups of friends - and their queue neighbours they've been chatting to - dies down naturally, you're at just the right level of dozy pissedness, sat in a camping chair, wrapped in a sleeping bag, feet up on your rucksack, cozy, your eyes close to the hum of the nearby lighting rig generators and you nod off knowing you'll be awakend in the morning by a mate nudging you saying, "wake up...looks like they're gonna open the gates"*

 

This is all dependent on him with the acoustic guitar not playing Wonderfuckingwall again, mind.

*Although the gates (C or D) are effectively 'open' all night. Gate D is odd insomuch as you can walk through the gate during the night to go use the portaloo.

 

had some absolute wallops behind us in 2017 playing the worst kind of music through speakers all night long

[reevem01]

Once I'm on the train, already knackered and completely drenched in sweat after walking just 10 mins to the station with an overloaded rucksack, camping equipment and bags of beverages

[scaryclaireyfairy]

Tent up, quick wipe down and change into not-sweaty clothes (somehow, come Monday, the sweaty clothes will be deemed fresh enough to wear again), cider open, car keys in the lock up and just breeeathe. It's an amazing feeling.

The first time I happen to be near one of the postcard stalls I go in and send postcards home. That's my last vague responsibility. Then the door to the outside world gets closed and where I am is all that matters.

Edit: Oh and there's a thing that happens, usually on the Thursday but sometimes not til Friday, where I look around and everyone I can see is smiling and chilled and looking slightly feral. That's when it changes from a festival to The Festival. I love that bit.

Edited March 29, 2019 by scaryclaireyfairy

[stuartbert two hats]

Obviously, getting your wristsband is the technical beginning of the festival and having your tent set up is the actual beginning, but for me it's once I'm sat on the coach and the doors shut. 

I'm with my people and I'm heading for the Mecca that is Mike's back yard. All of a sudden I'm Glasto Stu and the game is afoot.

[mb23]

Bit of a weird one for me.

I always have lunch at the pyramid field on Wednesday. Become a bit of a tradition.

Obviously I'll have done a lot of stuff by then, but that first meal and sit down in front of my favourite ever stage is when the excitement properly kicks in.

[Woffy]

1 minute ago, stuartbert two hats said:

Obviously, getting your wristsband is the technical beginning of the festival and having your tent set up is the actual beginning, but for me it's once I'm sat on the coach and the doors shut. 

I'm with my people and I'm heading for the Mecca that is Mike's back yard. All of a sudden I'm Glasto Stu and the game is afoot.

At what stage of the proceedings do both hats go on?

[Gingerfish79]

Anticipation peaks when we get close enough for the car stereo to pick up worthy fm! then I feel my shoulders drop and relax when the first beer is cracked after settling in.

[zero000]

When the final exhausting booze run to the car has been completed. I'm usually a sweaty grubby state by that point, but once I get back to camp and crack open the first can, then I can finally relax.

This image is really making my Friday  

[stuartbert two hats]

27 minutes ago, Woffy said:

At what stage of the proceedings do both hats go on?

Just before setting off to the eFests meet. It's all a facade!

Edited March 29, 2019 by stuartbert two hats

[The Other Steve]

Mine starts the moment I get home so in this case beginning of July 2017.  I really mean it as the whole planning, ticket buying, preparing, reviewing and predicting line-ups, packing, meeting my mates on the Wednesday, driving, services on the motorway, trying to find a pitch with a load of gear that should be a challenge on Words Strongest Man, pitching tent to first beer is all part of it for me.  Its a year round thing (as long as I get tickets and if I don't it rolls over).

When I have that first beer though at around 3am (we travel Wednesday evening) a sense of relaxation, comfort, excitement and euphoria like no other kicks in.

[Crazyfool01]

as above it starts with a slow build up ... fancy dress planning and building ... ticket sale .... looking at map and lineup release .... finishing work on the friday before ... celebrating my birthday (dependant when it falls ) loading up the car ... trying to get my friend to stop triple checking everything at his house .... the 50 min journey (dependant) loading up the bikes and negotiating the slaloms to get in .... the wristbands ... its all starting to build now .... pitching spot found ... tent up .... and then collapse with a cider in hand and then the realisation im crazy fool for the next 5 days 

[Lycra]

Loading the car kicks it all off for me. Then the level of excitement is boosted by getting of the M5 at Bridgewater and finally driven to hyper when the site is glimpsed on the road in from Glastonbury town ?

[mashedonmud]

When I was fifteen, never looked back ?

[Trout Mask Replica]

This year it'll be once we've got set up CV East on the Tues afternoon and lit the bbq 

[jparx]

I usually head down Wednesday night after work, so really leaving the office is when it feels on. 

Cracking open the first warm can of cheap lager after pitching the tent is a good one too.