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Last Glasto for a special family member... any tips?


lastchanceglasto
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Hi everyone,

Long time lurker first time poster here. This is a bit of an emotional story but here goes.

I've been going to Glastonbury a few times over the last few years with my wife and her mother and father, who are in their 60s but are mad for music, and though they only went to their first Glasto in 2015, they enjoy and make the most of every moment. I'm talking watching headliners and then dancing the night away until 3 AM, waking up at the crack of dawn and doing it all over again. Absolute legends and put my wife and me (20s) to shame.

Unfortunately, just after Christmas my father-in-law started feeling ill, and about a month ago was diagnosed with an aggressive stage 4 inoperable cancer. It's an absolutely heartbreaking thing to happen especially for someone who only 3 months ago was feeling great, going to the gym every day, having a drink at the weekend and loving life. In fact, we were only just at Glasto last year having a great time despite the abuse we all received from the sun!

We all have secured tickets again this year and are determined to all go together this summer for the 50th anniversary, and are relatively sure this will be his last. We are trying to make this as special as possible for him, and I wondered if anyone had any tips or has experienced something similar or knows someone is a similar boat. Bonus points if you are/know a producer and could fix a meet-up with an artist, but I know that's a long shot. FWIW, we have already contacted Glasto Access team and have applied for accessibility and viewing platform passes for him and his wife.

TL;DR father in law's last Glastonbury, trying to make it a good one. any tips/info/etc appreciated, we've also already contacted glasto access team.

Thanks for reading and hopefully see some of you there!

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Sorry I don't really have any tips but didn't want to not post anything. My main thing to suggest would be to spend as much time with them as possible to make as many special memories as possible.

With regard to artists maybe contact smaller ones that he loves as probably more likely to have success. If by the time it comes around he's not feeling great spending time at the quieter stages will probably be best. Make sure he has the best time and hugs to you and your wife and her family at this time. 

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41 minutes ago, lastchanceglasto said:

Hi everyone,

Long time lurker first time poster here. This is a bit of an emotional story but here goes.

I've been going to Glastonbury a few times over the last few years with my wife and her mother and father, who are in their 60s but are mad for music, and though they only went to their first Glasto in 2015, they enjoy and make the most of every moment. I'm talking watching headliners and then dancing the night away until 3 AM, waking up at the crack of dawn and doing it all over again. Absolute legends and put my wife and me (20s) to shame.

Unfortunately, just after Christmas my father-in-law started feeling ill, and about a month ago was diagnosed with an aggressive stage 4 inoperable cancer. It's an absolutely heartbreaking thing to happen especially for someone who only 3 months ago was feeling great, going to the gym every day, having a drink at the weekend and loving life. In fact, we were only just at Glasto last year having a great time despite the abuse we all received from the sun!

We all have secured tickets again this year and are determined to all go together this summer for the 50th anniversary, and are relatively sure this will be his last. We are trying to make this as special as possible for him, and I wondered if anyone had any tips or has experienced something similar or knows someone is a similar boat. Bonus points if you are/know a producer and could fix a meet-up with an artist, but I know that's a long shot. FWIW, we have already contacted Glasto Access team and have applied for accessibility and viewing platform passes for him and his wife.

TL;DR father in law's last Glastonbury, trying to make it a good one. any tips/info/etc appreciated, we've also already contacted glasto access team.

Thanks for reading and hopefully see some of you there!

Have you considered hiring a mobility scooter? It may make getting around easier for him so he can really make the most of his time there  - here is the link https://www.eventmobility.org.uk/glastonbury-festival 

The access team are fab and do a great job in making it easier for people needing their assistance. With the access passes he and his PA (wife) will be able to also use the backstage cut throughs which save a lot of time and energy. This takes you through the hospitality area behind Pyramid and Other stage and there is a bar and some food stalls and some very nice flushing toilets. I have been using access passes since 2011 and it's a nice place to chill. However, I  am not very good at celebrity spotting as I have yet to see anyone famous back there! 

Perhaps you could make some special keepsakes in the Greenfields and see the fireworks there on Wednesday evening, always a personal highlight. Just make lots of great memories together and take lots of photos of you all together. Have a wonderful festival! 

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Heartbreaking story, as others have said Glastonbury is a great place to create special memories for all of you. Hopefully you can arrive on the Wednesday morning  to absorb the atmosphere. As soon as the poster drops get dad in law to choose acts he really wants to see. Also talking about the festival and planning from now on gives you all something to focus on.  Take care. 

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Lastchance this feels my heart with sadness and joy! I lost one of my best friends to cancer just before christmas! It was on her bucket list to come with me this year!!!! 5 years ago i lost another another friend!  It breaks my heart  each year i go without them! Grab every chance and make the most amazing memories! 
it be worth contacting the festival direct they maybe able to put you in contact with the medical team and accessbility team! 
wishing you all the very best and strength for the future! And have the most amazing time for you as a family and for those shining as stars above! Live every moment!! 

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I don’t want to hijack your post, but I have a similar story, some of which might help.

My wife Sue was in a hospice, terminally ill with cancer when tickets went on sale for Glastonbury 2016. From previous years the family (two sons, a daughter, plus friends and partners) had a Whatsapp group to organise tickets, and as we discussed who was going etc. we received a message from Sue in the hospice saying simply: “Planning a trip without me?” It was a tough reminder of the situation, but she clearly wasn’t well enough to go.

Amazingly, we all got tickets, which meant we would all be together, but with one key person missing. By some miracle, the drugs she was taking started to control her pain and symptoms, and she was able to return home again. However, as the months wore on the cancer inevitably took hold once more, and she was readmitted to the hospice in late Spring.

Despite this, she showed enormous resilience and was determined to continue to live life to the full. The family decided how wonderful it would be for her to come to Glastonbury for the first time. Looking back it was a crazy idea, but we all loved the place so much and knew she would too. She was keen, so we spoke to the doctors, and to our surprise they gave her permission to go.

We didn’t get a ticket in the resale, unfortunately, so I wrote to Emily and See Tickets explaining the position, and to our surprise, See rang us and said they could provide a ticket. The hospice made extensive arrangements with the Glasto medical team and everything was put in place to make some unbelievable memories for the family.

When we arrived, Greenpeace met us and allowed us to park within the festival site, and took us up to the hospital tent in a Land Rover, where we handed over the various drugs that we had been provided. Unfortunately, that made us late and we could only find a tent space directly behind Silver Hayes – the tent literally shook with drum and bass every night until 3 or 4 am. Somehow, though, we slept like logs.

Every day we had to make the long walk up to hospital tent for injections and dressing changes, and this was the muddiest year on record. The staff were absolutely fantastic throughout. After each visit we rested in the Church marquee next door – neither of us were religious, but the people there were fabulously kind.

Sue was really fan or R&B and Soul, but she watched Muse in awe – she had never seen anything like it. Coldplay were absolutely stunning and put on a spectacular show, and I have a wonderful final memory of us both watching Adele from the hill, clinging to each other in tears as those huge eyes on stage opened and she sang “Hello”. It was the most fantastic of festivals that year – not just the music, but the kindness and love we came across wherever we went. We have a wonderful video of us all together singing along to Madness “It Must be Love”.

Afterwards, Sue returned to the hospice and somehow survived another 4 months.

I returned to the church the following year to tell them what had happened and they remembered Sue well

So I guess the moral of the story is to be prepared for the medical situation, which unfortunately may be a lot worse than it is right now. We certainly couldn't have coped without the fantastic medical team, who changed dressings, administered various drips and drugs, and gave us the confidence to take on what is quite a difficult environment , even for somebody in full health.

I really hope it goes as well for you as it did for us - fantastic memories for the entire family

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3 hours ago, lastchanceglasto said:

Hi everyone,

Long time lurker first time poster here. This is a bit of an emotional story but here goes.

I've been going to Glastonbury a few times over the last few years with my wife and her mother and father, who are in their 60s but are mad for music, and though they only went to their first Glasto in 2015, they enjoy and make the most of every moment. I'm talking watching headliners and then dancing the night away until 3 AM, waking up at the crack of dawn and doing it all over again. Absolute legends and put my wife and me (20s) to shame.

Unfortunately, just after Christmas my father-in-law started feeling ill, and about a month ago was diagnosed with an aggressive stage 4 inoperable cancer. It's an absolutely heartbreaking thing to happen especially for someone who only 3 months ago was feeling great, going to the gym every day, having a drink at the weekend and loving life. In fact, we were only just at Glasto last year having a great time despite the abuse we all received from the sun!

We all have secured tickets again this year and are determined to all go together this summer for the 50th anniversary, and are relatively sure this will be his last. We are trying to make this as special as possible for him, and I wondered if anyone had any tips or has experienced something similar or knows someone is a similar boat. Bonus points if you are/know a producer and could fix a meet-up with an artist, but I know that's a long shot. FWIW, we have already contacted Glasto Access team and have applied for accessibility and viewing platform passes for him and his wife.

TL;DR father in law's last Glastonbury, trying to make it a good one. any tips/info/etc appreciated, we've also already contacted glasto access team.

Thanks for reading and hopefully see some of you there!

Jesus, that’s terrible, I don’t have any advice but I hope you, your family and especially your father in law have a fantastic festival.

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Thanks all for kind words and advice so far. I'm glad to hear good stories surrounding the Glastonbury access and medical teams... I will definitely make sure the access application goes through.

Thanks especially Stevie. Your story was very helpful and inspiring. I am glad to hear others have done something similar and created some great memories. I'm not sure what is going to happen but if my father in law wants to go and is able, I know Glastonbury is a magical place and I know no matter what he will have a great time.

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6 hours ago, lastchanceglasto said:

 I wondered if anyone had any tips or has experienced something similar or knows someone is a similar boat. Bonus points if you are/know a producer and could fix a meet-up with an artist, but I know that's a long shot. 

I don't know if watching the sun rise from up by the Glastonbury sign is too cliche but that'd be my top to do. Or watch it set on the Wednesday with the fireworks.

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It might be worth applying to stay in the disabled area. I visited it last year and was blown away. Its very central and they have a fantastic set up with shortcuts through to stages, a tansport system and all sorts of other stuff that would make things a bit easier for your father in law. . You'd need to have his dr write a letter stating that your father in law is disabled at this time to support tge application. Its memory making time for you all, i hope you have an amazing time. Love and hearthugs ju xxx

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12 hours ago, Stevie P-alike said:

I don’t want to hijack your post, but I have a similar story, some of which might help.

My wife Sue was in a hospice, terminally ill with cancer when tickets went on sale for Glastonbury 2016. From previous years the family (two sons, a daughter, plus friends and partners) had a Whatsapp group to organise tickets, and as we discussed who was going etc. we received a message from Sue in the hospice saying simply: “Planning a trip without me?” It was a tough reminder of the situation, but she clearly wasn’t well enough to go.

Amazingly, we all got tickets, which meant we would all be together, but with one key person missing. By some miracle, the drugs she was taking started to control her pain and symptoms, and she was able to return home again. However, as the months wore on the cancer inevitably took hold once more, and she was readmitted to the hospice in late Spring.

Despite this, she showed enormous resilience and was determined to continue to live life to the full. The family decided how wonderful it would be for her to come to Glastonbury for the first time. Looking back it was a crazy idea, but we all loved the place so much and knew she would too. She was keen, so we spoke to the doctors, and to our surprise they gave her permission to go.

We didn’t get a ticket in the resale, unfortunately, so I wrote to Emily and See Tickets explaining the position, and to our surprise, See rang us and said they could provide a ticket. The hospice made extensive arrangements with the Glasto medical team and everything was put in place to make some unbelievable memories for the family.

When we arrived, Greenpeace met us and allowed us to park within the festival site, and took us up to the hospital tent in a Land Rover, where we handed over the various drugs that we had been provided. Unfortunately, that made us late and we could only find a tent space directly behind Silver Hayes – the tent literally shook with drum and bass every night until 3 or 4 am. Somehow, though, we slept like logs.

Every day we had to make the long walk up to hospital tent for injections and dressing changes, and this was the muddiest year on record. The staff were absolutely fantastic throughout. After each visit we rested in the Church marquee next door – neither of us were religious, but the people there were fabulously kind.

Sue was really fan or R&B and Soul, but she watched Muse in awe – she had never seen anything like it. Coldplay were absolutely stunning and put on a spectacular show, and I have a wonderful final memory of us both watching Adele from the hill, clinging to each other in tears as those huge eyes on stage opened and she sang “Hello”. It was the most fantastic of festivals that year – not just the music, but the kindness and love we came across wherever we went. We have a wonderful video of us all together singing along to Madness “It Must be Love”.

Afterwards, Sue returned to the hospice and somehow survived another 4 months.

I returned to the church the following year to tell them what had happened and they remembered Sue well

So I guess the moral of the story is to be prepared for the medical situation, which unfortunately may be a lot worse than it is right now. We certainly couldn't have coped without the fantastic medical team, who changed dressings, administered various drips and drugs, and gave us the confidence to take on what is quite a difficult environment , even for somebody in full health.

I really hope it goes as well for you as it did for us - fantastic memories for the entire family

So sorry for your loss but your story makes me realise why I love this festival of ours so much. It's a festival with a heart, that recognises that sometimes having the compassion to do everything to give a family those special memories is just a magical thing. Hope you and your family are coping well and so glad that you have those wonderful memories to look back on. 

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We're in a similar position Lastchance,

One of our group is Stage 4 colorectal cancer.

He is one of  the fittest blokes I know. Only 54.

We have a ticket for him and he is pushing his way through a gruelling 4th line of attack, 10 week chemo regime and he is meditating and taking every kind of natural product (including  the amazing Turkey tail fungus - look it up!).

With a hope of making it to the hallowed turf of the farm. It is a bit of a sad irony that Coronavirus might just snuff out his chance to get there more than the cancer.

We have secured Worthy View camping because of the good facilities. And he will rest up a fair bit thru the day. But at night He is Ours!

It would be amazing if we managed to get him there. Good luck with your father in law mate, there are many people who have made come backs from stage 4 or at least extended their lives significantly.  

 

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