Thoughts on a arriving on Friday night

[Crazyfool01]

5 minutes ago, e_p said:

Would you get a choice where to park if you arrived late Friday? 

You’d get put into whatever car park they were filling at the time … only thing you could influence is the direction you approach from … we usually arrive the same time of day and have been directed to many different ones 

[Ayrshire Chris]

1 hour ago, grayfitz said:

Lime Kiln/Hitchin Hill corner of the site has been my go-to for years and I think it's criminally underrated. Very manageable walk to all of the main stages for start of the day, close enough to Pyramid to do a tactical stop-off before the headliners and even though the walk back from SE Corner is probably as long it can be, it helps you get back to a good level before going to bed.

Agree with that, decent food tents nearby, milky milky tractor every morning, best long drops on site and views over the whole site. Always had good friendly neighbours.  Although me and Mrs c now opt for WV I do miss that area. 

[MrZigster]

4 hours ago, e_p said:

Would you get a choice where to park if you arrived late Friday? 

Probably not. But you may get a great spot. See below.

4 hours ago, vintagelaureate said:

Bizzarely, I ended up in virtually the same space when I àrrived late Friday to early hours Wednesday.

I was still directed into Orange (39 I think)

I've had the same experience more than once but with the Blue ones.

4 hours ago, crazyfool1 said:

You’d get put into whatever car park they were filling at the time … only thing you could influence is the direction you approach from … we usually arrive the same time of day and have been directed to many different ones 

Also true from my experience.

The parking just seems so random doesn't it?

Hey. It's their festival. Their land. They can run it how they like. I get it and I try not to suffer from Regulars Fallacy (the idea that just because you're spending your children's inheritance at a certain establishment gives you any say in how the place is run).

But the parking really pisses me off.

Turned up really early Tuesday evening to get in the queue to get a favoured camping spot? But no mate. We're making you park here. In the furthest away space possible from the gate which is nearest to where you had planned to camp. Aiming for Gate B? Sorry guv. We're putting you here. As far South East from Gate C as it gets, let alone Gate B.

I've tried reasoning with the stewards. The above, The fact that my leg is obviously knackered. My age is quite apparent as well. But no. Here's where we're parking people at the moment.

Partly spoiled a couple of years for me. Completely knackered before the thing even starts and you spend the whole week knowing you've got to do the whole thing backwards on the Monday in the back of your mind. And you know it's mostly uphill that way. Makes the difference between going back on site for a last bimble or just going straight home on The Monday as well. It's literally miles of difference. And extreme weather either way adds to this.

Should fill car parks from close to the gates and then backwards. 

The actual parking attendants would hate that though wouldn't they. From their perspective, if they start filling the parks from far away on the Tuesday evening, the less they have to walk back and forth to camp as the week goes on.

Sorry. Went off on one there.

Tl;dr: Where you get parked can make make a lot of difference.

[hfuhruhurr]

5 hours ago, MrZigster said:

It's literally miles of difference.

Our key reason for having our trolley - and bring at least one youth along as a donkey! (although they have objected when I've got on the trolley and started whipping them with bungee cords).

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

I've found that being made to park further out on a few occasions has been of great benefit on the Monday morning. Although it's a long trek back to the car, you are lighter in load, as you have drank all that heavy drink. You also get to walk past the people who arrived early and got closer to the gates, and who are now trapped and have become stressed out and already lost their Glastonbury head with the stress of non movement in their vehicles.

[balti-pie]

in 2008 i went down first thing on the wednesday with some mates, to pitch up and get drunk etc - and as per usual, were parked absolutely bloody miles away from gate C. a huge carry laden with all our stuff. 

the girlfriend drove down on the thursday and parked about 600 yards away from gate a somehow, carrying in her bag, with the tent and everything set up for her by me and ready to go. she said it was the very best entrance to the festival she had ever had. ive got no idea how they organise the car parking fields but it definitely doesnt make any kind of logical sense

[Ryan1984]

One year, my brother drove and when we tried turning on the car on the Sunday morning after packing up our stuff, it just wouldn’t start. Called the AA on site and they moved the car and fixed it. The AA section is right next to the exit and they said to us we’d get straight out if we left the car with them - saved hours in the queue.

[gooner1990]

8 minutes ago, balti-pie said:

in 2008 i went down first thing on the wednesday with some mates, to pitch up and get drunk etc - and as per usual, were parked absolutely bloody miles away from gate C. a huge carry laden with all our stuff. 

the girlfriend drove down on the thursday and parked about 600 yards away from gate a somehow, carrying in her bag, with the tent and everything set up for her by me and ready to go. she said it was the very best entrance to the festival she had ever had. ive got no idea how they organise the car parking fields but it definitely doesnt make any kind of logical sense

two years in a row 2013 and 2014 we came in on the east side off the A37 and for some reason they had decided to fill the car parks from the top (furthest away) to the bottom (closest to ped gate B) ..... think the whole ordeal took four hours from getting in the car park to getting through the gate.  We got put up there both times which was Purple car park 3 which wasn't even on the map below!

The walk back on the monday morning up the really long hill nearly killed us all both times!

 

Edited July 1, 2021 by gooner1990

[Crazyfool01]

There is also the moving the car closer to the gate option … although that doesn’t always work … my friend spent most of Sunday waiting for a tow in 2016 and came back late on When on Monday morning peak time we pretty much drove straight out … 

[DeanoL]

6 hours ago, MrZigster said:

 

Should fill car parks from close to the gates and then backwards. 

The actual parking attendants would hate that though wouldn't they. From their perspective, if they start filling the parks from far away on the Tuesday evening, the less they have to walk back and forth to camp as the week goes on.

 

From the festival's perspective, if they ever did a system, it'd probably be the opposite, so fill the earliest arrivals from the back - giving some incentive to spread out arrivals a bit and discourage people from arriving really early 

[Ayrshire Chris]

Always try and do one return to the car in a morning to replenish supplies and refresh my memory where it’s parked in relation to exit, number of rows in and if it’s beside some identifying feature etc etc.  2017 the car next to me placed empty beer bottles on his car roof, amazingly still there at the end. Having said that he did have a piss on my car during the Tuesday night, which was annoying because we weren’t too far away from a row of portaloos on the path next to the stream. All part of the festival experience. 

[balti-pie]

8 minutes ago, Ayrshire Chris said:

Always try and do one return to the car in a morning to replenish supplies and refresh my memory where it’s parked in relation to exit, number of rows in and if it’s beside some identifying feature etc etc.  2017 the car next to me placed empty beer bottles on his car roof, amazingly still there at the end. Having said that he did have a piss on my car during the Tuesday night, which was annoying because we weren’t too far away from a row of portaloos on the path next to the stream. All part of the festival experience. 

part of my festival experience wouldve been me punching him in the face for pissing on my car, ive got to be honest. you're extremely tolerant!

[gooner1990]

13 minutes ago, Ayrshire Chris said:

Always try and do one return to the car in a morning to replenish supplies and refresh my memory where it’s parked in relation to exit, number of rows in and if it’s beside some identifying feature etc etc.  2017 the car next to me placed empty beer bottles on his car roof, amazingly still there at the end. Having said that he did have a piss on my car during the Tuesday night, which was annoying because we weren’t too far away from a row of portaloos on the path next to the stream. All part of the festival experience. 

What is the routine for your festival trip? 

Must be quite a long journey etc do you break it up heading down or back?

Think if I was travelling the distance you do I would probably fly to Bristol!

[Ayrshire Chris]

47 minutes ago, balti-pie said:

part of my festival experience wouldve been me punching him in the face for pissing on my car, ive got to be honest. you're extremely tolerant!

He was obviously well drunk and to be fair I reckon he thought he was aiming at his own car. That was a really warm night and a lot of alcohol was consumed. We went and joined the queue at 5am and all in his car were sound asleep so  his idea of getting in the car park overnight to get in the queue early went tits up. 😁 serves him right for pissing on my car. 

[Ayrshire Chris]

51 minutes ago, gooner1990 said:

What is the routine for your festival trip? 

Must be quite a long journey etc do you break it up heading down or back?

Think if I was travelling the distance you do I would probably fly to Bristol!

We travel down on the previous Friday, stay in Glastonbury town for a few days then head for the festival Tuesday evening. Already booked accommodation for next year! 

[gooner1990]

11 minutes ago, Ayrshire Chris said:

We travel down on the previous Friday, stay in Glastonbury town for a few days then head for the festival Tuesday evening. Already booked accommodation for next year! 

Straight home after the festival?

[Ayrshire Chris]

25 minutes ago, gooner1990 said:

Straight home after the festival?

Yes, early Monday morning  but plenty of stops on motorway services sharing stories with others doing the same journey.  Mud covered cars in 2016 were  quite a sight! Had considered the Bristol flight but too much hassle. Anyway, I enjoy the adventure. 

Edited July 1, 2021 by Ayrshire Chris

[gooner1990]

10 minutes ago, Ayrshire Chris said:

Yes, early Monday morning  but plenty of stops on motorway services sharing stories with others doing the same journey.  Mud covered cars in 2016 were  quite a sight! Had considered the Bristol flight but too much hassle. Anyway, I enjoy the adventure. 

Fair play for your dedication. 🙂

I find it a struggle getting back to Oxford and that's only 2 and a bit hours away!

[blutarsky]

Got to recommend WV parking, straight in and dead close to your tent. Don't queue to get out either - easy as anything. 

What's exiting the camper fields like? Now we have a van expecting to be doing this in the future. 

[Ayrshire Chris]

8 minutes ago, blutarsky said:

Got to recommend WV parking, straight in and dead close to your tent. Don't queue to get out either - easy as anything. 

What's exiting the camper fields like? Now we have a van expecting to be doing this in the future. 

Yes, the one way system round the country lanes might look long but it’s well stewarded,  then you reach the main road to Shepton! 

[Old_Johno]

2 hours ago, balti-pie said:

part of my festival experience wouldve been me punching him in the face for pissing on my car, ive got to be honest. you're extremely tolerant!

if I was a passer by and I saw one extremely drunk person pee on a car and the owner of the car walk up to them and punch them, I know who I’d deem the asshole in that situation. 

Should probably caveat that with yes I love my car, no I don’t agree with peeing on other peoples stuff, but at the end of the day you’re really better off not sweating the small stuff. 
 

wait til you find out how many dogs pee on your car 

 

[Crazyfool01]

It’s actually legal to pee against one of the tyres on a car isn’t it ? Or is that some wives tale ? 

[balti-pie]

20 minutes ago, Old_Johno said:

if I was a passer by and I saw one extremely drunk person pee on a car and the owner of the car walk up to them and punch them, I know who I’d deem the asshole in that situation. 

Should probably caveat that with yes I love my car, no I don’t agree with peeing on other peoples stuff, but at the end of the day you’re really better off not sweating the small stuff. 
 

wait til you find out how many dogs pee on your car 

 

dogs are fine to pee on my car, and people aren't. i'm not interested with how drunk they are, there's toilets actually available in the car parking field, and failing that there's loads of bushes too. Even ignoring the whole 'leave no trace' idea.

There just isn't a reason to piss on a car other than that you're a ridiculously selfish twat, and do i think that suitable recompense for that is a bop on the nose? 

well, yes, i do 😊 bystanders can think what they like 

[Superscally]

On 6/27/2021 at 10:20 PM, e_p said:

Due to work, if I get a ticket, I’d only be able to  arrive about 7pm Friday.  Where would you camp considering I’d also have to leave during the Sunday night headliners? Friends would likely be in worthy view and there’s no point booking. That for just 2 nights.

Obviously it’s better than not going at all, but has anyone ever done such a short one before? 

I'd say don't go, not being mean, but someone is desperate to go and going for two nights sounds like a box ticking exercise and the best days are Weds and Thursday anyway.

[Old_Johno]

42 minutes ago, crazyfool1 said:

It’s actually legal to pee against one of the tyres on a car isn’t it ? Or is that some wives tale ? 

The legend goes it’s legal for a man to urinate in public, as long as it is on the rear wheel of his car and his right hand is on the vehicle… 

public urination laws vary from place to place by county but generally it’s a fine regardless. There’s really no reason to punch someone for it…