Glastonbury Veteran

[Charm]

1 hour ago, incident said:

I reckon the criteria should be at least 10, including:
- at least one properly muddy year (only 2007 and 2016 count as that in the last 20 years)
- at least one pre-superfence year
- at least once working it

So I'll never qualify because I can't go back in time to before the fence went up.

What about 2005 if you camped in Pennards and had a river running through your tent x

[plot2pot]

46 minutes ago, wilko8 said:

I think you need to have been going pre-fence and got in for free to be a veteran. 

I got in for free pre-fence in 2000 - but then again so did pretty much everyone else!

[mike46]

1 hour ago, incident said:

I reckon the criteria should be at least 10, including:
- at least one properly muddy year (only 2007 and 2016 count as that in the last 20 years)
- at least one pre-superfence year
- at least once working it

So I'll never qualify because I can't go back in time to before the fence went up.

I agree with 1 and 3, but surely point two can’t be counted - as it means eventually there’ll be no one considered a veteran, despite them having done 20+ Glastonbury’s  

[stuartbert two hats]

1 hour ago, squirrelarmy said:

It’s not the number, it’s the specific ones that matter such as 2005, 2011, 2016 and others
 

I can’t talk about them because you weren’t there man! 😉

2007 clearly too painful to even mention.

[gooner1990]

Just now, stuartbert two hats said:

2007 clearly too painful to even mention.

The only year I've ever wanted to leave early (stuck it out until Monday AM though!)

[stuartbert two hats]

36 minutes ago, amfy said:

Out of those I’ve only done 2011 and it wasn’t as bad as 97,98, or 07.

I didn't go to 2011, but it seems the worst of the almost-mudbath years. Worse than 2004, 2008, 2009 and 2014, but not up there with 97,98,07 and 16.

05 is in a category all of its own.

 

[Charm]

2005 in Pennards was a mudathon most of the fest, only dried up a bit on Sunday, hard going 

[incident]

17 minutes ago, Charm said:

What about 2005 if you camped in Pennards and had a river running through your tent x

Yeah, fair point. Flooded out counts.

[gooner1990]

6 minutes ago, stuartbert two hats said:

I didn't go to 2011, but it seems the worst of the almost-mudbath years. Worse than 2004, 2008, 2009 and 2014, but not up there with 97,98,07 and 16.

05 is in a category all of its own.

 

2011 was sort of similar to 2016 in a way that the build up had a lot of bad weather so it didn't take long for it to churn once punters started arriving on the Wednesday....

[incident]

21 minutes ago, mike46 said:

I agree with 1 and 3, but surely point two can’t be counted - as it means eventually there’ll be no one considered a veteran, despite them having done 20+ Glastonbury’s  

Possibly subject to change in the future - but at this point I think it should stand, as it's a distinct and different era of the festival.

[Mardy]

2007 way worse than 2011, for my money. Only 2016 came close

[Avalon_Fields]

I’d say it should include at least one Glastonbury before the super fence, having never experienced the ‘old’ festival with such a different character to now I don’t consider myself as a veteran. But, hey, I’ll take veteran status if it’s going….

Edited April 5, 2022 by Avalon_Fields

[Pinhead]

I've worked 3 for Oxfam, and been to 21, all since '94. Don't feel like a veteran especially; just feel lucky to have gone all the times I have and seen so much develop and change.

[Olshansky]

2016 really didn't bother me but 2011 was rough going.  

the cold rain during the U2 set was almost as unbearable as Bono himself 

[gooner1990]

3 minutes ago, Pinhead said:

I've worked 3 for Oxfam, and been to 21, all since '94. Don't feel like a veteran especially; just feel lucky to have gone all the times I have and seen so much develop and change.

Should write a book! 

[Olshansky]

2 minutes ago, Pinhead said:

I've worked 3 for Oxfam, and been to 21, all since '94. Don't feel like a veteran especially; just feel lucky to have gone all the times I have and seen so much develop and change.

my first was 04 and didn't make it back until 2010.  The amount of changes in that amount of time ... incredible.  I mean, there was no SE corner in 04.  I was gobsmacked 

[benc]

Makes me glad the one year I worked was ‘16  because I don’t remember it being that muddy.

this year will be my 9th.. don’t feel close to being a veteran - A veteran needs plenty of stories from back in the day

[Barneym]

I’ve done 8 deffo wouldn’t say i am a veteran, but I also would say 2016 wasn’t that bad, it was muddy yea but mainly dry, I’d take that over actual rain anyday 

[Crazyfool01]

so this year will be 15 for me ... I look at some of the other posters on this Thread and dont consider myself one .... despite me saying over 8 would be a veteran ... pails into insignificance when the likes of glastoworker post 

[Pinhead]

14 minutes ago, gooner1990 said:

Should write a book! 

The market is saturated. Also can't remember shite...

[Sawdusty surfer]

2 hours ago, clarkete said:

I'd never qualify because I wouldn't be in a fit state to work - and yes in the past I have seen some folks working who clearly had been enjoying themselves 🙂 

I somehow usually manage to function, after a fashion.

[Pinhead]

15 minutes ago, Olshansky said:

my first was 04 and didn't make it back until 2010.  The amount of changes in that amount of time ... incredible.  I mean, there was no SE corner in 04.  I was gobsmacked 

There was Lost Vagueness. If I recall, there had been 'stuff going on up there' in that area since about '97...

[dogeggs]

This year will be my 17th. I’ve been absurdly lucky with the F5 gauntlet.

Getting through 2005 was hard going, but only for the Friday. The storm itself was nuts, the flooded tent was a right nuisance and we had a few early leavers, which I’ve never had before or since. But I’ve always felt like 2016 was the most challenging physically…the 8 hour car queue, the mud bath arrival and the sheer effort it took to get about all weekend when the mud was so sticky.

I’d say lasting out either of those years should earn you a badge of honour - even if it you’re not allowed to claim ‘veteran’ status.

Edited April 5, 2022 by dogeggs

[clarkete]

16 minutes ago, crazyfool1 said:

so this year will be 15 for me ... I look at some of the other posters on this Thread and dont consider myself one .... despite me saying over 8 would be a veteran ... pails into insignificance when the likes of glastoworker post 

Very true, @glasto-worker is a colossus who dwarfs most of us, in terms of years, experience and recollections. 

[Olshansky]

20 minutes ago, Pinhead said:

There was Lost Vagueness. If I recall, there had been 'stuff going on up there' in that area since about '97...

This is true. I can't forget about Lost Vagueness. What a time that was!