#Glastonbury2016 how it was for me

I have just got back from my first Glastonbury. Here are some personal thoughts. (Just quickly a bit of context - I love music but am not hard core - I am an experienced camper - and while I have never been to Glasto before I have been to The Isle of Wight Festival many times.)

Like many people I have always wanted to go to Glastonbury not least because I don't think I have ever met anyone who has been and not said it is anything other than special and of course the TV coverage has been/is comprehensive. However because of demand - and the system by which tickets are now sold (to prevent touting and resale of tickets - a fantastic thing) it is not easy to get a ticket and requires some pre planning and good luck.

Anyway to keep a long story short - 6 blokes - old school friends - all around the 60 mark - travelled together early Wednesday morning from Exeter. Our vehicle was stuffed with amongst other things - an 8 man tent - and three boxes (60 litres) of farmhouse cider. Two of my mates were Glastonbury hardcore and taking us "virgins" a bit like teachers on a school trip - ha!

Every now and again Glasto (despite it is held in our "summer") has a muddy year. This year was to be a muddy year. In fact festival organisers had put out requests to delay travelling because difficult conditions on site had made access to carparks tricky and delays were predicted. They were right. Our journey from Exeter should have taken less than 2 hours - it took over 8 in the end.

The journey though was the first taste of the Glasto spirit. Nobody moaned much. People got out of the vehicles and chatted. People watching was fantastic. Anticipation was high. Now and again we left the vehicle and walked on to the next pub and had a beer. It was all a laugh and eventually we get there. Now the only grim bit. The vast majority use tents. There is the gear needed for 5 nights under canvas - including wet weather gear - and booze of course. Many are well prepared. Trollies - sack trucks - you need them but what a struggle it was for most - the mud and the consequent slippiness a bummer. It is a toil. It is only Wednesday - effectively a day early at least - but the site looks full. We have a good idea where we want to be as there are many field options. Avoid being too close to toilets, or main thoroughfares or at the bottom of slopes. A big physical effort is needed from everyone. Bag searches seemed nominal. There is no restrictions about what you can bring in - except for glass. There are points of access around the site and camp sites dotted around and in. Most camp sites require a considerable walk and I think there is a trade off between how far you walk in to camp and how close or otherwise you end up to the main music stages. (I strongly recommend you have someone with you that has been before or that you have done some prior research and come with a plan. If you turn up blind so to speak the scale could be quite disorientating). We get to our spot by 7pm - tent up and installed by 9. All is good. The effort is in the past. Now some chilling.

So now the meat - the Glasto experience !

My overwhelming thought is indeed it is a special place. I have been a big supporter of the Isle Wight festival - a huge well run main stream festival but it is puny and one dimensional compared to the massive musical and cultural melting pot that is Glastonbury. Glastonbury is truly enormous in the geographical area it covers and of course this can necessitate a lot of walking if you choose to make a (vain) attempt to take it all in. But what makes Glasto feel so incredible is it is small and intimate at the same time. It is divided in areas or fields (our favourite was Avalon Field) plus the big stage areas - some outside - some under cover like the Acoustic tent. There is something for everyone - large stages, top acts around every corner - and the main stages while massive - over 100000 for ELO and probably more for Adele and Coldplay are comfortable in their size - it was not a scrum - acoustics and volume fantastic and access in my experience, easier than expected because people come to the stadium from multi routes rather than funneling in from one or two. And the people are wonderful. Not once in the 5 days we were there did I witness any negative behaviour. People are thoughtful, polite, chilled, talkative, open - non threatening and non threatened - excited - happy - and the mud by and large a non issue - just made walking a bit harder. Of course Glasto attracts all types of people - there is no norm - but they all buy into the ethos and it is uplifting, thought provoking and hope creating that so many can rub along together in harmony and at peace (sorry if that seems a bit corny but actually that is how it is). To be fair the IOW Festival is like this this too in the main but it is the scale and the variety and the surprising intimacy of Glastonbury that is standout. It is not exaggerating to say I have fallen in love with the place - I want to go again - a feeling shared by all of us - and evidently we only scratched the surface and I think that is all you will ever do at Glastonbury.

Here are a few other thoughts in no particular order :

While Glasto is a commercial enterprise I assume, it does not feel like it. Bring your own booze and food. Go where you like, sit where you want - no restrictions. There are masses of excellent food and drink outlets - something for everyone. You do not feel you are being squeezed or bled dry as a captive audience.
Hygeine. As far as I know - no viable showers generally available. Plenty of toilets - all on a sustainable - non chemical format. Some would struggle because of the smell but to be honest it was a non issue. Wet wipes essential.
The Glasto ethos is not to drop litter and this works well in the main. They also strongly discourage blokes having a pee wherever they like - ha!
There are countless stages so choosing who to see is an issue. Clearly you cannot see everyone although some people jump from one stage to another to catch bits of acts. That was not our approach - just chill - enjoy who you see - catch the ones you don't another time. One thing you can be sure of - any performer at Glasto is going to give their appearance 100% of commitment - it is special for them too. It is often a fantastic emotional experience - the performer and the audience overwhelmed by being at the epi centre of music festivals - part of the great tradition built up over many many years. Brilliant.
Sleep - like a log. Earplugs and pee bottle - say no more - ha! More seriously you have got to look after yourself. Dry feet and clothes - plenty of water - some half decent food and yes some sleep worked for me. What you look like - not too important - ha!

My personal highlights this year :

Main arena - Pyramid - the mumbling ZZ Top, ELO - their back catalogue, Adele and her banter, Coldplay (Mr Eavis singing My Way) all wonderful shows. I really enjoyed Tame Impala and Jess Glynne too.
Others - James and Squeeze brought back great memories and the wonderful Ralph McTell - the crazy Hobo Jones and Junkyard Dogs and the multi talented Keston Cobblers Club!

Finally what a great place to be with my old mates - two of whom I have known for 55 years. It was so funny. Such a brilliant laugh - just so great. And it was special to meet up with my youngest son Richard - dancing (ok clapping) along to ZZ Top and ELO - bands pretty much unknown to him before Glasto.

The last thing I want to say relates to the EU referendum. I was strongly pro exit and very happy the vote went that way. However it never occurred to me that so many people would feel very despondent about the shock decision to leave. Let me assure all those young people especially that this has nothing to do with racism or anti immigrants or a little England mentality or baby boomers looking after themselves. It is only about that the UK is just Glasto on an even bigger scale. It has to be managed - control has to be exercised - numbers are limited to cope - planning is key. Michael Eavis has steadfastly built Glastonbury up to what it is now. It works brilliantly - you feel free there - it works - we all buy into it - it is humane - but as he said in his heartfelt rendition of My Way - it has been a challenge but he had the vision and he did his way. The British people have to do it our way. Being told what to do by Brussels is not the way because they are not us. Long live Glastonbury and our democracy xxxxx

Here are a few pictures of us :-