Festival review by : Kerry Sunderland

Glastonbury Festival 1999

Friday 25th to Sunday 27th June 1999
Worthy Farm, Pilton, nr Glastonbury, Somerset, England
£83

Back at work after losing my glasto virginity.....

It seemed like an arduous march up the hill upon arrival, but we couldn't stop congratulating ourselves for the rest of the weekend on finding and claiming our spot on top of the hill (Lime Kiln Field, after the cinema).

From our little campsite, lovingly fenced in by friend Jon with pickets and contraband James Bond 'crime scene' tape and adorned with fluoro stars above each tent entrance that glowed in the setting sun, we could see the whole of Glastonbury 'town'. From the sacred circle on the opposite hill (one hour's walk from our site), across the valley and two main stages, from the car parks that resembled a car manufacturing plant to the blue dance tent (the biggest tent in the world, but they have to build a bigger one for next year after people were crushed at Fatboy Slim), it was inconceivable that the community was built in a few days and virtually dismantled in hours. At night, when the mist rolled in from Glastonbury Tour, street lights dotted around the market and thousands of random campfires created an image not dissimilar to an offshore oil rig.

Arguably, Glastonbury is the only festival in the world bigger than any of the bands that appear there. I subscribe to this theory. But didn"t do too bad at watching music: Bjorn Again (yeah, I know, but it was a laugh and about 20,000 others had same idea), Blondie, Fatboy Slim, Kula Shaker, Dogstar (awful), Fun Loving Criminals (definitely the highlight), Lenny, Skunk Anansie.. mmmm, can't remember the rest.

The weather was gorgeous. Now sporting a lovely red nose that defies camouflage. A little rain, but only when we were snug inside our little tent. It was actually (genuinely) hot on Friday. Even the most seasoned travellers and Australians had to find shade every now and again.

Most of our group were seasoned glasto revellers who spent a great deal of time comparing the 'Great Mud' with this year's event.

Camped with friends from work and from home (including Mel, who only left Australia for the first time ever two days earlier). Lost Alan, who drove the car we hired for the trip, one hour after arrival and only found him an hour before we left four days later.

Lost myself in the wee hours of Saturday morning when I decided to go and buy cigarettes. Had an adventurous three hours wandering the whole site, thinking everyone sounded like friend Tom and looked like friend Den. While in pursuit of these countless doppelgangers, I got myself a little disoriented but found home when dawn arrived and I could see our little hill. Nearing home, a group of people in front thought I was an undercover cop tailing them. Little old me?? Maybe the black beanie, blue raincoat and stern concentration confused them.

Survived the portable bogs. Enjoyed the yummy food (why can"t we find this grub in the City???). Looking forward to the photos when developed, if anyone of us actually managed to use our cameras. We can't quite remember.