So What Makes Glastonbury Special?

Glastonbury is regarded as the mother of UK festivals - it's certainly the biggest! So, what's the secret of it's success, and how does it maintain it's position? The secret is.... the people!

Here's a few extracts from postings to the Original Glastonbury Festival Website's chat board:

'...while sitting in the Hare Krishna tent, I was massaged on the neck by a complete stranger with a vibrating Furbie.'

'Standing by the dance tent complaining about losing my sunglasses down the bogs (those wearing dungarees - watch out for that front pocket...) when a girl walked up, handed me two pairs and walked away. If you're reading this, thank you!'

'Stomping around, ankle deep in mud, pretty much wasted, feeling sorry for myself cos I'd just lost £30 and my boots were leaking, I noticed somebody walking toward me, I looked up... it was Rolf Harris! "Hello" he said, "Alright mate" I said, shaking his hand "You're great you are", we had a little chat, and off he went. Cheered me up no end, and the money and the mud just didn't seem to matter any more, I had just met Rolf.'

'Walking through the massive puddle on the path between the Main Stage and Dance Tent in 1998 in the middle of the night and my mate pointing out what a lovely noise the thousands of feet moving through the water was making.'

'Wandering past one of the stages and hearing Gomez for the very first time.'

'Finally plucking up the courage to visit a portaloo near the other stage on Friday night and discovering that it had just been cleaned and you could have eaten your dinner off it!'

'The feeling of walking through the gates and knowing you've come home.'

'Rediscovering The Glastonbury Shuffle where there are millions of people walking in millions of different directions, but because no-one's in any rush you never bump into anyone or have to break your stride.'

'Me and my mate dancing in the mud to Harvest Moon by Neil Young on the PA after Blur had finished. Not only did people not take the piss, they joined in!'

'The nutters at the Stone Circle letting off the fireworks on Sunday night/Monday morning in 98.'

'Crashing out at 10am on Monday morning in a field full of tents and waking up at 6pm on Monday evening to discover that our three tents were the only ones left in the field.'

'Just generally spending three days in the company of thousands of fantastic people all doing exactly what they want to do when they want to do it, and getting a glimpse of what true happiness and contentment is. Plus about a million other things.'

'After having had all my clothes nicked from my tent whilst sleeping one night, I was left with only the clothes I was kipping in so I had to go shopping. After explaining to the stall-owner why I needed new clothes, just by way of conversation, she sold me a pair of trousers, a shirt, jumper and dress for a fiver!'

'A man I had never met before, embroidering a little purple flower onto my jeans in the late 80s.'