Sending my daughter to Leeds for the firs time...

[GlastoOldTimer]

Hi guys

I spent years going to Glasto in the last 80s, early 90s, when it was about 10p per ticket HOWEVER now my 17 year old is heading to Leeds this year and it feels very different!

A few probably stupid questions for you experts....

Will she be able to buy alcohol? I know its naughty but she borrows her sister's ID if she gets carded when out at home, but would she get away with using that at Leeds?

They have early bird tickets, I am driving them there and back - will I be better to bring them for 2 or before 2 and let them sit and wait with everyone else? Is there anywhere to wait around the drop off point?

They are talking about bringing food and alcohol with them but I have heard nothing but bad about having tents ransacked and the like so pointless to leave anything in there. How true is this and if they can bring food, what is best to bring?

Any idea vaguely how much spending money to take? Best place to keep it safe?

she seems so *cool* at home, but suddenly seems very UNstreetwise to me and isn't looking this stuff up heself

Cheers for any help!

[Benj]

Hi guys

I spent years going to Glasto in the last 80s, early 90s, when it was about 10p per ticket HOWEVER now my 17 year old is heading to Leeds this year and it feels very different!

A few probably stupid questions for you experts....

Will she be able to buy alcohol? I know its naughty but she borrows her sister's ID if she gets carded when out at home, but would she get away with using that at Leeds?

They have early bird tickets, I am driving them there and back - will I be better to bring them for 2 or before 2 and let them sit and wait with everyone else? Is there anywhere to wait around the drop off point?

They are talking about bringing food and alcohol with them but I have heard nothing but bad about having tents ransacked and the like so pointless to leave anything in there. How true is this and if they can bring food, what is best to bring?

Any idea vaguely how much spending money to take? Best place to keep it safe?

she seems so *cool* at home, but suddenly seems very UNstreetwise to me and isn't looking this stuff up heself

Cheers for any help!

[ivan]

Hey !

I am 43 ( no kids ) and have been to all Leeds Festivals and just clocked up 10 Glastonbury's so you will get an honest answer from me.

Its getting really difficult for the under 18's to get served. She will def get carded all the time , so she is just going to have to keep trying and hope they think the id is legit. I got chatting to

one of the bar managers at V the other year and Staffordshire council had sent in under age drinkers to

catch em out on more than one occassion and he got fined a few times , and was starting to worry about losing his licence for next year.

If they have early bird tickets , just go when convenient it will not be a mad rush , just try and avoid the rush hour traffic times.

I have never had a problem at Leeds with tents being ransacked. I think its blown out of proportion ,

just remember do not take anything you are worried about losing . There are a couple of camping areas that I would avoid cos its where all the young males that want to act like dicks all weekend seem to

congregate - a sort of rite of passage I guess. We camp in brown and its like a graveyard in there on a night , and green is very quiet as well. I would tend to avoid camping anywhere between Picadilly and the main arena to be honest.

Money thats a tough one , I usually take about £250.00 but then there are plenty of trips to the bar for me. For me best way to keep it safe is I have a wallett with string that I tie to my boarding shorts and use a carabiner as well so that it cannot fall out of my pocket , even if its open .

If you need any more advice , just ask !

[Dropkick Murphy]

Hey !

I am 43 ( no kids ) and have been to all Leeds Festivals and just clocked up 10 Glastonbury's so you will get an honest answer from me.

Its getting really difficult for the under 18's to get served. She will def get carded all the time , so she is just going to have to keep trying and hope they think the id is legit. I got chatting to

one of the bar managers at V the other year and Staffordshire council had sent in under age drinkers to

catch em out on more than one occassion and he got fined a few times , and was starting to worry about losing his licence for next year.

[kev1664]

Good info here, just the above I'd like to challenge.

I've been going to Leeds Festival for the last 10 years. I'm now 25. I have never ever been ID'd for alcohol in the Arena. I'm only about 5ft 5 and look really young and always get ID'd in pubs, clubs and shops. On top of this, none of my friends been ID'd.

I can't help think that the people who work behind the bars are just volunteers and don't ID anyone - I may be wrong but it seems unlikely it's just luck neither myself or my friends have ver been ID'd. Unless your daughter looks 12 years old she'll get served.

Tents getting ransacked. Like I say I've been going for 10 years and last year was the first year anything happened to any of my group. My friend's crate of beer got pinched from his tent. Another friend woke up with his tent open and all his clothes strewn around our site - appears that someone has been in his tent whilst he was asleep looking for stuff to nick.

Another mate woke up to the sound of his tent being unzipped and lad with a torch looking round his tent the lad said "sorry wrong tent".

My best bit of advice is to ensure all keys, phone, money, cards be kept on your person at all times. When you retire to your tent on a night, ensure all of the above is put in the bottom of your sleeping bag whilst inside it.

Before last year I would have advised the festival is fine. However, after last year I'm fully aware local scumbags get into the festival to rob tents. your daughter will be fine if she keeps her valuable on her person or in the bottom of her sleeping bag whilst she's in there. Ask her to make friends with the people who are camped near her, that way people can keep an eye out on each other.

With regard to food and beer, these scumbags are after money and phones. It's unlikely they'll pinch food and drink. However, like I say, my friend got his crate nicked, and unfortunately, there's nothing you can do about it.

Just tell your daughter to be extra vigilant, take care of her things and not get too drunk to not remember the above and she'll be fine.

This post is not made to scare you, just to make you aware of the facts and simple steps to take to combat them.

Edited July 27, 2010 by kev1664

[Dropkick Murphy]

The only thing with charging your phone in one of those lockers is you have to leave it there, and therefore have to spend time without your phone.

My advise would be to get yourself on eBay and buy a couple of spare batteries for her phone. You can pick up 'non-offical' ones for a couple of quid and they work fine. That way she can keep her phone on her at all times.

[kev1664]

The only thing with charging your phone in one of those lockers is you have to leave it there, and therefore have to spend time without your phone.

My advise would be to get yourself on eBay and buy a couple of spare batteries for her phone. You can pick up 'non-offical' ones for a couple of quid and they work fine. That way she can keep her phone on her at all times.

[GlastoOldTimer]

Excellent advice from you all, thanks so much! She very rarely gets carded at home, so will probably risk it, and her sister will probably tell her where to go if she tries to take HER ID with her!

I am sure she will come laden down with beer, biscuits and crisps and survive on that plus the odd burger and a few bottles of water. I just hope she has a great time!

Thanks again

[Dropkick Murphy]

Excellent advice from you all, thanks so much! She very rarely gets carded at home, so will probably risk it, and her sister will probably tell her where to go if she tries to take HER ID with her!

I am sure she will come laden down with beer, biscuits and crisps and survive on that plus the odd burger and a few bottles of water. I just hope she has a great time!

Thanks again

[YumYum]

She should be alright getting served at the bar, i was served when i was 16 last year.

For food, she should take Pringles not normal crisp, they won't crack as much. Plus she can throw 2 cans into the tub when shes finished to take into the arena with her. Plus if she's taking vodka she can probably get it into the arena in a water bottle.

I'd say take digestives aswell, they will crack abit but won't get too messy.

Last year everything was safe in my tent, i just left my money in my converse with my keys and phone etc. i spose that if your tents going to get robbed it's going to get robbed, don't worry to much about her she'll be fine and have an amazing weekend.

[Dropkick Murphy]

If she's not taking a stove i suggest tins of all day breakfast, if she can stomach them cold! Or anything tinned really, beans and sausage ravioli, macaroni cheese... Cereal bars, cartons of fruit etc.

[Jimmyeatspeople]

Yep like others have said, take nothing you want to lose..

old phone and keepy you wallet on you at all times

sleep with it in the bottom of your sleeping bag (if you take one)

Live on buscuits and the bacon sarnies from the van

[Megahurtz400]

I went to Reading by myself when i was 17 last year and i was fine, probably a bit different cus im a bloke though.

Few things to get:

Hexi stove and blocks: Can whack a tin of beans or a tin of Heinz Maceroni Cheese on this to its luke warm rather than cold, plus if she takes a load of tins with her, saves money buying food.

Best place to store money as a girl is in your bra isnt it? If not, in a sock or wellie

I got ID'd at Reading last year quite a bit.

The stories of peoples stuff being nicked, tents burned, angry mob etc etc are all hammed up most of the time, just tell her not to camp directly on the path and shell be fine

[rexclark]

If she's worried about not getting served booze in the arena just tell her to sneak some in.

[ivan]

Re food !

Get her to eat well beforehand , treat her to a big slap up meal before you set off. I had a truckers

breakfast so to speak then headed straight to the site last year.

Pack sandwiches to keep you going for a day or so - That will save £20 or so on junk food.

As you cannot take alcohol to the arena , we always used the walk from the campsite to down as many

tins of lager as we could , and sat outside and finished the rest before going in !

[sophiealice]

Hii my mams friend is in the same position with her son

I've been going for years and the only time ive ever had a problem was last year when someone went through our tents on the sunday night only thing that was taken was an mp3 which someone stupidly left in there tent they tend to go for money phones e.c.t

as for food crackers, crisps, cereal bars,biscuits, tuna light lunch

and definitely keep your valuables in the bottom of your sleeping bag when asleep

I'm sure she will have a fab time

[PurpleFire]

If your worrid about your stuff and your tent being robbed, try and camp near the fire towers. They have sercurity on them all day all night and they will become familar with whos tent is just below them.

Theres one in blue just at top of hill which is where i try and head every year but sometimes i fail and end up on red.

As for money, if she goes wednesday take food with you to eat and drink not many people will have arrived and they can cook stuff on a dispoasble BBQ or have sandwiches and snacks. For the following 4 days average 50quid a day. So 200quid, is a good round number but you can do it on a shoe string if you dont drink a lot from the bars.

Get a locker, pop your valuables in it, best thing to get for a festival and you can use it as your own little bank. Put all you money in it and then take it out when you need it, saves waiting in the huge huge ques for the cash machines. Also in the locker is a car charger point so you can charge your phone in there.

Simples... 3 POINTS

- DONT take anything you cannot afford to lose

- If you want to keep stuff safe camp by fire towers

- Get a locker if your still not sure, perfect for storing your money, keys, camera, phone, sat Nav. There not too big so use space wisely!

[riizch]

They do seem to be clamping down on underage alcohol sales in the arena, but i don't think she'd have much of a problem getting alcohol into the campsite, unless she's a ridiculously young-looking 17 year old.

It's nice to see someone with the heart and the initiative to take this kind of sesnsible approach to looking out for their daughter, but I don't think you have too much to worry about, to be honest. As other people have said, the tent ransacking is often exaggerated...we've never had that problem...so as long as she avoids certain camping areas where most of the young guys who act like knobds tend to congregate (yellow/orange hill), she should be fine. Just don't take anything too expensive if it's unnecessary. You can put your wallet/money/passport/phone in the bottom of your sleeping bag at night, and just try to wear things with zip pockets to keep your belongings safe in the arena through the day. For a bit more peace of mind, she could always buy a cheap PAYG phone for the festival to avoid having to take her (I assume) more expensive one and losing it, since you can pick them up for like, £10, £20 these days, but so long as she's careful, I wouldn't say it was absolutely necessary.

As for spending money, I usually take £200, and this is enough to last my fiancee and I for the weekend. I mean, we're not the heaviest of drinkers, so she might want to take an extra £50 or so if she's planning on drinking quite liberally in the arena, but I doubt she'd need much more than that.

[ivan]

They do seem to be clamping down on underage alcohol sales in the arena, but i don't think she'd have much of a problem getting alcohol into the campsite, unless she's a ridiculously young-looking 17 year old.

It's nice to see someone with the heart and the initiative to take this kind of sesnsible approach to looking out for their daughter, but I don't think you have too much to worry about, to be honest. As other people have said, the tent ransacking is often exaggerated...we've never had that problem...so as long as she avoids certain camping areas where most of the young guys who act like knobds tend to congregate (yellow/orange hill), she should be fine. Just don't take anything too expensive if it's unnecessary. You can put your wallet/money/passport/phone in the bottom of your sleeping bag at night, and just try to wear things with zip pockets to keep your belongings safe in the arena through the day. For a bit more peace of mind, she could always buy a cheap PAYG phone for the festival to avoid having to take her (I assume) more expensive one and losing it, since you can pick them up for like, £10, £20 these days, but so long as she's careful, I wouldn't say it was absolutely necessary.

As for spending money, I usually take £200, and this is enough to last my fiancee and I for the weekend. I mean, we're not the heaviest of drinkers, so she might want to take an extra £50 or so if she's planning on drinking quite liberally in the arena, but I doubt she'd need much more than that.

[Electricityscape]

I had no issues last year, but we were in a huge crowd and there was always someone around to deter any ..... from having a peak in our tents. We also made friends with our "neighbours" in the hope they'd just keep an eye out if anything happened, it could bite you back that scheme but it worked last year, so why not. I've heard Orange and Yellow are worst for these tent robbings as at night they're pretty quiet where as Blue and Red are the opposite theres people walking all over the place, which again is another deterent.

Water - Well theres water taps around the place no problems with that.

Food - I'd say something like sqaure bars or something tinned. Lunch i'm taking some sarnies and pasta pots, then make a trip to tesco on the friday to get some more. Tea i usually got something from the arena.

And getting served, me and my friends were 16 last year and we had no issue getting served i was really suprised.

So all in all it's like others have said, you can't stop people robbing your tent, just take all your valuables and put money in different places ( i had mine in my pocket and some in my sock) And like someone else said if you've got a crate split it up and make it difficult for someone to take.

[Bounders]

I have to disagree with the comment about orange being bad for tend robbing, I was camp near the fun fair last year and i had no problems other than someone nicked one of my barnsley flags

Leeds isnt that bad for nobs, the sunday night is quite bad but if they stay away from the trouble then they will be fine. But there is going to be more security this year anyway so i think it will be calmer.

[Electricityscape]

I have to disagree with the comment about orange being bad for tend robbing, I was camp near the fun fair last year and i had no problems other than someone nicked one of my barnsley flags

Leeds isnt that bad for nobs, the sunday night is quite bad but if they stay away from the trouble then they will be fine. But there is going to be more security this year anyway so i think it will be calmer.

[riizch]

I reckon security will be stepped up pretty considerably this year. they were already planning to increase security measures, and then that thing happened at Latitude where those 2 girls were allegedly raped...FR got a fair bit of negative press from that so they'll be sure to take whatever measures necessary to ensure that the festival is visibly as safe as possible. I reckon this will probably be the safest festival we've ever seen to date.

[ivan]

Friends of mine have been to tiny festivals and had their tents raided , I have been to 10 Leeds and been fine .

Leeds fest is like a major city , some smaa parts will expect and get trouble , the rest of it is fine and quiet.

[riizch]

Hit the nail on the head there, mate.