Coming from Gate A Camping

[Absolutenewbie]

Hi all! First time i've posted obviously and I've never been to a festival and Glasto 2011 will be my first!

We're coming down on the Wednesday morning by coach and are set to arrive at around 10.30am ish at Gate A. We want to camp at either Park Home or Pennards but we're unsure as to whether they'll be full up by the time we've got in and managed to get down to them... Anybody got any experience/idea of what would be possible?

And if people reckon we won't manage to get in to either of those - where will be best to go for a good laugh?

Cheers and I'll be glad for the help

[LusciousLucy]

Welcome to Efests and your first ever fest, you have certainly picked a good one to begin with!

Right, 10.30am arrival at Gate A is a fairly good arrival time. It will take up to half an hour possibly longer to walk the mile plus to get to Pennards/Park Home. Either will likely look quite full to you but at that time of day there will still be places to camp up dont worry.

One tip that has become clear is to drop off the gear you dont need to lug necessarily at the nearest lock up when you enter. These are enormous white marquees, costs nothing to put your gear in either. After doing that, skidaddle down to Pennards/Park and set up your home for the week (dont forget to pack a couple of the beers instead of leaving them all in the lock up!) and then head back to the lock up for the rest of your gear.

If on the otherhand you are not too overloaded, just walk straight to the camping fields.

Despite there probably being anywhere between 10-60,000 people all arriving/parked up for gates open, 10.30am is still a reasonable time to be arriving and getting a half decent space.

[Absolutenewbie]

Cheers for that!

Probably will drop some gear off in the lock up, quality idea... being students we don't have enough money to be buying 4£ pints all week so having to bring a fair amount with us

[HurrahBrother]

Welcome. LusciousLucy knows what she is talking about.

Based on my previous years, arriving at that gate sometime between 12 and 1, there is usually just a few space for a few two person tents here and there around the in pennards. Some how people wedge way more in!

Yes, do use the lock ups, take it easy as you are going down hill and up hill again. When muddy, footing can be treachous in places. When dry, and hot, it is a long old walk and can be a bit of a struggle. Give it about 30-45 minutes as while it is about a mile as the crow flies, we ain't crows and some of those pathways seem to have been laid out by drunks .

When you get in the pedestrian gate, turn right as soon as you can, go past the John peel tent, through or past the dance village into the field in front of the other stage. There should be a row of traders at the back of the field backing onto the railway track, you want to cross to their right hand end. there should be a laid track way (apparently the its the pre 2002 fence)leading right to it. Once you cross the railway embankment there, you will be looking at penards and the park camping is the other side of that hedge that is to your right and running up hill.

On the return journey, I have found that the lock up next to gate A is actually full up by early sunday afternoon so the idea of dropping stuff off there Sunday to make an easy walk back is not always so easy to pull off.

[Absolutenewbie]

Cheers for the directions! Theres 4 of us coming down from the coaches so hopefully will get a spot! And ? Whats that?

[hotwaterbottle]

I arrived at Pennards last year at around 9.30 and it was incredibly full already, however last year saw a mad rush of people trying to get in before the england game in the early afternoon

so it will probably be okay by 11ish when you get there.

don't worry about that.

Park home looks lovely too - I bloody love the park, i'm sure you'll love it to.

[Absolutenewbie]

Fancy Park Home more probably, just see what happens though! Is Gate A a busy gate be any chance?