Not been for ten years - What's changed?

[charley]

Going to my first Reading since 2003 ( i also did 8 in a row in the 90s)

Are there any veterans in here who can tell me what has changed, I know there is a hell of a lot more people and i wont like the music as much but is there anything else?

[glasto-worker]

Going to my first Reading since 2003 ( i also did 8 in a row in the 90s)

Are there any veterans in here who can tell me what has changed, I know there is a hell of a lot more people and i wont like the music as much but is there anything else?

problem with looking back is I cant recall which year was which as I have not missed any since 1989 so its all minor changes.

now it used to be the arena was cleared after the last band - that has changed so there is no massive rush for people to leave the arena.

cant recall which year they brought in white camping but that may be new to you.

they have shifted the guest camping as well.

if you are a drinker - the Carling Cold Beer exchange is no longer { Carling had the contract from 1998 to 2007 }

its all very minor.

[atomised]

89 was my first as well and also not missed a year. If anythings changed its the number of stages and the fact there is stuff to do after the last band although nowhere near enough.

Oh and no fires after 8 on sunday evening has calmed it down a lot

[gooner1990]

after the 'riots' in 2009 a lot of the late night sunday antics have been put to bed.

the arena got expanded back in 2013 so there is a much larger area towards the back stalls/smaller stages etc.

cars are now all parked the other side of white/quiet camping (which is on the otherside of the river.)

its much more of a teen festival now, espeically in the campsites(although that's been the case for a few years now) that said the arena is still a big mix of people of older ages in there too.

the main stage is much bigger.

the R1 tent is now up at the back of the arena.

there is a funfair in the campsite.

a lot less people wasted on drugs than when i first started going at the end of the 90's (booze seems to be the main thing now!)

[charley]

The first couple of years i went we got to park in amongst the tents. Seems crazy now and used to be a nightmare to get out, but the convenience of having a lockable car right next to your tent was ace.

[gooner1990]

The first couple of years i went we got to park in amongst the tents. Seems crazy now and used to be a nightmare to get out, but the convenience of having a lockable car right next to your tent was ace.

2005 was the last year of having the car park on the same side as the camping. I remember my friends car being parked in what is now Orange, and we carrried a lot more booze in and just left it in his boot! Now you have to do about 2 or 3 trips to and from the car on the otherside of the river!

2006 we arrived and had to come over on the boat to the main site, and then in 2008 they introduced the bridge which helped things massivly!

[ellynwilliams18]

If you have attended Reading and/or Leeds and have a spare few minutes could you please complete my survey? I'm carrying out research on the relationship between cultural identity and attendee motivations for my undergraduate dissertation.

The survey is completely anonymous. If you do wish to participate this is the survey: http://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/153540BNTTL/

Thank you.