First time at Kendal Calling, a few questions

[fumps]

Hi guys

I'm a long standing festival veteran who's been doing them for a a fair few years but never done a Kendal calling yet....this is our first year And I have to say I'm buzzing about the line up so far.

Anyway I would like to ask a few questions to clear up a few vague points on the festival info page.

I'm trying to find out how much beer you can bring in ?

The reason I ask is that one of our reprobates that will be coming after us & getting dropped off by his wife so we are bringing his tent & stuff with us but I'm worried I may get stopped if I'm bringing in several crates of beer as it's not just for me lol

Also in regards to the camping fields: how loud does it get at night ? we are hoping that its not a ghost town lol

We will be in the main field

[bottonrob]

Hi fumps

in regards to beers I would say it depends on when you're arriving and the make up of your group. I've never had an issue arriving on the Thursday but then am with wife and two kids. I've heard of others having issues before making 2nd and 3rd trips where the security have been a bit funny but they tended to be always the 18yr old lads groups etc unless anyone else have noted different?

General rule of the main camping is the further left you go the earlier the noise dies down in the night and the earlier it starts in the morning! the dance tents go on until stupid oclock and the nearest camping area echoes this.

Rob

[Scargilla]

Never had an issue personally with bringing any beers in, I usually cart a couple of crates for me and friends do the same, as long as you're not bringing an off license worth you should be safe.

And can only Echo what bottonrob said, if your in general camping i'd advise either pitching up near to the entrance, as you walk in near to the fence line on the right. If you go to far down it gets a bit kid heavy, that or head left a little, you can stay out of the lord of the flies area but still have plenty going on.

[ramragon]

I would imagine they'll be having a look at the camping layout this year and maybes moving some of the fields round a bit. They're increasing the capacity by around 5000 this year and it's hard to imagine where that amount could be slotted into last year's layout.

You'll find that there will be a site map released closer to the festival when the tickets have sold through, but just to echo what the others have said. If you camp in the fields closer to the enterance you'll have a quieter but still lively time. My friends camped there last year and we're still partying till 4 every morning along with most of the field.

[fumps]

Hi guys cheers for the advice.

we are a group ranging from 35 to 50 years old. We are old enough to know better but too old to care lol. we have a habbit of laughing loudly at night & being silly but not rowdy (If that makes sense?). We've been told off by teenagers before at festivals lol

The plan is to arrive on Thursday about 2pm ish with a few stragglers turning up after work.

So the plan is to take a few mates tents & get them pitched for them. but like I say there is a couple of mates who dont have their own car so will be dropped off close by & walk in.I will be taking their beer with us. I'm thinking I may be carrying 2x crates of beer & a few small bottles of spirits (In plastic bottles). maybe another 12 pack left in the car just in case things get desperate.

Never had any trouble at any events before so wanted to check the lay of the land with this one.

Thanks for your advice. months to go & I'm already excited!!!

So I may stick around & talk random to you all, I hope you dont mind

[ramragon]

No problems at all, it's normally a friendly enough place.

I usually start a thread for any questions that people wanna ask. There's enough regulars around here to answer most of them

[fumps]

Cheers mate. I really appreciate it.

We are a good buch. We often end up with neighbours sitting with us whenever we do festivals, as we always welcome strangers into our group, as a matter of fact If any of you guys see any old farts sitting round a Bell tent come & say hi.

[Dazoodo07]

Didn't have any problem with ale last year, filled a sack trolley, wrapped it with shrink wrap and strolled in. maybe 4/5 cases of cider/beer, few plastics of mixed spirits and a box or 2 of wine from I can remember. Make sure you have id though. If you are lucky enough to look younger, with no Id they will nick it, one of our party last year, 27 years old, got asked, couldn't produce so got 2 bottles taken from her!!

[fumps]

Didn't have any problem with ale last year, filled a sack trolley, wrapped it with shrink wrap and strolled in. maybe 4/5 cases of cider/beer, few plastics of mixed spirits and a box or 2 of wine from I can remember. Make sure you have id though. If you are lucky enough to look younger, with no Id they will nick it, one of our party last year, 27 years old, got asked, couldn't produce so got 2 bottles taken from her!!

I really really wish I could be checked for ID.........just for old times sake lol

**Stares whistfully into space**

Anyway cheers for this,I think all will be well.

Being a natural slaphead skinhead does mean a couple of things, I look older than 39. I also look a bit like a bouncer, It also means that I have less hair to comb & more face to wash.

[SoulGirl90]

I'm a bit late in the game I have to admit. I'm originally from a village just outside Penrith, near to where the festival is happening and this will be my first year attending the festival, crazy I know. But I used to think that a big part of going to a music festival is the journey there, hence why I chose to go to Rockness or Latitude, and I didn't fancy bumping into people from school

However, this year I've decided to return and party in the fields of my homeland

What is the atmosphere like at Kendal Calling? I often find that if there's too many chavs and alike, its marred by them but I'm hoping there is a strong indie/rock/hippie community there, no?

[bottonrob]

I'm a bit late in the game I have to admit. I'm originally from a village just outside Penrith, near to where the festival is happening and this will be my first year attending the festival, crazy I know. But I used to think that a big part of going to a music festival is the journey there, hence why I chose to go to Rockness or Latitude, and I didn't fancy bumping into people from school

However, this year I've decided to return and party in the fields of my homeland

What is the atmosphere like at Kendal Calling? I often find that if there's too many chavs and alike, its marred by them but I'm hoping there is a strong indie/rock/hippie community there, no?

okeydoke, I'll apologise straight off and say I'm not really sure what a chav is, I thought it was a cockney wideboy/ slapper dressed in burberry tartan?

The people/taste mix is pretty amazing and eclectic though, more indie than rock perhaps but this could be the sounds I gravitate to?

Atmosphere is just tops, both chilled & manic if that makes any coherent sense!

[stuwilky]

There are basically two festivals going on at Kendal Calling.

There is the "kids on ket" festival happening in part of it, whereby bored Cumbrian (and other Northern counties) kids go and sample thinjgs theyve never taken before and become nobs.

The other half is a lovely festival with loads of nice people.

The tricky judgement this year is how many of the 5000 extra tickets will be taken by the former or the latter!

[fumps]

Well we are new to this festival & I guess will be a part of the new crowd.

We are older and friendly people so not all is lost.

There will always be the younger element who get splattered, thats a given, just set up your tent next to people of a simular age group and I cant see anyone going far wrong.

[SoulGirl90]

Nice, hoping I meet some cool people. I'll more likely be going to the festival solo as it's tough carting uni mates from Edinburgh to Cumbria, especially when they are tempted by so many other festivals. But nevertheless I'm going and I can't wait

[charliejack]

It's definitely not a ghost town aha, there are parties that go on through the night in most of the camps. If anything, you'll struggle to sleep! And as for the balance between people, no matter what drugs they're on, everyone is there to have a good time and you will

[fumps]

Nice, hoping I meet some cool people. I'll more likely be going to the festival solo as it's tough carting uni mates from Edinburgh to Cumbria, especially when they are tempted by so many other festivals. But nevertheless I'm going and I can't wait

If you see a large Bell tent with a group of people who look like they should know better....come & say Hi that will be us. we are silly & love to have a good time. Just dont expect any intelligent conversation or normality lol

We always welcome people into our group at every festival.

[gorfield]

Will they let me off site to pick up my daughter on sunday???

[ramragon]

You'll have no problems leaving the festival on the Sunday to pick someone up, just make sure you're still wearing the wristband to get back in

Edited March 19, 2015 by ramragon

[gorfield]

Phew!!! I was getting worried then i have paid for my babysitter to stay in a hotel nearby!

another question...

on the official site it says that -

• There are no restrictions on friends with standard tickets visiting you in the live in vehicle field but they cannot camp.

If someone arrives with us in the campervan are they then able to camp with us? also I am arriving a day early with a tent and my husband is coming the next day in the van.. is this going to cause any problems when I try and get into the campervan field??

[ramragon]

Do you have a campervan ticket for the tent when you arrive a day early ? Or do you just have 1 campervan ticket for when your husband arrives with the van

[gorfield]

Just the one for the day after, i was planning on just camping for the thursday night if that makes sense?

husband cant get there on the thursday so i will camp with friends.

i'm getting worried now!

[ramragon]

You can try and explain it to the stewards on the gate or try contacting the festival by email and ask them but I doubt youll be able to get in without a campervan ticket. The enterance is seperate from the normal camping areas and you can park your car next to the caravan so everyone would try it for the convenience of camping next to their car. Saying that if you mail the festival and explain the situation they might be able to help you, if they can help print the email out and take it with you to show them on the gate.

Not getting at you but I could see the frustration of a lot of people with caravans last year and judging by the amount of people crying out for caravan tickets this year already I think itll be the same. There were so many people in campervan field who just had large tents last year and werent even with someone with a van. What attracts people is you pay £60 for everyone unlike emperors where its £30 per person. For that money you get the privalege of being able to park next to your tent with properly spaced out slots where nobody is going to pitch inches away from you. For families and people with large tents its a much better prospect than even the emperors.

If you do email the festival it could take days to get a reply cos they always seem to be busy

[gorfield]

Hi,

Thanks for your reply, I will be hopefully putting up a tiny tent in the standard campsite area for the thursday night as my friends are camping in there so I should be ok?

We do have 1 friend coming down (on the friday when the van comes) though who is camping on her own with a 1 year old so we really want to try and get her on our camper pitch so that she doesnt have to endure the noise of the rowdy campsite or be on her own in the family campsite.

Things were so much simpler 10 years ago before kids and vans! ha ha ha

[ramragon]

Yeah like you say, much easier without the kids. We're in a caravan with us taking a 2 year old, think she's too young right now to inflict general camping on her