Worthy View Review

[frostypaw]

- hence the nap option

Sorry, I did read and like that, was meant to be replying with that in mind but wordy mangly i guess

I'd like to think you're right elias - but it's worth a wander through some of the reviews to see how many aren't like that. WV is 10 thousand people now and if you look at those aerial shots there's a huge amount of luxury camping around the site these days - mostly in much more expensive accommodation. Those folk aren't doing it to avoid a long walk from the car

WV is unfortunately brightly coloured and attention grabbing - I suspect more money flows through Camp Kerala and Tangerine Fields by far, names we've not heard much in this thread as their existence is harder to justify

[elias]

it's not because travelling with a decent size quality tent across a field as rapidly as possible so you can get a decent space is a right pain in the arse - best suited to the youthful and the determined

 

Spot on 5co77ie.

 

Both tyres on our trolley decided to blow out for the return journey to the car this year. If you've ever tried to move a trolley packed with gear on two flat tyres, you'll feel some sympathy for me. I was wheezing like an asthamatic frog by the end of it. My wife says I was a strange puce colour as well.

 

Still, sod it, eh? I'm just stupid enough to try it all again next year, if the ticket lottery comes through.

[elias]

WV is unfortunately brightly coloured and attention grabbing - I suspect more money flows through Camp Kerala and Tangerine Fields by far, names we've not heard much in this thread as their existence is harder to justify

 

I agree that not all glamping is the same, Worthy View is on a different scale to Camp Kerala. 

I think my main objection to some of the really expensive options is where you can buy your entry ticket as part of the package. 

I don't really mind people camping where the hell they like as long as they have had the same chance of a ticket as everyone else. Short-cutting the system and getting a ticket merely based on the ability to pay huge amounts of money is inherently wrong in my book.

[EasyUserName]

Someone will mention Nazis soon.

 

I thought this before I went out earlier!

 

Has anyone?

 

Maybe it's an age thing - I don't think it happens like it used to.  Damn internet, not like it was due to people not understanding how it is.

[lucyginger]

Spotted my tent!

 

 

I've done my fare share of wood-gathering and fire-lighting  over the years but I don't think it's a shame at all. Fire's are great - especially when someone else bulids them!

True! I do love a camp fire. I love that, a few years ago, we'd have one and people would stop by to chat. Doesn't seem to happen now unless they are our neighbours. 

 

Bring back the wandering and meeting random folk and sharing a drink etc with them! 

 

Well done on spotting your tent, btw  

[festiking]

I walked and bimbled.

I shat in a long drop.

I gave Kanye a go before trying somewhere else.

I drank cider

I had a few ales in the Avalon Bar

I chatted to loads of randoms

I had emotional moments

I saw Bez

I chilled out In Permaculture

I went into the Rabbit Hole

I tried loads of different food options

I saw some Headliners

I sang along to the Piano being played in the Green Fields

I loved the Glade & Spike

I've been to Glastonbury loads before

I love the atmosphere and like to feel I contribute a small way towards that

Glastonbury is a very important part of my year (as it is for you all...)

I may have done all these things (and more) - you will have your highlights too

This ^ was my festival.

 

I'm no different to anyone else

I'm certainly no better than anyone else

However, I stayed in Worth View this year...... and loved it.

 

Aside from the colour of my wristband, how could you possible tell me apart from any other Glasto-loving festival goer?

[MrMac]

I agree that not all glamping is the same, Worthy View is on a different scale to Camp Kerala. 

I think my main objection to some of the really expensive options is where you can buy your entry ticket as part of the package. 

I don't really mind people camping where the hell they like as long as they have had the same chance of a ticket as everyone else. Short-cutting the system and getting a ticket merely based on the ability to pay huge amounts of money is inherently wrong in my book.

 

Without wanting to be argumentative, isn't this just a case of drawing lines?  Is it also inherently wrong that some people might want to go to the Festival but can't afford to?

 

 

I thought this before I went out earlier!

 

Has anyone?

 

 

Yes, but only deliberately because it was mentioned - not properly!

[russycarps]

  Is it also inherently wrong that some people might want to go to the Festival but can't afford to?

 

 

 

 

Yes, which is why a lot of people want to see the end of booking mega star headliners and scaling back areas like the SE corner to allow ticket prices to be lowered and make the festival more accessible. 

[MrMac]

Yes, which is why a lot of people want to see the end of booking mega star headliners and scaling back areas like the SE corner to allow ticket prices to be lowered and make the festival more accessible. 

 

Now that's a concept I could get behind.

[ThomThomDrum]

I walked and bimbled.

I shat in a long drop.

I gave Kanye a go before trying somewhere else.

I drank cider

I had a few ales in the Avalon Bar

I chatted to loads of randoms

I had emotional moments

I saw Bez

I chilled out In Permaculture

I went into the Rabbit Hole

I tried loads of different food options

I saw some Headliners

I sang along to the Piano being played in the Green Fields

I loved the Glade & Spike

I've been to Glastonbury loads before

I love the atmosphere and like to feel I contribute a small way towards that

Glastonbury is a very important part of my year (as it is for you all...)

I may have done all these things (and more) - you will have your highlights too

This ^ was my festival.

 

I'm no different to anyone else

I'm certainly no better than anyone else

However, I stayed in Worth View this year...... and loved it.

 

Aside from the colour of my wristband, how could you possible tell me apart from any other Glasto-loving festival goer?

 

If WV was not there and there were no other glamping options would you have gone to Glastonbury this year?

[festiking]

_{ThomThomDrum...... definitely. Yes.  (Ticket-Day permitting of course!!!)}

Edited July 10, 2015 by festiking

[russycarps]

_{ThomThomDrum...... definitely. Yes.  (Ticket-Day permitting of course!!!)}

 

 

I can tell you're a WVer from the weedy little size of your font...

[elias]

Without wanting to be argumentative, isn't this just a case of drawing lines?  Is it also inherently wrong that some people might want to go to the Festival but can't afford to?

 

 

Yes, you're probably right, but they have to charge something - there will always be people who cannot afford it no matter how little the entry fee is.

Once the entry fee has been set, I don't think you should be able to guarantee a ticket by paying more.

I realise there is ambiguity in my arguement.

[frostypaw]

Aside from the colour of my wristband, how could you possible tell me apart from any other Glasto-loving festival goer?

I doubt we could, this isn't a one leads to the other relationship. Camping in WV or anywhere else doesn't make you one thing or another

There's a Venn diagram for the making in here somewhere

[The Placid Casual]

_{ThomThomDrum...... definitely. Yes.  (Ticket-Day permitting of course!!!)}

Why do you pay the extra to camp in Worthy View?

[5co77ie]

I wonder how many WVers come by public transport where the amount you can bring with you is limited

[lucyginger]

I doubt we could, this isn't a one leads to the other relationship. Camping in WV or anywhere else doesn't make you one thing or another

There's a Venn diagram for the making in here somewhere

Ooh! Someone clever do a venn diagram! I like them! 

[5co77ie]

Ooh! Someone clever do a venn diagram! I like them! 

[ThomThomDrum]

_{ThomThomDrum...... definitely. Yes.  (Ticket-Day permitting of course!!!)}

 

Then I would have a guess that you are not the type of glamper some may have an issue with............... although I must ask why you feel the need to pay extra for something that is already free more or less inside the fence?

 

I think what most people who have issues with those who glamp, are issues with those that wouldn't bother with the festival if the glamping was not an option

[5co77ie]

you don't think they're just jealous of people who don't lug a tent from the car park?

[lucyginger]

Smashing

[paulmuchmore]

Glamping... I have varying, and probably hypocritical views and experiences of this.

 

Went to Glastonbury for the first time this year. Would never consider glamping there because it just puts you further away from the action - it was great being in Kidney Mead and only a minute walk away from the Pyramid field. But if people want to do it, let them. It's their own money they are spending, and if it makes them happy, fair enough. Their own choice to be further away from the action for a bit of extra comfort. I just can't see it being for me at Glastonbury - I wouldn't even consider the camper van fields!

 

The prices that some of the glamping companies charge sicken me though. As long as they aren't harming the festival, I have no problem, but I can understand the problem though of the field owners thinking it's better for them to rent out to glamping rather than be part of the actual festival.  I don't think the people who decide to glamp are a problem.

 

However, at Isle of Wight Festival, for the last 4 years (out of 9 I've been), I've camped in Tangerine Fields. Context being I go to this festival with a large group of family/friends, of varying ages, who all arrive at different times, meaning those who arrive earliest/leave latest always had the responsibility of lugging all the gear/setting up all the tents. After a few years of bad weather and unpleasant camping, some of the older contingent decided to try out Tangerine Fields as they couldn't be bothered with the set up.

 

There is no doubt it is a more comfortable experience, and unlike Glastonbury, the camping at IOW is separate to the 'arena', so you're not putting yourself outside of the action by 'glamping'. It is more like a gig in a field than Glastonbury. I go along with them because part of the festival experience is spending time with family and friends, getting drunk around the tent. So although I'd be happy to camp in the free camping areas, I pay to go with these people and get the benefits of a nice toilet, pre-pitched tent with plenty of room to socialise outside, and probably the most controversial aspect - having the closest campsite to the main arenas.

 

This is where I'm a hypocrite. It is saddening to see all of the closest fields give way from the standard campsites to tangerine fields, tipis, family camping, love your tent, pod pads, etc. with those not willing to pay having to camp further from the entertainment. This is capitalism creating a divide, yet I go along with it to enjoy the festival with my friends. Thankfully, this isn't a problem at Glastonbury, with the glamping being on the outskirts, and it would be sad if Glastonbury went this way. Hopefully the ethos of the festival will prevent this from ever happening.

[festiking]

Why do you pay the extra to camp in Worthy View?

 

 

Then I would have a guess that you are not the type of glamper some may have an issue with............... although I must ask why you feel the need to pay extra for something that is already free more or less inside the fence?

 

I think what most people who have issues with those who glamp, are issues with those that wouldn't bother with the festival if the glamping was not an option

 

My wife and I pay the extra for a number of reasons really....

1. My wife has a bit of fragile back and cannot do too much lugging of gear, therefore I like to take this all on myself, to protect her a bit and enable her to enjoy the rest of the fest with no risk of damage to herself.  We do tend to bring a fair amount and as a result the trek from car-park to camp was very difficult, trying to do this on my own.   

The proximity of the car to WV is the biggest plus for this reason.  It's not really about not carrying a tent, it's just so much easier now getting our gear to where we stay. 

This year we were in and fully 'setup' and having a cider by 9.15am on Wednesday - so can enjoy a full fifth day of the festival, as opposed to not being setup till early afternoon (based on our previous experiences inside the fence) and me being exhausted from the trek.

2. No traffic and no queuing getting in on Wednesday and out on Monday.

3. The Showers, Loos, quality of tent, being quieter for better sleep quality, etc, etc to us are just very nice additional benefits (as we see them) only. They are not the key drivers for our decision.

 

Incidentally, the Easy Pass Out wristband this year made the process of going thru the Pedestrian Gate seamless - so it never felt like an inconvenience at all!

Our friends in Campervans were still hassled and queued by the traditional pass-out system!

 

At the end of the day, you may look at these reasons in black & white and justifiably question whether the extra cost is worth it.  I'd understand your conclusion too.

However, we made our decision based on the above reasons which are important to us and it's helps us 'do the festival' the way we want to do it.  This will not apply to anyone else as everyone has their own unique take on what is or isn't important. 

[Space Shanty]

I think it's silly to group together everyone who stays in WV as thinking they are better than those who stay inside the fence.

That simply isn't true.

There are many valid reasons to stay there, but that's not to say the place doesn't have some folk who DO think they are better than those inside the fence.

You are, unsurprisingly, likely to find them in the glamping areas and you're also likely to find they don't arrive until the Friday, at least that's what the WV volunteers told me. 

[Pinhead]

I wasn't a member of the Young Greens who did the community spaces - I turned up Wed AM as usual but they had been there since the previous weekend building the spaces and paths. A mate of mine who knew them and camped with them and was able to turn up early too cos he was performing helped them set up. I helped with the path maintenance a bit at one point.