Boomtown Fair 2017

[LMK]

2 hours ago, eFestivals said:

it's chalk, but if it's sodden it's sodden.

I went to a Homelands at the bowl 15-ish years ago when the weather got dreadful ... and the ground turned to shit, very bad.

Worst of all was the (literal) river that flowed around the bowl in the lowest parts (the ground rises in the middle), with huge amounts of rain channeled to it by the shape of the bowl.

So whatever you do, do NOT camp in that dip round the edges if you camp in the bowl.

Luckily managed to blag Artist camping so that seems to be in a good spot? Will prepare for the worst anyway!

[s1mply3ma]

Hi all - does anyone know if it would matter if you have a shuttle ticket but were to arrive in a car?  It says "shuttle ticket holders must travel by shuttle" but would they stop you entering at the car gates? Thx.

[ace56blaa]

When would be the best time to get there to avoid too much car cues, or do we think that they would have found a way to reduce the disaster that was last years cue

 

[Davet84]

28 minutes ago, s1mply3ma said:

Hi all - does anyone know if it would matter if you have a shuttle ticket but were to arrive in a car?  It says "shuttle ticket holders must travel by shuttle" but would they stop you entering at the car gates? Thx.

You get your wristband on the shuttle bus, the ticket is not valid at the gate so you wont be able to get a ticket without getting the bus back to Winchester and getting the shuttle bus from there.

if none of you have full tickets then your only option is to park in Winchester and get the shuttle, however if the driver has a normal ticket those on shuttle tickets could get dropped off.

 

[Davet84]

Those of you panicking about gear, my friend walked right past a dog with 14g of powder last year and it didn't smell a thing. However you could see people being stopped and searched, dogs are at every gate all day.

I don't think they work very well at all but they are using them to sniff out suspect looking people and spot searching them, I'm not even sure they are proper drug dog as they have so many it would cost a fortune for the 10 days they are there and the rotation needed for that many dogs.

I'm not risking it this year as ive been caught before at a London festival with near enough nothing but still went on record as possession.

[s1mply3ma]

15 minutes ago, Davet84 said:

You get your wristband on the shuttle bus, the ticket is not valid at the gate so you wont be able to get a ticket without getting the bus back to Winchester and getting the shuttle bus from there.

if none of you have full tickets then your only option is to park in Winchester and get the shuttle, however if the driver has a normal ticket those on shuttle tickets could get dropped off.

 

Thanks for the info... yeah we all have regular tickets except one.  Was just trying to save her the extra bit of journey!

[Davet84]

I had to swap mine with my girlfriend so she can have the nice car park and ill lug it from the drop off point.

Assuming you'll camp up town if most of you are arriving by car you probably don't want to leave her with anything much to carry as she'll have to go up the hill of death to meet you

 

[manateemike]

5 hours ago, pouxin said:

Hey y'all - also a Boomtown newbie (Glasto vet). We're in the campervan, and I was wondering if searches (for booze allowance, sniffer dogs etc) happen on the camper (ie they'd search your van as it entered the site) or when you physically walk from the campervan site to the festival/pick up your wristband (like at Glasto)? As in, if we had additional booze in the van that we just drank in the van of an evening would that be ok? And would they send sniffer dogs into our van?! (They'd have a field day as it's my FiL's and he's a sheep farmer - so much delicious smell! :-D)

Unlike Glastonbury the camper van fields are in the fence perimeter. So once in and searched theoretically that's it. (Family campers were last year)

[manateemike]

Info for those who have not been before and arriving by camper to Orange gate. The local signs from M3 are directing you around a few country lanes to approach the entrance from the East ( from Petersfield to Winchester ) it's only about 10 mins extra but for those coming from the South East of the country it may influence your route. 

Same goes for Red Gate. From M3 you will be directed along A31 all the way to New Alresford then back on yourself to queue for the car park. Again this is normally just under 10 min detour without the chaos of Jct 9 and 10. 

Havent been on the road for a bit, so unsure of roadworks and also depending on travel time, however I would ponder using A3 from M25 to Guildford and picking up A31 there. Almost all dual carriageway. If going to camper field I would then take a left through Bramdean just after Ropley to pick up A272.

Clear as mud ?

[Sawdusty surfer]

16 hours ago, lucyginger said:

Yikes. After a good Glastonbury this year, is it too much to hope for a dry boomtown?! 

Dusty, are you going? I missed you at Glast this year! 

At the mo I'm not going but hoping I might get a last minute invite on a jolly. 

[tommywillo]

5 minutes ago, Sawdusty Surfer said:

At the mo I'm not going but hoping I might get a last minute invite on a jolly. 

Fingers crossed for ya Dusty

[lucyginger]

29 minutes ago, Sawdusty Surfer said:

At the mo I'm not going but hoping I might get a last minute invite on a jolly. 

 

23 minutes ago, tommywillo said:

Fingers crossed for ya Dusty

And mine!! I probably won't be on here tonight, so will see you all tomorrow evening!! Tommy, text me!!

[frostypaw]

It's been hammering it most of today... Production side is a bomb site, public areas not so bad as folk have tried to keep off it. It's all gonna be down to when this stops and how quickly it all drains. 

Should be walking boots stuff.... Will go have a look in the bowl later and report back 

[tommywillo]

14 minutes ago, lucyginger said:

 

And mine!! I probably won't be on here tonight, so will see you all tomorrow evening!! Tommy, text me!!

Will do Lucy,

have a safe journey in kidda!

 

See you in the fields tmoz

[tommywillo]

4 minutes ago, frostypaw said:

It's been hammering it most of today... Production side is a bomb site, public areas not so bad as folk have tried to keep off it. It's all gonna be down to when this stops and how quickly it all drains. 

Should be walking boots stuff.... Will go have a look in the bowl later and report back 

Would be very appreciated Frosy

[lucyginger]

Thanks Frosty! 

Can't wait to see you all tomorrow!  

[Tommy101]

Thanks for the report @frostypaw. I'll locate the wellies in the mean time whilst I'm being convinced either way. I suppose it's always better to have them and not use them but I think I'll have to wear them on the way up there on the coach as there's no way they're fitting in me bag.

The rest of the weekend is currently looking dry which makes me want to risk it. Hmmm.

Edited August 9, 2017 by Tommy101

[Sawdusty surfer]

4 hours ago, tommywillo said:

Fingers crossed for ya Dusty

Got an offer this morning...crew ticket and vehicle pass for use of my van this evening and tomorrow morning. Entire festival to myself. 

Younger daughter now there in my van doing the job. She just split with her BF of 3 years. She needed the fun more than me. 

Still hopeful I'll get there for at least one night. As you say, fingers crossed

[qndrm]

Have fun everyone 

[HoopyLady]

Oh lord, I've just seen that the coach gate is downtown and I'm planning to camp in trench town. Good luck to you all. I'll either be the lady sliding back down the Hippy Highway in despair or the corpse on the steps....

Anyone know which route is less torturous when lugging all my gear?

[charlottesometimes]

Long time Glastogoer but Boom first timer...v excited! Arriving tomorrow lunchtime ish.

Would really appreciate any updates on mud and searches from anyone going through today! Cheers

[eFestivals]

52 minutes ago, charlottesometimes said:

any updates on .. searches

there's not really anything useful anyone can tell you. The searches come and go, and you take your chance for whether they'll be there at any particular time.

In my own experience Hampshire police have always been heavier on search-activity at Matterly (for more than just boomtown) than anywhere else I've been to a fest, but as far as i can remember they've never successfully detected any of the mates I've been there with, either. 

You take your chances and the consequences if it goes wrong, or you play safe.

[man next door]

It's the dogs that will bugger things up for you. 

I think, but I may be wrong, that they only pick up on weed / hash.

make sure no one is carrying both the green and the more serious things, would be my advice. 

.... might be wrong though... your safest bet is to take nothing, sell everything you own, and use The money to drink at the bars for to whole weekend. Boomtown would like that.

[pouxin]

We're safely set up in our little camper home for the next few days and ready to go exploring! 

Re: searches. The entrance is crawling with private security, and police, and they were conducting searches of most campers (but I think mainly looking for surplus booze - I didn't see any dogs boarding campers). People were also being taken to one side into marquees to have them/their 'hand luggage' searched. Dogs were walking up and down the line sniffing the exterior of cars and campers. The dogs looked to be private security dogs (labs and spaniels mainly), not police dogs - don't think I saw any police *with* dogs.  It would take a brave person to chance it IMO, BUT it also super chaotic. We ended up not being searched because we had to wait for security to find a teen wristband for our friend's son who's with us, so we ended up being diverted round security to wait in a layby bit while they ran about for 25 minutes, and the marshals were confused/apologetic and waved us straight through.  DOUBLE BOX WINE FOR MEEEE! Whoop! 

[pilton digger]

Searches are more targeted than than last few years. Dogs wandering around vans and occasional being pulled for a detailed search. They seem to be profiling and selecting. We didn't even get our usual copper wandering over for a chat to see if you look nervous.