Where do you camp and why?

[blutarsky]

5 minutes ago, kalifire said:

That's no small thing, though. If you don't beat the queue, it's likely you'll end up in something like this...

...which I happily lose a few hours sleep to avoid.

But it's more than just being able to camp where you want (which minimises long treks at inconvenient times of the day, for all five days).

To me, getting up in the middle of the night provides some Glastonbury magic unique to that moment. The closest feeling like it is Christmas Eve as a child. It's still dark outside. Everything is quiet and calm. There's no clue whatsoever of the world you're about to have access to.

For me, it starts with a 3:15am taxi to the drop off centre. The unusualness of a taxi arriving at that time adds to the buzz. There's hardly any traffic on the roads, and I'm essentially being driven to the middle of nowhere, except... ah, the first sign name-checking the festival. The first sight of a high-vis. A few extra cars appear. Then we've reach our destination and the taxi drives off leaving me in the care of the festival. The night air gives way to a tired but tangible buzz. Bleary eyed strangers who just know what's coming exchange excited smiles as we sit in the shuttle, silently willing it to set off. The atmosphere grows as we strain for our first glimpse of the site, and then... there she is. The lights to the paths still illuminated as the first shards of daylight emerge, like the unwrapping of a present you've waited - in this case - three years to enjoy.

As the coach pulls in to PGA, nobody can disembark quickly enough, and as we make out way to the fence, at about 4:30am, this is the queue we're greeted with:

Arriving just a few minutes before the NE and See coaches are scheduled to start arriving, this is about as good as it gets. Some in the queue are dozing, others can't for the excitement. Stewards are observed with wide eyes as those of us waiting start chatting about where we've come from, what we're most looking forward to, and speculating on the movements of high vis jackets and people with walkie talkies.

Daylight breaks as the relentless parade of coaches deliver the masses, and the queue extends beyond the horizon. Things get louder now, with the arrival of overnight coach riders, some of whom spent the trip drinking. Everyone is in a great mood.

PGA is the first gate to open, in 2019 a good half hour before the others. Michael Eavis comes out to welcome us to his home, to huge cheers. Things move pretty quickly towards the front of the queue, as we soak in the excitement coming from the entire team, and the novelty - at that stage - of checking tickets and attaching wristbands.

Aside from the on-site crew, the overnighters enjoy the luxury of a near empty site, the sense that we're the first to tread these hallowed grounds this year. Every public camping field is available, with hardly a soul on any one. In 2019, this was my view of Pennards:

Within a couple of hours, the field was starting to look full.

Do I start the festival tired? Yes. But once I'm set up, valuables in the lock up, sitting on the hill with a couple of cheeky cans, the last great privilege of the overnight experience is upon me - being able to see a site of green fields transform to a bustling city of people about to have five of the best days of their year - for some, memories they'll treasure for the rest of their lives. Watching that take form is a true pleasure. Waking from a little nap on the hill and remembering where I am is everything.

Early hours queueing isn't for everyone, but it's a real pleasure for me at least, and provides a magical start to the festival.

Fantastic post. Really articulated the magic of day one in the morning. 

[elgatonegrofabricwardrobe]

Pylon. Previously done Hitchin Hill, Bushy Ground and Dairy but for some reason stuck with Pylon for our last few times. Still managed to forget where the tent was coming back from the toilet one morning in 2019. If I hadn't left it open I would have been completely fucked, lost forever.

[Hotchilidog]

39 minutes ago, kalifire said:

That's no small thing, though. If you don't beat the queue, it's likely you'll end up in something like this...

...which I happily lose a few hours sleep to avoid.

But it's more than just being able to camp where you want (which minimises long treks at inconvenient times of the day, for all five days).

To me, getting up in the middle of the night provides some Glastonbury magic unique to that moment. The closest feeling like it is Christmas Eve as a child. It's still dark outside. Everything is quiet and calm. There's no clue whatsoever of the world you're about to have access to.

For me, it starts with a 3:15am taxi to the drop off centre. The unusualness of a taxi arriving at that time adds to the anticipation. There's hardly any traffic on the roads, and I'm essentially being driven to the middle of nowhere, except... ah, the first sign name-checking the festival. The first sight of a high-vis. A few extra cars appear. Then we've reach our destination and the taxi drives off leaving me in the care of the festival. The night air gives way to a tired but tangible buzz. Bleary eyed strangers who just know what's coming exchange excited smiles as we sit in the shuttle, silently willing it to set off. The atmosphere grows as we strain for our first glimpse of the site, and then... there she is. The lights to the paths still illuminated as the first shards of daylight emerge, like the unwrapping of a present you've waited - in this case - three years to enjoy.

As the coach pulls in to PGA, nobody can disembark quickly enough, and as we make our way towards the fence, at about 4:30am, this is the queue we're greeted with:

Arriving just a few minutes before the NE and See coaches are scheduled to start arriving, this is about as good as it gets. Some in the queue are dozing, others can't for the excitement. Stewards are observed with wide eyes as those of us waiting start chatting about where we've come from, what we're most looking forward to, and speculating on the movements of high vis jackets and people with walkie talkies.

Along with others, I feed back real time info and shots of what's happening to the eFests threads about the different queues. eFesters from different gates start posting and there's a fantastic sense of community all across the perimeter of the site. Just a few feet away from being inside!

Daylight breaks as the relentless parade of coaches deliver the masses, and the queue extends beyond the horizon. Things get louder now, with the arrival of overnight coach riders, some of whom spent the trip drinking. Everyone is in a great mood.

PGA is the first gate to open, in 2019 a good half hour before the others. Michael Eavis comes out to welcome us to his home, to huge cheers. Things move pretty quickly towards the front of the queue, as we soak in the excitement coming from the entire team, and the novelty - at that stage - of checking tickets and attaching wristbands.

Aside from the on-site crew, the overnighters enjoy the luxury of a near empty site, and the sense that we're the first to tread these hallowed grounds this year. Every public camping field is available, with hardly a soul on any one. In 2019, this was my view of Pennards on Wednesday morning:

Within a couple of hours, the field was starting to look full.

Do I start the festival tired? Yes. But once I'm set up, valuables in the lock up, sitting on the hill with a couple of cheeky cans, the last great privilege of the overnight experience is upon me - being able to see a site of green fields transform into a bustling city of people about to have five of the best days of their year - for some, memories they'll treasure for the rest of their lives. Watching that take form is a true pleasure. Waking from a little nap on the hill and remembering where I am is everything.

Early hours queueing isn't for everyone, but it's a real pleasure for me at least, and provides a magical start to the festival.

efests has peaked early this week. I flipping love this post. Absolutely top stuff Kalifire you have distilled the magic perfectly. I'll miss out on this as I'll be rolling into Sticklinch around midday but I was so close to convincing my group to go inside the fence this year and this would have been our (I mean MY plan).

[The Nal]

48 minutes ago, kalifire said:

Early hours queueing isn't for everyone, but it's a real pleasure for me at least, and provides a magical start to the festival.

I'm always equal parts envious, delighted and absolutely disgusted by you early morning types. I wouldn't get up at 3am if you gave me a free ticket. 

[kaytee...]

58 minutes ago, kalifire said:

That's no small thing, though. If you don't beat the queue, it's likely you'll end up in something like this...

...which I happily lose a few hours sleep to avoid.

But it's more than just being able to camp where you want (which minimises long treks at inconvenient times of the day, for all five days).

To me, getting up in the middle of the night provides some Glastonbury magic unique to that moment. The closest feeling like it is Christmas Eve as a child. It's still dark outside. Everything is quiet and calm. There's no clue whatsoever of the world you're about to have access to.

For me, it starts with a 3:15am taxi to the drop off centre. The unusualness of a taxi arriving at that time adds to the anticipation. There's hardly any traffic on the roads, and I'm essentially being driven to the middle of nowhere, except... ah, the first sign name-checking the festival. The first sight of a high-vis. A few extra cars appear. Then we've reach our destination and the taxi drives off leaving me in the care of the festival. The night air gives way to a tired but tangible buzz. Bleary eyed strangers who just know what's coming exchange excited smiles as we sit in the shuttle, silently willing it to set off. The atmosphere grows as we strain for our first glimpse of the site, and then... there she is. The lights to the paths still illuminated as the first shards of daylight emerge, like the unwrapping of a present you've waited - in this case - three years to enjoy.

As the coach pulls in to PGA, nobody can disembark quickly enough, and as we make our way towards the fence, at about 4:30am, this is the queue we're greeted with:

Arriving just a few minutes before the NE and See coaches are scheduled to start arriving, this is about as good as it gets. Some in the queue are dozing, others can't for the excitement. Stewards are observed with wide eyes as those of us waiting start chatting about where we've come from, what we're most looking forward to, and speculating on the movements of high vis jackets and people with walkie talkies.

Along with others, I feed back real time info and shots of what's happening to the eFests threads about the different queues. eFesters from different gates start posting and there's a fantastic sense of community all across the perimeter of the site. Just a few feet away from being inside!

Daylight breaks as the relentless parade of coaches deliver the masses, and the queue extends beyond the horizon. Things get louder now, with the arrival of overnight coach riders, some of whom spent the trip drinking. Everyone is in a great mood.

PGA is the first gate to open, in 2019 a good half hour before the others. Michael Eavis comes out to welcome us to his home, to huge cheers. Things move pretty quickly towards the front of the queue, as we soak in the excitement coming from the entire team, and the novelty - at that stage - of checking tickets and attaching wristbands.

Aside from the on-site crew, the overnighters enjoy the luxury of a near empty site, and the sense that we're the first to tread these hallowed grounds this year. Every public camping field is available, with hardly a soul on any one. In 2019, this was my view of Pennards on Wednesday morning:

Within a couple of hours, the field was starting to look full.

Do I start the festival tired? Yes. But once I'm set up, valuables in the lock up, sitting on the hill with a couple of cheeky cans, the last great privilege of the overnight experience is upon me - being able to see a site of green fields transform into a bustling city of people about to have five of the best days of their year - for some, memories they'll treasure for the rest of their lives. Watching that take form is a true pleasure. Waking from a little nap on the hill and remembering where I am is everything.

Early hours queueing isn't for everyone, but it's a real pleasure for me at least, and provides a magical start to the festival.

I usually get off the coach at 5am, get my sleep on the coach so don't lose sleep that way. Think I might actually venture further than Darble this year though 😆 what time about was that photo took on Pennards?

[Cheesey]

I camp in Wicket Ground with my partner and two kids. Pre-kids we always camped in Pennards, but that would be absolute madness with small children 🤣

Wicket Ground is great. Pretty close to PGA and significantly less crowded than Cockmill Meadow on the other side of the site. It's a long walk to the kidz field, but it's close to John Peel and the Wood, which is a magical place to visit on the nightly trek back to the tent. It's surprisingly quiet at night (apart from the occasional crying baby), and feels very secure with only two small entrances which are staffed 24/7.

Back in the early 2010's Wicket Ground was huge. Even once everyone had arrived there was still room to play football! Its size has been reduced significantly now though, and it also seems to have grown more popular so it does get full, but still much less rammed than Cockmill Meadow.

We managed to get tickets in the resale this year, after missing out every year since 2017. My son, who first went in 2010 when he was five months old, is now at secondary school and this is the last year he can get in for free. Time flies.

Edited April 4, 2022 by Cheesey

[kalifire]

4 minutes ago, kaytee... said:

I usually get off the coach at 5am, get my sleep on the coach so don't lose sleep that way. Think I might actually venture further than Darble this year though 😆 what time about was that photo took on Pennards?

That was just before 8am, I think. Still plenty of space for another couple of hours. 

[Fish Bulb]

25 minutes ago, elgatonegrofabricwardrobe said:

Pylon. Previously done Hitchin Hill, Bushy Ground and Dairy but for some reason stuck with Pylon for our last few times. Still managed to forget where the tent was coming back from the toilet one morning in 2019. If I hadn't left it open I would have been completely fucked, lost forever.

When you did Bushy was it a noticeable annoyance that you had to walk around the actual farm buildings every time to get into the festival? 

[kaytee...]

1 minute ago, kalifire said:

That was just before 8am, I think. Still plenty of space for another couple of hours. 

Thanks. Might not make it as far up as Pennards but Oxylers at the very least

[elgatonegrofabricwardrobe]

4 minutes ago, Fish Bulb said:

When you did Bushy was it a noticeable annoyance that you had to walk around the actual farm buildings every time to get into the festival? 

I honestly can't remember

[Fish Bulb]

1 minute ago, elgatonegrofabricwardrobe said:

I honestly can't remember

From your other comment I thought that might be the answer 😂

[Avalon_Fields]

19 hours ago, nikkic said:

What’s the vibe in Big Ground? 

Is it as lively as Pennards or Oxylers? 

I'm no expert, but I'd say it wasn't as lively as them, but it's not exactly dead either. It's a great location, camped there for many years up until a few years ago, always absolutely loved it. It's a great view too.

[elgatonegrofabricwardrobe]

35 minutes ago, Fish Bulb said:

From your other comment I thought that might be the answer 😂

Haha I'm useless.

[The Nal]

19 hours ago, nikkic said:

What’s the vibe in Big Ground? 

Is it as lively as Pennards or Oxylers? 

It doesn't smell of human and bovine shit and piss 24/7 anyway like Oxylers

[Ingobernable]

46 minutes ago, Fish Bulb said:

When you did Bushy was it a noticeable annoyance that you had to walk around the actual farm buildings every time to get into the festival? 

I stayed in Bushy in 2010 and 2011 and didn't find the walk any more inconvenient than anywhere else I've ever camped. If you come out of the camping field to the north you're straight into the top end of Silver Hayes which means you're well set for Other/John Peel/Pyramid. It's not super handy for going home late or for popping back to the tent mid-afternoon but not many places are. 

Edited April 4, 2022 by Ingobernable

[Fish Bulb]

1 minute ago, Ingobernable said:

I stayed in Bushy in 2010 and 2011 and didn't find the walk any more inconvenient than anywhere else I've ever camped. If you come out of the camping field to the north you're straight into the top end of Silver Hayes which means you're well set for Other/John Peel/Pyramid. It's not super handy for going home late or for popping back to the tent mid-afternoon but not many places are. 

Ah cheers. We'll be coming in Gate A and planning on taking a sharp right then walking as far as we can before we find it getting too full. I'd like to get to Paines but tbh we probably won't make it past Pylon!

[nikkic]

13 minutes ago, Avalon_Fields said:

I'm no expert, but I'd say it wasn't as lively as them, but it's not exactly dead either. It's a great location, camped there for many years up until a few years ago, always absolutely loved it. It's a great view too.

Thanks 

10 minutes ago, The Nal said:

It doesn't smell of human and bovine shit and piss 24/7 anyway like Oxylers

Well that’s a plus 

[Ingobernable]

That had been our plan the years we stayed there but were quite a big group at the time so lost our nerve and set up while there was still plenty of space. As the group got smaller in later years we made it further. 

[mazola]

1 hour ago, Fish Bulb said:

When you did Bushy was it a noticeable annoyance that you had to walk around the actual farm buildings every time to get into the festival? 

I only did it once and was directly behind the farm buildings. I really disliked it, would never go back. It's not just to the East that is blocked off, if you try to head South it takes you right round the houses.

[Fish Bulb]

2 minutes ago, mazola said:

I only did it once and was directly behind the farm buildings. I really disliked it, would never go back. It's not just to the East that is blocked off, if you try to head South it takes you right round the houses.

Ah that's good info! Would you recommend Pylon over it even though it's more North? Or do you go somewhere else even better now?

[mazola]

1 minute ago, Fish Bulb said:

Ah that's good info! Would you recommend Pylon over it even though it's more North? Or do you go somewhere else even better now?

I'm in Oxlyers lately, but not my choice the main group wants to go there. It's a good location but because there is a lot of us we end up right at the back and it is such an arse ache trying to plot a route through the tents to get to the path.

If I had my choice it would be Kidney Mead, but it's not really feasible with the amount of us there is.

I'm not sure where we will end up this year, I'm going by coach and friends are taking my tent so I'll just go with the flow

[blutarsky]

14 minutes ago, mazola said:

I'm in Oxlyers lately, but not my choice the main group wants to go there. It's a good location but because there is a lot of us we end up right at the back and it is such an arse ache trying to plot a route through the tents to get to the path.

If I had my choice it would be Kidney Mead, but it's not really feasible with the amount of us there is.

I'm not sure where we will end up this year, I'm going by coach and friends are taking my tent so I'll just go with the flow

Kidney Mead would be my first choice, if we failed to get a van pass. 

[Ayrshire Chris]

For those wanting a quieter spot but still relatively near the pyramid and JP this is the view from lime kiln ground.  Our preferred spot before moving to WV.

 

Edited April 4, 2022 by Ayrshire Chris

[mazola]

Just now, Ayrshire Chris said:

For those wanting a quieter spot but still relatively near the pyramid and JP this is the view from lime kiln ground.  Our preferred spot before moving to WV.

 

Yeah, I've suggested this to our lot. Had to walk through it a couple of times last festival to get to my shift on the vehicle gate, and was pretty empty still late Wednesday night. Nice toilets there as well by the JPT.

My group aren't convinced, reckon it is too far away. It is about as far away from the SE corner as you can get

[The Nal]

40 minutes ago, nikkic said:

Thanks 

Well that’s a plus 

I should add that in addition to human and cow excriment and urine, Oxylers also smells of industrial dye, biocides, pungent industrial "fragrance" and surfactants 24/7.

Its an awful place to walk past never mind camp in for 5 days.