Campsite Poll

[kalifire]

2 minutes ago, Leyrulion said:

Is the 3am finish new(ish?) I was pleasantly surprised when it all closed and we had to go SE corner.

That's just my recollection, which is in all likelihood wrong. I think it may go slightly later on the Sunday night.

[Gnomicide]

I find it easier to fall asleep to the sounds of Arcadia when in Paines or Beat Hotel when in Bottom Webbs Ash than I do to the sound of a couple of people chatting in the quieter areas. But maybe I'm just odd. Same with generators, the white noise blocks out stuff that you latch on to and start listening to.

[Havors]

Oxfam campsite for me this year. Up by Mary's Gate. 

[found home in 2009]

11 hours ago, gfa said:

I'm aware i'm over thinking it, just overly excited and wanted to provoke discussion on the topic in general to see what other people think.

You'll fit in well here. That pretty much sums up what this forum is all about 

[DareToDibble]

I've camped in Oxlyers every year since 2014. In my experience I've never found it that loud. If you have a look, it's split into 2 by a path. We have always camped to the left of the walkway so it's a little further back from the big Other Stage crowds. You can hear Silver Hayes and Pangea/Arcadia at night but it's not too bad.

For me, the location is perfect. The only time you'll find yourself with a long walk really is SE Corner but by that time you probably won't care.

Toilets - Someone else mentioned it but if you go at the right time (normally between 7-8am) then they're cleaned and pretty decent - as decent as festival toilets can be of course. The absolute worst toilets in my experience are the ones on the railway track outside Shangri La, dear me.

Hope some of this helps!

Edited January 4, 2022 by DareToDibble

[Supernintendo Chalmers]

1 hour ago, Gnomicide said:

I find it easier to fall asleep to the sounds of Arcadia when in Paines or Beat Hotel when in Bottom Webbs Ash than I do to the sound of a couple of people chatting in the quieter areas. But maybe I'm just odd. Same with generators, the white noise blocks out stuff that you latch on to and start listening to.

Ah yes, the soothing sounds of DJ Hype & Hazard throwing down some classic jump-up D&B...

[gooner1990]

2004 I camped in Top Webbs Ash, 2005-2010 was a combination of Big Ground/Kidney Mead, 2011 was South Park 2, 2013 & 2014 was Hawkswell and 2015-2017 was the unnamed field that's now on the left of the map of The Park and below Arcadia. 

2019 I worked so camped outside the big fence.

Some of the decisions on where we camped depended on how many people we had with us as the more central parts fill up faster, and now as our numbers have dwindled since everyone else has got married and had kids we can usually choose where we want to go as there isn't that many of us anymore. Having said all that, some of our crowd have opted into glamping now so we may need to think about being close (ish) to them to avoid painful meet up attempts for 2022.

Top Webbs Ash/Hawkwell/Big Ground/Kidney Mead now fill up very fast, but are ideal for the market stalls and Pyramid stage, and you can usually get a good nights sleep there, that said the Pyramid stage gets going at 10.30am so if you're someone who likes the SE corner till its finished I wouldn't recommend camping here.

I think for 2022 we will aim for the unnamed field next to the Park again as its close enough to the action, Arcadia shuts down at 3am, just hope as I'm on a coach this time it doesn't fill up too fast!

[gooner1990]

On 1/3/2022 at 9:40 AM, MrHew said:

Back in the 90s it was Oxlyers, which was as far west as you could camp then, then moved on to Pennards Hill for a few years. Then on to where Arcadia is now. When that moved in we moved further west.

These days it's family camping in zone 2.

Was there as much of a bun fight back in the mid-90's for prime camping spots?

I only ask as when I first went in 2004 we camped in Top Webbs Ash having arrived 6pm on the Wednesday, and in 2005 we arrived about 2pm on the Wednesday and virtually had the pick of Kidney Mead.

Was wondering if the popular parts still got busy back then or if now its a knock on from the 2009 thing when they first said it was a 5 day festival.

[gooner1990]

17 hours ago, Zoo Music Girl said:

It really depends what you are looking for in terms of noise, length of time to stages etc, but for me Bushy is the only place to be these days. We used to camp in Park Home when I was younger (and before Arcadia was where it is now) but I always really struggled to sleep there as just too noisy - there's stuff in the Park until 6am often and I'm a fairly light sleeper. It was handy for most areas though and I did like starting my day in the Park, which from Bushy is a bit of a trek.

I like Bushy because it's quieter, it's not too far from the coach park and there is a lot more space. I don't enjoy being squashed up like sardines now! I also quite like the walk back as it helps me sleep when I get there.

I'm not sure about Oxlyers (it's never appealed to me to camp there) but pretty sure the popular areas like Pennards would require you to be in the queue very early doors? When we camped at Park Home we would be in the queue before gates opened. Camping in Bushy is never an issue timing wise. If you're leaving London at 8am you won't be there that much before 11-12 I'd have thought.

Having now turned 40 I'm a bit like you as I like/need a bit of sleep and I'm not to bothered about being in the thick of it, however what puts me off just turning up at my own leisure and camping on the outskirts is the amount of time it would take to get to anything remotely interesting.

This is where I do slightly go on the angle that the festival has got a bit too big as each year there is more stuff to do in the main part but at the expense of punter camping which just seems to get further and further out each year.

[blutarsky]

11 hours ago, kalifire said:

That's just my recollection, which is in all likelihood wrong. I think it may go slightly later on the Sunday night.

Looks like your memory's good. 2019 Pangea line up: 

[Crazyfool01]

3 minutes ago, gooner1990 said:

Having now turned 40 I'm a bit like you as I like/need a bit of sleep and I'm not to bothered about being in the thick of it, however what puts me off just turning up at my own leisure and camping on the outskirts is the amount of time it would take to get to anything remotely interesting.

This is where I do slightly go on the angle that the festival has got a bit too big as each year there is more stuff to do in the main part but at the expense of punter camping which just seems to get further and further out each year.

Is there a gif to show how the festival has grown over the years … ? I’ve been going since 02 and can’t remember it having grown much since then … apart from the obvious worthy view … the issue is that people use bigger and bigger tents these days ( guilty ) hence the active discouragement of gazebos a few years ago … in my early festivals these weren’t a problem 

[gooner1990]

11 hours ago, kalifire said:

That's just my recollection, which is in all likelihood wrong. I think it may go slightly later on the Sunday night.

Camped next to Arcadia three years straight 2015-2017 and it finished at 3am each night.

[gooner1990]

3 minutes ago, crazyfool1 said:

Is there a gif to show how the festival has grown over the years … ? I’ve been going since 02 and can’t remember it having grown much since then … apart from the obvious worthy view … the issue is that people use bigger and bigger tents these days ( guilty ) hence the active discouragement of gazebos a few years ago … in my early festivals these weren’t a problem 

 

Just found the 2002 map on google  Rave Flyers (webm8.co.uk)  

 

I first went in 2004 so a couple of years after you.

When I first went the dance village was just a dance tent (albeit a very big one), the park didn't exist, neither did the SE corner (it was camping), no cinemageddon or arcadia either.

I think another major problem is camping chairs, these didn't really become a big thing until 2003/04 ish then everyone inisted on having a camp circle big enough to accom them rather than sitting on the floor, similar problems at the back of the bigger stages (chairy marys)

[Crazyfool01]

5 minutes ago, gooner1990 said:

 

Just found the 2002 map on google  Rave Flyers (webm8.co.uk)  

 

I first went in 2004 so a couple of years after you.

When I first went the dance village was just a dance tent (albeit a very big one), the park didn't exist, neither did the SE corner (it was camping), no cinemageddon or arcadia either.

I think another major problem is camping chairs, these didn't really become a big thing until 2003/04 ish then everyone inisted on having a camp circle big enough to accom them rather than sitting on the floor, similar problems at the back of the bigger stages (chairy marys)

When did Arcadia or the afterburner appear in the SE corner ? I’d like to think it was early in my festival Days … the south east corner existed as lost vagueness early on but I get muddled as to when … Yes definately on the park … edit just seen the map … is the area inside the fence significantly bigger ? Taking out the park arrival 

Edited January 4, 2022 by crazyfool1

[incident]

7 minutes ago, gooner1990 said:

Was there as much of a bun fight back in the mid-90's for prime camping spots?

I only ask as when I first went in 2004 we camped in Top Webbs Ash having arrived 6pm on the Wednesday, and in 2005 we arrived about 2pm on the Wednesday and virtually had the pick of Kidney Mead.

Was wondering if the popular parts still got busy back then or if now its a knock on from the 2009 thing when they first said it was a 5 day festival.

It can very much narrowed down to 2009 onwards.

I used to camp in Dragon Field, which would have been the first to fill up in just about any year - prior to 2009 it wasn't "easy" to get a spot, but as long as you got through the gate within the first hour or so you'd be fine - the Car Parks and Gates both officially opened at 8am and while there would've been a few people turning up early it was a fraction of what you'd get today - so early opening wasn't and didn't need to be a thing like it is now.

From memory I think in 2008 (the first year I drove) the Car Parks opened maybe 10 minutes before 8am, and (the old) Gate D was opened about half an hour after that with a queue of maybe 200-300 people at it who were cleared fairly quickly. The roads around the site really weren't problematic either. We were maybe halfway along that queue and Dragon was still less than half full by the time we walked along the railway line.

Then 2009, it all changed. Huge queues on all approaches with everyone trying to time their arrival to the Car Park opening.. Having taken the exact same tactic as in 2008, by the time we got into Dragon we pretty much had to squeeze into the last spot and that's with someone helping to save it for us. Since then it never got any easier, and after that (I think 2010 but could've been 2011) they started opening the car parks at stupid o'clock during the night and at some point since they brought it forward even earlier to 8pm Tuesday.

[gooner1990]

1 minute ago, crazyfool1 said:

When did Arcadia or the afterburner appear in the SE corner ? I’d like to think it was early in my festival Days … the south east corner existed as lost vagueness early on but I get muddled as to when … Yes definately on the park … 

The first time I recall Arcadia was in 2008 i think it was a lot smaller, then the spider came along in 2009.

I went to LV a couple of times in 2005 and then 2007, don't think I made it down that way at night in 2004, but it was nothing like it is now and of course with no big dance act pull there most fuckheads who were on one seemed to congregate up at the Stone Circle. 

[Crazyfool01]

Just now, gooner1990 said:

The first time I recall Arcadia was in 2008 i think it was a lot smaller, then the spider came along in 2009.

I went to LV a couple of times in 2005 and then 2007, don't think I made it down that way at night in 2004, but it was nothing like it is now and of course with no big dance act pull there most fuckheads who were on one seemed to congregate up at the Stone Circle. 

Or just sat round campfires burning paper cups and finding randoms appear with instruments and waves of bollocks being shouted around site 

[incident]

Just now, gooner1990 said:

The first time I recall Arcadia was in 2008 i think it was a lot smaller, then the spider came along in 2009.

2009 was definitely the Afterburner - that year they were in the field now occupied by the Unfairground, which I think was the first year they had their own field. Prior to that they were part of Trash City along with the other groups that all eventually span out into their own areas.. I think it was 2010 they were given the larger field north of the Railway and debuted the first incarnation of the Spider.

[gooner1990]

1 minute ago, incident said:

2009 was definitely the Afterburner - that year they were in the field now occupied by the Unfairground, which I think was the first year they had their own field. Prior to that they were part of Trash City along with the other groups that all eventually span out into their own areas.. I think it was 2010 they were given the larger field north of the Railway and debuted the first incarnation of the Spider.

OK, perhaps I'm getting my years muddled up. 😄

Was there anything there in 2008? Or am I just getting the years confused.

I can recall for certain in 2010 going and dancing on the spider when KissySellout played on the Friday night, I was gurning my chops off watching the Lords of Lightening.  Couldn't get into the field on the Saturday night.

Then in 2011 it was where i think ICON is now and then 2013 the disastrous move to the corner of the Other Stage field.

[gooner1990]

4 minutes ago, crazyfool1 said:

Or just sat round campfires burning paper cups and finding randoms appear with instruments and waves of bollocks being shouted around site 

You've just described Reading Festival when I started going. 😄

[vintagelaureate]

20 minutes ago, gooner1990 said:

Camped next to Arcadia three years straight 2015-2017 and it finished at 3am each night.

Arcadia/Pangea must have kept the party going in my head. 😂 I went to the Prodigy tribute thing at 5am on the Hell Stage, and remember still hearing the rumble of base when I was back in my tent in Park Home. Must just have been noise reverberating around my mind! 😂

 

[gooner1990]

12 minutes ago, incident said:

It can very much narrowed down to 2009 onwards.

I used to camp in Dragon Field, which would have been the first to fill up in just about any year - prior to 2009 it wasn't "easy" to get a spot, but as long as you got through the gate within the first hour or so you'd be fine - the Car Parks and Gates both officially opened at 8am and while there would've been a few people turning up early it was a fraction of what you'd get today - so early opening wasn't and didn't need to be a thing like it is now.

From memory I think in 2008 (the first year I drove) the Car Parks opened maybe 10 minutes before 8am, and (the old) Gate D was opened about half an hour after that with a queue of maybe 200-300 people at it who were cleared fairly quickly. The roads around the site really weren't problematic either. We were maybe halfway along that queue and Dragon was still less than half full by the time we walked along the railway line.

Then 2009, it all changed. Huge queues on all approaches with everyone trying to time their arrival to the Car Park opening.. Having taken the exact same tactic as in 2008, by the time we got into Dragon we pretty much had to squeeze into the last spot and that's with someone helping to save it for us. Since then it never got any easier, and after that (I think 2010 but could've been 2011) they started opening the car parks at stupid o'clock during the night and at some point since they brought it forward even earlier to 8pm Tuesday.

Yes, I recall 2009 becoming quite a pain to get in and I also recall arriving about 7.30am on the Weds in 2010 and the queue was huge, although we were through the gates within about an hour.

Each year since its just got steadily worse IMO.  Just have to accept that most people are now here for a 5 day party and unless you are prepared to camp on the outskirts of the site, or pay for glamping that's just how it is now.

Personally I can't be bothered with queuing up overnight and just take what's there once I'm through (having usually started queuing at 7.30am or so)

[incident]

1 minute ago, gooner1990 said:

OK, perhaps I'm getting my years muddled up. 😄

Was there anything there in 2008? Or am I just getting the years confused.

2008 the Afterburner was there, as part of the Trash City field - so it was in the same field as NYC Downlow and a giant Pinball Table themed venue that I thought was pretty cool but haven't seen since.

[gooner1990]

Just now, incident said:

2008 the Afterburner was there, as part of the Trash City field - so it was in the same field as NYC Downlow and a giant Pinball Table themed venue that I thought was pretty cool but haven't seen since.

I wonder if there will be much change for 2022.  3 years must have given them some thinking time....

[Crazyfool01]

14 minutes ago, gooner1990 said:

I wonder if there will be much change for 2022.  3 years must have given them some thinking time....

Might well be some SE corner changes ..... 🙂