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LOL...!  Um facilities aren't quite what you expect...

For example, was the festival camping suitable for families or was it full of rowdy youngsters?

Was all youngsters where I pitched, but some have family areas seperate

Were there adequate loos and showers;

No showers at all

Take your own loo roll (rare to be any)

Lucky if you get a loo that flushes

In the main music arena's expect to queue for the loos!

Were you able to camp next to your car;

no

if not, was it a long walk from carpark to campsite?

probably 1-2 fields walk

Were the stewards helpful and friendly

Not really!

and was security adequate?

No security at the campsite part, only in the main arena

Were the pitches large enough and were there adequate walkways between them?

There are no marked pitches! You pitch wherever you find a gap!  And if you leave a gap between a group of several tents, expect a tent to be erected in the middle when you get back

 Was there sufficient safety lighting at night; or, conversely, was the lighting too bright?

Plenty of lighting.  NIght and day sort of merge into one.  Everyone has music playing regardless of time etc, you just sort of become immune and sleep through it

Were safety instructions and fire drills adequately explained; and were fire assembly points clearly marked?

What safety instructions and fire drills?!  Only safety process was they confiscated glass bottles when you enter the campsite

Was the camping area adequately prepared (grass mown, cowpats removed, pitches and lanes marked out etc)?

Grass was ok - although thick mud pile by end of concert.  Anyone camping next to main walkway to arena has tent splattered in mud normally

Were there enough water standpoints?

Don't think i ever saw a water point - took bottles

Sounds brilliant doesn't it! LOL  Despite everything I loved it

We,ve been camping at family sites for 10 + years and also Music festivals for 25+ years and the two experiances are LIGHT YEARS apart.

In the good days of Reading,Monsters of Rock (now Download),Knebworth,Milton Keynes Bowl, there was some sort of order with tents but basically it was and still is, a free for all. The GOOD thing back in the day,you could park next to your tent. Now you need a second mortgage to do this.

Basically it MONEY MONEY MONEY.

Your car is nowhere near your tent.And as for security,toilets,lighting,cooking etc ...Forget it.....If you Pay (VIP) and you might be 100 yards from your tent. As for grass mown,cowpats removed .......you,ve got more chance of winning the lottery.Its a basic field. ALL extras you pay big time.

Toilets....always have....always will.....Disgusting.

Dont get me wrong,We go for the Bands,Music first,camping experience is kept for the (glamping?) side that we do,Chedder,Tewkesbury,Salisbury so far, this year Cornwall,Wales etc next.

Worst experience,Bloodstock,Derby.....Both of us while fast asleep in the tent,were woke up (5am) by the door of the tent flapping,both our combat trousers were gone,we rolled them up and put then up by our shoulders,in them were £200 cash,car keys,medication,credit,debit cards,phones,digital camera. Robbed while we slept.

Best Experience,Meeting Bands and fellow musicians.We still go but the set uo now is to sleep in the Renault Scenic with a Royal Traveller Anex attatched on the back with our own chemical toilet,but you still have to pay more.

Keep rockin and have a blast while you can...........and as for Glastonbury..dont get me started!  HaHa.

Quote: Originally posted by Sceptical Camper on 29/7/2010

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Hi valbarley, really glad to hear you loved it despite all! But which festival was it?

Jerrycat, sorry to hear about the theft at Bloodstock. Which other festivals were you at? As to Glasto, do get started!

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Quote: Originally posted by Sceptical Camper on 29/7/2010

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Jerrycat, sorry to hear about the theft at Bloodstock. Which other festivals were you at? As to Glasto, do get started!

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As to festivals, first was Reading Rocks 1982...then all of Monsters of Rock Castle Doninington (pre Download),a few at the Bowl,loads of smaller ones,Loads of indoor 3 dayers (does that count??) but the furthest must be Atlanta USA..(but that doesnt count either as it was indoor ) but mostly Rock,Metal Music.

....and as for Glastonbury Festival...I think you hit it on the head right there with the term "Glasto".......it the new way to say it and reminds me of the likes of Jo Whiley and the like,immature kids and posh middle class people who need to be at this festival  just to be seen........£2500 for a yurt (no ticket inc) to have daylight robbery Beer and fall over the girl from Harry Potter.!!!

Supposed to be at Sonisphere (Iron Maiden,Rammstein headliners) VIP (fellow guitarist friend on the Sonisphere bills)  at Knebworth this weekend but had some totally unexpected news and therefore had to decline.

Over the years have camped at loads of festivals- mostly back in the days when there were fewer" regulations" regards facilities/health and safety stuff.

 My views/rememberances: don't expect to get any sleep- many festival goers like to party all night;( ear-plugs a MUST ) take a collapsible porta/potty with you as dont expect to be anywhere near toilet facilities, wellies are useful if it rains/ its muddy.

Im camping at Colne Blues Fest. at Rugby Club field August Bank hol- expecting no sleep as bands on late at the club and yes people like to party afterwards. Ill likely be joining them......