| ...Ramble on! |
Smelling of cow poo I drive to Worthy Farm! It's raining now, there're queues of traffic all around the site, and I'm getting excited, this is GLASTONBURY!!!! I drive down narow lanes, passed houses and farms with notices promising dire consequences for people who try to turn round on their land, or park on their property, and end up in a field somewhere close to where I think I ought to enter the festival sight. Although it's only Wednesday, and the gig doesn't get going until Friday there are plenty of others with me trailing their bags, trolleys, rucksacks, wheelbarrows, and other worldly goods across the field towards an as yet out of site entrance. Trusting that at least some of them had been before, and therefore knew the way, I followed them. I think it will be nice, somehow connected in an Earthy, New Agey sort of way, if I camp close to the Healing Field and Sacred Space so head in that direction and find a field that looks comfy. I find the spot, pitch the tent, climb in and get me kit off, ah bliss! A family group arrives, I can hear them, they pick a spot next to me and start erecting tents, then they get wood from one of the huge piles dotted around the site and use it to build a fence around their little bit of England, so much for the global village! Another "neighbour" arrives; long haired and grinning, calls me 'guvnor'. I help him put his tent up, he doesn't build a fence. After a bit of a rest I go for a wander round the site; I'm beguiled, overawed by the variety of lifestyles, there's a medeaval feel to the place, it's going to be good. Since arriving at the site I've been offered skunk, and hash cakes, managed to resist both, but got the recipe for the cakes! Back at the tent, and the site is filling rapidly now, tents sprouting like mushrooms all over the place. My grinning neighbour returns with a piece of wood nailed to a long stick, which is painted purple. It should say "Hooray" on the piece of wood, but the girl that was "helping" him, misspelt it, so he has painted over it. Now he's waiting for the paint to dry so he can get her to have another try, more grins and he's gone again. It's still fairly early evening, but I've had a long day, and a bottle of red by now, so I turn in, it's been emotional folks! 22nd June 2000....... I woke up at 5 am, but wasn't really sure if I'd been asleep at all as the noise levels from all around me were the same as when I went to sleep last night i.e. drumming, shouting, and the sporadic slamming of the shithouse doors! After a trip to the loos ( how brave am I then!), and a quick wash at the tap, I go to visit the Sacred area, although to look at it you wouldn't know;empty beer cans, bottles, and litter everywhere. The stone circle is no more than a doss for zonked-out revellers. Decided not to let circumstances opress me, and thought the place may like a little respect, so plucked up the courage to perform Tai Chi there, which was nice! Went for another wander round an increasingly busier site before returning to the tent. Even more neighbours have arrived, northerners, who so far have done 'nowt' but moan about everything. It's still only 10am, God knowns what time it was when I started out, the 24 hour nature of this place is both exhilerating, and disorientating. "Today I 'ave mostly been a.......Buddhist!" ..having attended two meditations, and a session of Chi Kung that involved leaping around like a monkey. I found The Friends Of The Western Buddhist Order tucked away in their tent at the back of the healing field. What lovely people, I found their simple, every day approach to buddhism so inspiring, and not an orange bed sheet in sight! Back at the tent, the northerners have cheered up now, and are singing crap songs, is there no middle ground! I spend the rest of the day paddling through mud and water finding other bits of the site that I haven't come across yet, getting back to the tent at about 10pm ( yes, I know, reckless IS my middle name!). There are even more new neighbours than before. I say Hello to a woman who has annexed my tent with hers. She just stares back, pleasantly enough; no speech, glazed eyes, great, a piss head! Friday 23rd June..... Incredibly, another tent has appeared in the night. The field is now so full, it could not get any fuller. It is about as full as a full thing can be, on a day when being full is in fashion. There are no footpaths, the access road ( which had been fenced off ) was camped on, all is under canvas. Some brave (desperate!) soul has even camped right up against the loos! Went for another meditate with my Buddhist buddies, then set off round the site, (again!). The sun is shining now, (it was wet earlier) so things are feeling jollier, and off course, the live music has started, Kewell!!!.....Robert Plant WOO HOO!!! I'm a happy camper!! Tried to see Moby after Moloko, but I decided that Tiggers don't like enormous crowds so came away and watched a band on the Band Stand instead, very good, my first experience of wah wah banjo playing! Some more wandering, more sights, sounds, and smells then back to the tent to find that someone HAD managed to fit one more tent into the field, between my tent and the hedge. Hats off to 'em, it can't have been easy! Saturday 24 June.... Yep!.....Buddhists again! I should be able to levitate my way home with all the meditation practice I'm getting here, feels good to be amongst these people; they don't actually want anything other than enlightenment, (like it's that easy!) and making the world a better place on their way there. Another wander round the site afterwards. The crafts on show are really wonderful, saw some beautiful ceramics and wood carvings, mostly in the form of generous looking females. I really, really like these, it's a good job I haven't got more money than I have, or my tent would be filled with Goddess's of every size and description! Tried to see Rolf Harris this evening but couldn't get anywhere near the marquee he was in such is his popularity (incredible isn't it?) Settled for the Pet Shop Boys instead, who were very good, and then John Martin, who, in his own large, and slightly brooding way, was excellent. Back at the tent, and happy to report no more tents have been pitched, but only because there really is no more room! Oh no! he still hasn't finished..........Sunday this way! |
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