Reading Festival - after GCSE results

[Tinkers]

I'd be amazed if when 16 my DD would actually want to go. She hates loud music.
We, like Reading Mum try and avoid Reading when the great unwashed descend on Reading. We can even hear it at home, and my hearing is rubbish.

Previous neighbours let their girls go at 16. The tent didn't make it back. If they are going to camp buy really cheap tents.

The stuff that is collected up afterwards is astonishing.

[aliportico]

Tbh, I like the festival being here - makes a change to have more interesting-looking people wandering the streets than the normal clones that we have so many of And yeah, we can hear it from here very well!

Dh will be going as well this year (also coming home to sleep!), and taking our youngest dd (11) for at least one day. Dd1 (17) is thinking of going - I'm less impressed by this as she will definitely be far more interested in campsite debauchery than the music! And no, I don't pay for them (well, I bought dh his ticket as a Christmas present ), they pay their own way.

For the last couple of years I've been cooking/serving breakfasts at a local church during the festival. There was a lot of apprehension beforehand about the festivalgoers, but they have been uniformly a pleasure to have in the building, and the church have really thrown themselves into the whole weekend as a result. Last year we served about 1000 breakfasts (many to repeat customers), had a phone-charging station (cheaper than the festival site), long but good-natured toilet queue, and a "ladies' powder room", lol, going on upstairs.

I would maybe suggest that if your child is a complete festival novice, that going to one of the smaller ones (with a less terrible reputation perhaps?) might be less overwhelming for a first experience.

[southbucks3]

Alportico...that is a totally brilliant fund raising schene...Well done your church for both embracing the "yoot" society, providing a needed facility, and making money.

[aliportico]

It's a joint effort between the Girls and Boys Brigades and the church, and yes, for the Brigades it's become our main fund-raising event of the year It's knackering, but really enjoyable, fantastic atmosphere

[Amber]

Great stuff aliportico - It is so refreshing to hear of things like that still going on in our bitter old world. Hope you raise loads.

[solimum]

For the last couple of years I've been cooking/serving breakfasts at a local church during the festival. There was a lot of apprehension beforehand about the festivalgoers, but they have been uniformly a pleasure to have in the building, and the church have really thrown themselves into the whole weekend as a result. Last year we served about 1000 breakfasts (many to repeat customers), had a phone-charging station (cheaper than the festival site), long but good-natured toilet queue, and a "ladies' powder room", lol, going on upstairs.

That brings back some memories of my one & only festival experience, at Knebworth in ? 1990 or thereabouts. We lived close enough for me to offer to help man a coffee stall at the church in the grounds on the morning of the festival - while there I was lucky enough to acquire a ticket for the main festival from the Radio 1 roadshow van which was giving out a few freebies for answers to quizzes onsite. But we had family plans after lunch (DS1 & DS2, both preschool..) so I had to rush home and put in an appearance before returning later to enjoy trying to sidle my way nearer to the stage and singing along to Paul McCartney and Genesis (among many others) .... DS1 was mightily impressed when I related this story a couple of years ago!

[Reading Mum]

I also don't think DD will want to go when she is older as she is very anti alcohol and drunk people. She is also not a fan of loud music and is constantly telling DH off when he gets carried away with the vinyl on a Sunday morning!
DH and I have been to a fair few festivals over the years - went to Glasto as part of our honeymoon! We used to really enjoy WOMAD but that has relocated to Swindon or somewhere. We dragged DD to Folk By The Oak and will do so again this year but it is not really her thing. I fancied Camp Bestival this summer but tickets for the 3 of us plus dog kennels etc had the weekend costing around £800 so that was a no.

Definitely send DC with a disposable tent - you will not want it back. Same with the sleeping bag etc - although at least that can be washed.

[pheasantchick]

Allportico - So we are all coming to stay at yours for the duration, then...?!

[scary mum]

Allportico - So we are all coming to stay at yours for the duration, then...?!

The EPE summer festival

[Amber]

Allportico - So we are all coming to stay at yours for the duration, then...?!

The EPE summer festival

I kind of think it would be fun to put us all in a room without username tags and see if we could guess who was who. But I would draw the line at camping in a muddy field to do it.