A GLASTONBURY TALE (12)

Line Up Released!

Glastonbury Festivals site


RP


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A GLASTONBURY TALE (11)

The View From Here...

The beauty of living only 40 miles from Glastonbury is that you can there in about an hour. The forecast had said it would rain but it was sunny all day, with a breeze. Approaching Glastonbury from Pilton, the Tor draws you in, a silent siren.

We wanted to climb the Tor and look back toward Pilton and get a feel for the place, see the lie of the land. We took a 'Tor This Way' sign which led us on a circuitous route around the back of the Tor. It was forever in view but always out of reach, more 'back side of the Tor' rather than 'Dark side of the moon' if you will.

a sign

this way

that way?

end in sight

It was a beautiful route though, through a lane of hedgerow, past an orchard and past a field of lambs.

approach

The Tor dominates the landscape but in a non-threatening way, more a guardianship. I'd forgotten how high it was and it's only when you stand at the foot (the meandering approach does bring you to such a point, eventually) that the majesty of the place starts to unfold.

rise

The climb affords views to die for with the tower crowning the experience.

tower

Looking out, back toward Pilton shows a sea of green, punctuated with islands, the houses are boats, anchored in a safe haven.

fields of green

The haze obscured a lot of detail but the view works on a direct level, in the way that music does. And it is the marriage of the place with music that will make Glastonbury festival, each time it is held.


RP


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All other products or brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

A GLASTONBURY TALE (11)

Tor in the Distance

Glastonbury Tor from just outside Pilton
Sunday 27th, afternoon

RP


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A GLASTONBURY TALE (10)

ilya K playing Glastonbury on 28th

Myspace profile page


RP


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A GLASTONBURY TALE (9)

Reconnaissance

Off to Glastonbury tomorrow (Sunday) to climb the Tor and check on progress of the site from there. I'll post photos then (hopefully less overcast than last time...).


RP


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All other products or brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

A GLASTONBURY TALE (8)

Memories of 2005

I like to think of them as encrusted with 'brown gold'*

And did those feet
In ancient times
Walk upon England's fields of mud...


*Thanks for the memories Tim

RP


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All other products or brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

A GLASTONBURY TALE (7)

Glastonbury on DVD

Glastonbury is still 2 months away so to while away the nights as anticipation bites deep We watched Glastonbury [Special Edition] on DVD by Julian Temple (Wikipedia, IMDb, Filmmaker Mag). It really captures the development of the festival and gives a feel for what we are about to receive...

It's a brilliant tour around what is, the festival including bands who've played there (Nick Cave & The Foofighters stand out moments), the people (The Good, The Bad & The Downright Ugly) and the facilities (timelapse of people visiting the toilets...). The thing that really makes it though are the interactive menus - I rate them my favourite in all my DVD collection. It's perfect for those nights around the virtual campfire.

I bought it for almost nothing at Zavvi and it's available on Amazon.co.uk for a similar price.


RP


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All other products or brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

A GLASTONBURY TALE (6)

What Footwear?

The Wellington Boot

The Wellington boot
Isn't so cute
The shoe's better
But decidedly wetter
The open-toed sandal
Is an absolute scandal
You're going barefoot?
You must be a nut!

RP


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All other products or brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

A GLASTONBURY TALE (5)

Signs & Portents

I see pyramid stages everywhere!

RP


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A GLASTONBURY TALE (4)

Tentacles

I never went camping as a child for family holidays. We always went to Guest Houses on the east coast of England; Scarborough, Bridlington but I did go camping once, with the 'cubs', I think. It was to London! We camped in a hall somewhere. It was surreal! Instead of being under canvas, we were under a beam and plastered roof! The next time I went camping was when I met Mu, in the 80's. That was a borrowed tent (from my 'to be' sister-in-law), it was mustard-coloured and made by Vango, can't remember the model. It was early on in the year so it was cold and wet in the mornings. I remember a fog horn marking time at Flamborough Head. But we were in love (still are) so everything seemed wonderful. Since then we've camped in Cornwall in the sun and at Portmeirion in North Wales (I am not a numbskull, I am a free van!) and in Northern France (allo, allo in a camp voice) in a larger, family-sized tent (heavy as hell).
Please note, these were all interspersed expeditions with years of hotel luxury. Each one praying that the sun going down truly was 'Red Sky At Night' and a 'Delight', not 'Torrential Downpour In A Morning'!

Camping does have its rewards though; watching the sun go down at night (hoping it'll come back up in the morning), the smell of LapsangSouchong tea (the smoky one) masking the odour of the latrines, purchasing over-priced chocolate from the camp shop. When you're camping, everything has heightened appeal.

I've been putting out tentacles to find a suitable tent for us for Glastonbury, we've chosen a Vango tent (ah, the nostalgia). It's a lot bigger than the previous affair though, some headroom and communal space - the Orchy 400 (why couldn't it have been called The Dominator, or The Intrepid or The Beast?) We're tentatively choosing which site to camp on from the map and are intent on being away from any flooding area. I'd be content with the Pennard Hill Ground or Dairy Ground sites, not sure which yet but it will definitely be away from the toilets!

Camping? Bring it on...

My intent is to bring more tent news later...


RP


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All other products or brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

A GLASTONBURY TALE (3)

News Links

As anything gets bigger and established it inevitably gets attacked, especially in England. It's a national pastime. You can't trawl through the news without tripping over insult being added to injury; various established artists slagging off the headline choice, the 'it's all corporate' whingeing, it goes on and on. I went to Download last year, it was amazing! This year I'm following my heart to Glastonbury, even though the chance of some metal's going to be as likely as a rain-free Pilton with free beer! It doesn't matter. If you read and followed every review of anything, you wouldn't pick up a book, watch a film or go to a concert.

Turn up, Tune in, Chill out...

I've added links to the sidebar that cover news about Glastonbury 2008. Be informed but don't be put off. (Look over there on the right hand side >>>)


RP


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All other products or brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

A GLASTONBURY TALE (2)

So Who's Playing?

Well so far Massive Attack, The Verve, Kings of Leon, Elbow and Alabama 3 are all bands I'm interested in seeing. And now Hot Chip (MySpace)now I've checked them out on YouTube.

Guess I'll have to wait until 1 May 2008 for the full line up.

Now if I got to run a festival - The Rustival: Blind Guardian, Iron Maiden, Dreamtheater, The Orb, Rhapsody, The Pogues, Wishbone Ash, Marillion (with Fish coming on stage to sing a couple of songs) and Pink Floyd would reform for the Sunday headline...


RP


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All other products or brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

A GLASTONBURY TALE (1)

Beginnings

At the foot of the Tor

The Isle of Glass,
The Vale of Avalon,
steeped in history, mystery and legend, it draws people from all over the world and not least for The Glastonbury Festival.

The Glastonbury Festival has a wonderful history which is well documented elsewhere. I am going to focus upon my first visit to the Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts (to give it its full title). The festival itself is held in Pilton which is several miles outside of Glastonbury proper but the tor casts its argus like eye over the site...

from afar...

I've always wanted to go and wished I'd gone sooner but now feels right. I'm off with my wife, Mu and we're camping. My son (his 3rd Glastonbury) is going as is my daughter with her boyfriend (their 1st time). They are taking their campervan, my son is camping with mates.

We're registered and tickets are ordered. We went down to Glastonbury on Saturday, it was misty and raining but the whole area had a majesty. We came through Pilton and on into Glastonbury on a route we'll take when we travel there on the Wednesday.

Direction...

We pulled up at (we are not) Worthy Farm. The only telltale sign that great things are going to happen is a 'variation of premises licence' poster tied to the gate...

down on the farm

All deliveries - that'll be the beer then...


RP


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All other products or brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

The North Wind Doth Blow

Mu's Weather Vane

RP

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All other products or brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

Three Peaks

Bristol, England

RP


Copyright © 2008 THE GREEN ORCHARD Ltd. All rights reserved.
All other products or brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.