BEFORE THE FESTIVAL AND GETTING TO THE FESTIVAL
What do I need to take with me?
What kind of bag should I take?
How do I get there?
How do I get to the site from the train station?
How far is the Reading Site from the Train Station?
So is there not transport laid on from Reading Station to the Festival site?
How early should I get there?
But I can't get there until late on the Thursday because I'm picking up my GCSE results - help!
Will I get searched on my way into the Festival?
Should I take alcohol with me?
How bad is it if it's been raining lots in the weeks running up to the festival, or rain has been forecast for the whole weekend?
What do I need to take with me?
See checklist everything you could possibly need is there and there's not enough room for me to condense it in here! But you and your ticket would be a good start.....
What kind of bag should I take?
A big big huuuuuge rucksack - the sizes are measured in litres, and you'll want something 55 litres capacity or more. Mine is 60 or 65 and suits me fine. You can get some fairly decent ones in Argos for £40-50. It depends how much you're planning on taking from home, and how much you're happy to buy once you get there. If there are side compartments, distribute the weight evenly so it won't be side heavy. they're covered in straps, so try to strap bulky items like sleeping bags on top, as it's less likely to pull you over backwards (someone else can explain the physics, but I find that's the best place to put a sleeping bag). that massive padded clip belt round the middle is there for a reason - when done up properly it will put the bulk of the weight on your hips (a very big sturdy bone), and not on your back (lots of little fragile bones), and this will also make your rucksack feel much lighter - you will really appreciate this when you've got to walk round the site looking for a decent pitch, and you don't want to do yourself a back injury before the festival has even started.
How do I get there?
Well that all depends on where you live, doesn't it?!
How do I get to the site from the train station?
Follow the masses. You come out the station, follow the road down towards the railway bridge, turn right, walk along the road until the roundabout, turn left down Caversham road (for a very long way, and try not to buy anything) until you get to a roundabout with a greasy spoon cafe on your side of the road and the Holiday Inn on the other side of the road, turn left into Richfield Avenue, past the petrol station on your left, past Rivermead Leisure Centre on the right (this is apparently where cars go into the site) and voila, there you are.
Yes, I suppose you could walk through all the little back roads, but you'd probably get lost.....
How far is the Reading Site from the Train Station?
Walking with baggage, and assuming that you don't stop to buy tshirts, whistles, glowsticks and other random rubbish off the fake merchandise people, it should take about 15-20 mins. Leeds people, I have no idea how to get from your nearest train station to the site! But apparently there are buses running to and from the nearest station, and take 15 mins. Apparently its £5 each way.
So is there not transport laid on from Reading Station to the Festival site?
No, because there is no point. The roads will be so blocked up with traffic, that you will be moving about as fast as an asthmatic ant with some very heavy shopping. It really isn't that far, so stop being a lazy bugger and walk!
Or splash out and get a taxi (which will go through all the little one-way streets with no traffic). If there is only 2 of you, try to persuade another 2 festival goers in the queue to share your taxi, and make it cheaper for all of you!
How early should I get there?
Weekend tickets : As early as humanly possible on the thursday morning. Or send someone ahead with your tent and arrive later.
Day tickets : Aim to be there from about 10:30-11am, you will need to get your wristband before you can get into the arena, and the queue will be long (but it moves quickly - you can be in and out within 10-15 mins) and if you want to see the first bands on at midday, you don't want to be stuck queuing.
But I can't get there until late on the Thursday because I'm picking up my GCSE results - help!
If you intend to camp with other people, if there's someone not collecting results, send them ahead with your tent(s) to pitch them ready for when you arrive - this is the easiest way to save space. If you're all collecting results, organise amongst yourselves for someone (or some people) to go and pick up results (you'll need to write a letter to your school authorising said friend(s) to pick up results) and for some of you to go straight to Reading. Those of you going to Reading, take the tents for your friends picking up your results and pitch them. It's worked for me several times, and there'll be a whole load more people doing the same.
Will I get searched on my way into the Festival?
JUST TO CLARIFY: YOU ACCESS THE FESTIVAL SITE FROM RICHFIELD AVENUE. YOU ACCESS THE ARENA FROM INSIDE THE FESTIVAL SITE. YOU DO NOT GET SEARCHED ON THE WAY INTO THE FESTVIAL SITE, BUT MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, YOU GET SEARCHED ON THE WAY INTO THE ARENA.
HOWEVER, IF YOU TURN UP AT THE FESTIVAL SITE ENTRANCE WITH A CARRIER BAG FULL OF CLINKING BOTTLES, THEY WILL BE PERFECTLY WITHIN THEIR RIGHTS TO CONFISCATE THEM, OR DEMAND THAT YOU DECANT THE CONTENTS INTO PLASTIC BOTTLES, OR DRINK IT ON THE SPOT.
There are too many people coming in with such big bags and there is not room or time to search everyone's bags, and even random spot checks will hold up the flow of people.
if you choose to take a small bag into the arena, then that will USUALLY be searched at the arena entrance - this is more to check that you're not smuggling your own drink into the arena. If you have drink on you, be it a soft drink, alcohol, a bottle of water or very potent Jack Daniels and coke in an innocent looking coke bottle, you either have to consume it on the spot, take it back to your tent or leave it with them. If you look like you're trying to smuggle drink in, they'll probably get you to turn out your pockets as well! And if you've got anything illicit in your pockets, they'll take it off you with no option for you to take it back to your tent. so if you want to get weed into the arena its not worth risking a bottle as well!
Should I take alcohol with me?
No - it will only be extra weight to carry, and you'll have enough as it is. Pitch your tent, then go and buy your ice cold beer from the lorry just outside the entrance, or beer and spirits in one of the nearby off licenses. It beats carrying it on the train, and letting it go warm before you've even got to the festival.
How bad is it if it's been raining lots in the weeks running up to the festival, or rain has been forecast for the whole weekend?
VERY BAD! VERY VERY BAD! Take wellies - forget your image and looking cool, take those wellies. DON'T SAY "I KNOW, I'LL BUY THEM WHEN I THERE". WELLIES ARE LIKE GOLD DUST AND MOST PLACES SELLING THEM SELL OUT QUICKLY AND YOU WILL HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE NEXT DELIVERY (USUALLY HOURLY), AND THEY ARE HIDEOUSLY OVERPRICED. TAKE THE WELLIES WITH YOU!
The site was a big boggy bog for 2004, and you can sink about 6 inches into the mud in the worst places. Do that in shoes, and you may never see your favourite, most battered and lovingly destroyed old trainers ever again! Anyone with any sense will have wellies and combat trousers. Silly people will have trainers and baggy jeans made from heavy denim. Yes, they look lovely on you at home, but not only will you wreck them, they will be waterlogged and muddy all weekend and you'll end up with trenchfoot. if you don't believe me, this was the mud at the arena entrance on the Friday.....
