Latitude 2011 - tips for newbies

[time4tea]

Hello

I've looked at the Bestival thread, but it seems to be mainly about the medieval dress up... I'm really looking for tips about practicalities of festival going, and anything specific to Latitude.

.. X thanks T4T

[Lovecat]

We're going to Latitude this year, for the second year in a row, having enjoyed it so much last year as newbies.

What sort of stuff do you want to know? There's so much to see and do, loads for kids and stuff you wouldn't have thought they'd sit through (DD and her cousin sat entranced through a riverbank performance of Two Gentlemen of Verona, done in animal masks, that we stumbled across by complete accident). It's a huge site and there are loads of little oddities and mini-stages hidden in the woods.

Top tips based on last year's experience:

If you have children, try to get tickets for family camping - it's a much nicer atmosphere than the general camping and has 'proper' loos and showers if that floats your boat (also a decent coffee stall). It's sited right by the children's arena, which opens earlier than the rest of the festival site.

Arrive as early as possible - it fills up quickly

Pack light or bring a trolley - the car park is some way from the campsite

Ear defenders for children a good idea

Ear plugs for you so that you can sleep at night a better one!

The food is very £££ - £5 for a sausage in a roll! - although there's lots of choice it's all very festivalish (and yum), but our fussy DD wouldn't eat any of it, so this year we are taking breakfast and sandwich ingredients so she eats something other than the aforesaid sausage in a roll. I would either take stuff or just resign yourself to spending tons of wonga.

The site is quite windy, loads of people had windbreaks. The site is also full of teeny black beetles that love light-coloured tents - DD got a bit freaked out by them, but they're harmless - but do remember to zip your tent up properly!

Don't take anything you can't afford to lose - although the security seemed quite good, I did hear that stuff went missing from tents not in the family camping area.

If the facepainters in the children's arena are the same ones as last year, they are both v. talented AND the grumpiest biatches in the world. But it is free, and something free at this festival is pretty damn rare!

No glass allowed on the site at all. Put your wine in a plastic bottle or bring a winebox. Cans are allowed, but not in silly quantities and you can't take them into the festival area, just in the camping bit.

If you want to eat/drink at Giant Robot be aware that by Sunday morning they will have sold out of just about everything.

The theatre events in the proper theatre stage have ridiculous queues - get in line early if you want to get in.

The bridge back over the river at night gets frighteningly packed, they said they have put another bridge in place this year to ease the flow, hopefully that will work, otherwise take your time before leaving the main arena/brave the crush.

The coloured sheep are fab.

hth :)

[time4tea]

Lovecat - this is tremendously helpful, perfect, just what I was looking for.
Do you (or others) have any more ideas about things to bring - wet-wipes etc seems to be important...

thanks again, I really appreicate the lengthy detailed post.

[zanz1bar]

best tip is that the compost loos in the woods are the only ones that where well maintained and didn't smell by sunday, worth searching out.

the car park is a long shlep, take a wheelbarrow or trolly, there are wheelbarrows for hire but at £10 for 1/2 hr you might as well buy one and then use it to wheel sleepy kids around the site as well.
the walk from family camping to the site is lovely through the woods but steep, esp with sleeping kids in your new wheelbarrow!

its an easy site to get in and out off it it all gets too much or rains, southwold is practically next door for a warm pub lunch and run on the beach.

the pizza man in the childrens zone gets very busy at supper time, long waits for kids that wont touch thai noodles.

enjoy, this is the first year i haven't been, but my parents live in next village so i will sit in the garden and listen to the fun.

[PenguinArmy]

Make a really good note of where you parked your car, especially if you arrived at night

[coffeecupmum]

Really helpful info thanks - am taking 5 year old on my own and I have never been to a festival before

[trifling]

sign up for pond dipping and other activities in the children's area
get wristband for child with your phone number on, or write it on them - used this last year, it was invaluable
don't worry about mud, it never seems to get muddy (yay!)
bring flapjacks /fruit bar type things and breakfast nibbles
don't expect to wash after saturday morning...

[Janeystow]

Hi, just wondered when bands start playing? I take it Camping site open so on the Thursday, is it important to get their as gates open, or can you rock up on the Friday? Thanks!