Reading festival

[funnylady]

Hi, Our son is going to Reading festival (camping) for the first time. Any tips on how we can survive the worry and tips for his safety etc. Have looked at various hepful sites but any other tips very welcome. Thank you!

[tokenwoman]

mine is going as well, first timer too he is 18, he is not taking a mobile, Ive no tips or advice, and will be reyling on my son and his friends to keep their wits about them - I will be worrying too, how old is yours? is he going with friends?
mine is taking the minimum amount of stuff and belongings and aparently will be ready to catch the train to reading at 6am tomorrow morning (this is a boy who doesn't get up much before 3pm)
make sure he has your contact numbers written down inside a plastic bag to keep in his pocket at all times might be useful if his name is written down on it too (just in case he forgets who he is)
Roll on monday when he returns home

[funnylady]

Hi, Thanks for reply! He's 16 (17 oct) Going with friends and we don't live far away so will drop him. Great tip about contact details, no mention of that on any of the sites I looked at so thanks. Wet wipes, loo roll, phone & money in belt pouch, valuables at night in end of sleeping bag too. Yes roll on Monday He's setting up today, back home tomorrow for gcse results so hope tent not stolen before he gets back tomorrow night! Too much stress! Spk again x.

[MedusaIsHavingABadHairDay]

3/4 of mine are going this year! (aged 19, 18 and 17) ..19yr old is a 'veteran' of Reading.

She is taking an old basic phone, money belt for vitals, tons of wet wipes and antibacterial gel. Dry hair spray:)

LOTS of layers..hoodies, cottons, sleeping bag and bed roll, she buys a new tent each year (chips in with friends so gets bigger) and leaves it there.

Then you just assume they will survive and have a fantastic time!!!!!!! DD got swine flu first year and was horribly ill but last year was fine. When they get back I am prepared to hose them down in the garden

[funnylady]

Great advice thanks, He's on his way now! You sound chilled about it with 3 so i'll calm down and assume the same x.

[copycat]

I'm in the same boat as you funnylady. GCSE results then straight on a train to Reading with a bunch of his friends who (apart from one) I have never met. Stressed ... me ... heck yes! Shall we drink lots of wine worry together until Monday?

[tokenwoman]

what i wouldn't give to see them all trying to put their tents up in the rain/downpour/monsoon that was falling all this morning... can i join you all in the drinking worry?

[Bettymum]

I can see the lot of them from my office window. At least the sun's come out now...What are your DCs wearing? I'll wave to them :).

[tokenwoman]

he will be the one wearing the wet clothes

[Milliways]

There were loads in town buying tents & wellies today :)

We were lucky as when DD went she popped home each day for a hot shower

[lazymumofteenagesons]

Mine is off tomorrow morning. Went out yesterday to buy 'provisions' and came back with 2 packets of wipes, mouthwash and alka seltzer XS!

[funnylady]

Update - picked him up 9.30 this morning drenched! home & shower, school for results (v good btw) then back home to bed to sleep til 4 (ahhh bless!)then back to fest with bag full of 'provisions'. Tent still there - phew! Fantastic atmosphere in the area, wish I was young again.

[sieglinde]

Mine is there now. In a T-Shirt.

'No, I won't need a coat.' 'No, not a jumper'.

He's not camping, though - dh is picking him up. So he has no change of clothes and may die of pneumonia. But I also hope he has a blast.

[MedusaIsHavingABadHairDay]

Mine are there now.. and I have had enthusiastic texts from all three along the lines of:
'I'm covered in mud, I'm soaked, it's BRILLIANT'
Apparently the alcohol they consumed last night (they are 19,18 and 17 so I don't mind the 17 yr old having some) helped ward off the cold...

I suspect they may be developing trench foot by now tho!

[BooBooGlass]

My dp is there and camping til Monday. I can only imagine the state he's in, and has nothing but babywipes to wash with

[sieglinde]

Even my ds felt he'd bitten off more than he could chew yesterday. He stood four rows from the stage all day and into the night without a bite to eat or a loo break - I DON'T WANT to KNOW. All was well till at around seven pm the crowd built up behind him and just shoved him - not him personally, just pushing forward like hoplites - so he was jammed against the stage for over an hour. He has bruises everywhere. Of course the stupid little git dear child didn't have enough sense to get on outta Dodge, but stood there stalwartly to support My Chemical Romance because the thinks people misunderstand them. He hates the word EMO and he thinks the people who use it are just boring people.... I kinda suggested maybe it would have been saner to make a break for it earlier, and he just gave me the Look.

He's taken the day off today but will be back in action tomorrow.

[BerryMojito]

Oh god. DD is there without a phone and I have only had one text from her friend saying it was 'good'! Really starting to feel the stretch of my maternal heartstrings now. Just like BooBoo's dp, she only has baby wipes to wash with (well, and the cleansing wipes and antibacterial wipes and deodorant wipes and any other wipes I could find in Tesco!!).

[acsec]

As a Reading veteran myself (didn't go this year as saving for my wedding) I can say all your DCs will have an amazing time, they will make lots of new friends, probably not shower the whole time, drink too much, the boys will pee into cups and tip it on the ground so as not to lose their place in the crowd. They will get soaked but won't care because they will be wearing their 'beer coats', they will 'lose' their tent because all the campsites look all the same, but it won't matter because their new friends will invite them to sit round a campfire. If they eat anything they haven't bought from an overpriced stall then it will probably be pot noodle!

Don't worry about them too much, they will be loving it and when you ask them if they had a good time they will say "AMAZING" and probably leave it at that :o

[Sukie1971]

My 14yo DS has gone with his friend and his parents. I had a text on thurs to say "tents up and its amazing!", a phone call last night so I could "hear" MCR play Welcome to the Black Parade (my fave MCR song)... and nothing since. BUT I did tell him to keep his mobile switched off the majority of the time to conserve the battery. I trust his friends parents so I know he'll be fine and having an awesome time. Cant wait for him to get home on Mon lunchtime tho!

[stickytoffee]

Worry ye not....They all look like they're having a fab time. All the festival revellers we've come across are fairly sober during the day. They just look a bit tired and a bit grubby ! But really not much trouble and you don't see horribly pissed people hanging around locally all day. I'm always really impressed by the behaviour and this is our 6th festival in the area.....On the other hand when my dc's get to that age I'll be just the same....!

[Sarsaparilllla]

I first went to Reading festival when I was 16 :o

They will all have the most amazing time of their lives, yes they'll probably consume nothing but crisps and warm lager for days on end and sleep in their own filth but that's what Reading is all about :o

Feeling a tad nostalgic now!! Best thing is not to take anything of value that can be lost and always keep a spare set if clean clothes in the car to travel home in :)

[jklikesrowing]

my best mate is at smallworld festival i am very very jealous!

[SophieRMumsnet]

My DD is at Reading too. The rain has been pretty constant but I think Reading is a rite of passage for teenagers and I think the mud and the grime is all part of it.

[acsec]

I'm off to a festival for the day tomorrow and hoping it stays dry, I left my wellies in Reading last time I went :(

[jklikesrowing]

my bestie is 40!! shes still travelling down that passage!!

[funnylady]

Well he text me at midnight saying he thought he'd broken his nose, had the squits, trench foot etc. Collected him this morning and home for a few hours was itching to get back so despite all the ailments IS definitely having an amazing first fest.