Boardmasters Festival - superspreader event!

[ineedaholidaynow]

Did anyone go to this festival and not come down with COVID! Every local youngster who went to it seems to have contracted COVID, and I see it keeps getting mentioned on MN, and all posters can't be referring to the same youngsters.

Have other festivals been the same?

@TheKeatingFive

Double jabbed, so not too ill. Even so, this is not good.

It is what it is, better get used to it.

For him, a mild viral illness, nothing to panic about.

Which is fine as long as everyone stops moaning about their operations being cancelled and people not getting treatment for other things just gets used to it.

Which is fine as long as everyone stops moaning about their operations being cancelled and people not getting treatment for other things just gets used to it.

We’re very long overdue a national conversation about what we expect from the nhs and how it should be funded. This is a far bigger issue than Boardmasters

The fact that young people have been catching Covid at Boardmasters is irrelevant. The ticket price is even less relevant.

Because if Boardmasters hadn’t happened, those same young people would have been out and about in their local towns and cities, catching Covid and passing it to others. Because they are young people and now they don’t have to social distance, they won’t. Because they want to run wild with their mates, shag about, and dance to music.

Covid does not give one shit whether they are doing that at Boardies, the Dog and Duck or in Ibiza.

@SellFridges

The fact that young people have been catching Covid at Boardmasters is irrelevant. The ticket price is even less relevant.

Because if Boardmasters hadn’t happened, those same young people would have been out and about in their local towns and cities, catching Covid and passing it to others. Because they are young people and now they don’t have to social distance, they won’t. Because they want to run wild with their mates, shag about, and dance to music.

Covid does not give one shit whether they are doing that at Boardies, the Dog and Duck or in Ibiza.

This!

(I have one who has been to Boardmasters, but she has been clubbing ever since, in two different cities).

I have been a club-hating middle-aged person since I was about 13, but I salute her.

Or if they hadnt caught it at Boardmasters or socialising with their mates they'd have caught it in their colleges, or university lectures or work places come September. So better it works through them now, they cant stay locked up at home forever.

@SellFridges

The fact that young people have been catching Covid at Boardmasters is irrelevant. The ticket price is even less relevant.

Because if Boardmasters hadn’t happened, those same young people would have been out and about in their local towns and cities, catching Covid and passing it to others. Because they are young people and now they don’t have to social distance, they won’t. Because they want to run wild with their mates, shag about, and dance to music.

Covid does not give one shit whether they are doing that at Boardies, the Dog and Duck or in Ibiza.

Absolutely this!

And I have very recently lost DM to covid (ripped through her care home - she didn't stand a chance)

DS went to Boardmasters. He has already had covid recently so is fine - but even if he hadn't I wouldn't have stopped him.

The kids need to do there thing

@Porcupineintherough

Or if they hadnt caught it at Boardmasters or socialising with their mates they'd have caught it in their colleges, or university lectures or work places come September. So better it works through them now, they cant stay locked up at home forever.

Exactly, unless we lock down literally forever, young people will get Covid.... There doesn't really seem to be any point in stopping festivals and restricting their social lives when all it will do is delay the inevitable.

@herecomesthsun

Festivals are fun. There are also ways of adapting the idea of them a bit so they are safer. We can do without moshpits for just a year or 2. Listening to music outside with people spaced apart a bit in a small music festival should be fairly safe.

What's the point of this puritanical penny-pinching that rations fun and insists on all sorts of restrictions to this and that. All it will do is spread the period over which young people will get Covid, making it more likely cases amongst them will be higher in the winter.

@Catma2021

There are safer things than crowding together by the thousands and sharing portaloos.

The cost of the tickets! Don’t know about class, but definitely spoilt brats with indulgent parents. Now a whole county is suffering high covid levels because of this entitled lot.

Well Dd got hers as her 18th birthday present, and had used birthday money to find most of it. Let's face it / her birthday party and all celebrations were cancelled last year, along with any celebration for finishing school and exam results. She's waited over a year to finally be able to do it.

One other friend is same. Definitely not spoilt brat. Very much working class family plus she has numerous health issues. Combination of birthday and Christmas money from family and friends. Plus there's a reduction in one ticket due to Dd needing to be with her at all times as her carer.

Other friend paid from his part time job savings plus money from his 21st birthday.

So no, not really just spoilt brats as you call them. Just average teens finally able to do the normal activities for older teens.

Why the nastiness towards young people finally being able to go and have fun - whilst following the rules! Nothing they're doing is against any rules!

@Catma2021

Many people can’t afford that at Christmas.

So I’ll continue with my spoilt brat shit thanks.

The people picking up the pieces of all these holidays and festivals, such as health care assistants, are probably the same ones who can’t afford such luxuries. So yeah, festival goers and their parents are entitled people who couldn’t care less about the cost to others.

Well three of the people Dd was meeting up with there yesterday were all working and studying I'm nursing and health care. All three have worked and studied throughout the pandemic, working incredibly long hours whilst many other people were able to stay safely at home. They've all caught Covid previously from their health care jobs on hospital wards.

Yet all three have managed to get the money and the time to go to the festival.

Oh, and Cornwall, especially Newquay, already had the highest Covid rates in England BEFORE Boardmasters even started! Most of the Boardmasters numbers won't even count towards the Cornwall figures anyway, and most campers stayed on the sites so not even out and about spreading it to others.

And all were tested at least every 72 hours, or were fully jabbed.

And yet again - it's not selfish to start living your life again.

If not now, when can we start living life normally once more??

And yes - I've had Covid. It put me in hospital. I had nearly two months off work. It's taking me months to recover. It's been 9 months and I'm still not fully better. I'll be on medication for life due to complications. I'm CV and caught Covid almost certainly at work - a school, so no SDing from children, no masks and pretty much nothing useful to prevent it spreading like wildfire once it got in.

I know Covid can be rotten.
But we still can't restrict life forever.
It's already been nearly 18 months of restricted living. We can't keep going like that!

It's clever how all the blame for covid can be placed upon the young. It's like last year's Freshers all over again.

It's almost like they've been actively encouraged to do things, told it's safe and within the rules, then blamed for the spread of Covid that follows.

The fault lies with the opening up of everything with no real safety measures by those in charge. Not the young people.

"Why the nastiness towards young people finally being able to go and have fun - whilst following the rules! Nothing they're doing is against any rules!"

I'd like to be generous and say there is a lot of fear and caution out there and when ppl see mass gatherings it frightens them.

But I think what is going on here more is something about a deep seated resentment in people being able to afford tickets. A real hatred.

I suppose there have always been bitter people who resent others having fun and rejoice in others’ misery. These days they can broadcast their nastiness online and reach a wider audience instead of just being eaten up with bile behind their curtains.

Only a few weeks ago someone posted on my local neighbours site that young people had been spotted on the recreation ground and that they had called the police. This was at 8pm! And apparently they had been playing football! There is no lockdown, no ban on groups - the reporter was just an utter bastard.

@Tangledtresses

Absolutely fantastic in Reading today! So many teens off to live An amazing weekend 😀😀 Mines off tomorrow good luck to them all

I’m from Reading. I haven’t lived there in over a decade, but I still remember the buzz of festival weekend. I hope all the teens (and teens at heart!) have an amazing time.

@DottyHarmer

I suppose there have always been bitter people who resent others having fun and rejoice in others’ misery. These days they can broadcast their nastiness online and reach a wider audience instead of just being eaten up with bile behind their curtains.

Only a few weeks ago someone posted on my local neighbours site that young people had been spotted on the recreation ground and that they had called the police. This was at 8pm! And apparently they had been playing football! There is no lockdown, no ban on groups - the reporter was just an utter bastard.

I have a close family member (sadly) who has always been extremely anti social, constantly moaning and bitching about the neighbours, literally sitting at her window behind the curtains passing judgement on everyone.

During lockdown she finally felt validated. Also discovered YouTube and is now a huge conspiracy theorist. She's not going to give up feeling validated easily. She was very happy to tell me that she emails the police three or four times a week about infringements. She's livid that restrictions have been lifted.

@SellFridges

The fact that young people have been catching Covid at Boardmasters is irrelevant. The ticket price is even less relevant.

Because if Boardmasters hadn’t happened, those same young people would have been out and about in their local towns and cities, catching Covid and passing it to others. Because they are young people and now they don’t have to social distance, they won’t. Because they want to run wild with their mates, shag about, and dance to music.

Covid does not give one shit whether they are doing that at Boardies, the Dog and Duck or in Ibiza.

Yes this!

Young folk are going to let loose after a hellish year and a half for them (and us all). MN can froth all they like, but it's going to happen and the frothers need to get our heads round the idea we can't hide away forever.

**Yes this!

Young folk are going to let loose after a hellish year and a half for them (and us all). MN can froth all they like, but it's going to happen and the frothers need to get our heads round the idea we can't hide away forever.**

Yes to this!

@Theimpossiblegirl

It's clever how all the blame for covid can be placed upon the young. It's like last year's Freshers all over again.

It's almost like they've been actively encouraged to do things, told it's safe and within the rules, then blamed for the spread of Covid that follows.

The fault lies with the opening up of everything with no real safety measures by those in charge. Not the young people.

Agree. If people are reporting that conditions were below standard then it should be investigated by environmental health and action taken. Either to improve conditions of by means of fines. Cutting corners is so inappropriate at the current time, it should be strictly controlled. Lateral flow test whilst you wait if not vaccinated.

@Lanique

I know nine kids who went to Boardmasters and all came back positive.

I know of six.

@Catma2021

Many people can’t afford that at Christmas.

So I’ll continue with my spoilt brat shit thanks.

The people picking up the pieces of all these holidays and festivals, such as health care assistants, are probably the same ones who can’t afford such luxuries. So yeah, festival goers and their parents are entitled people who couldn’t care less about the cost to others.

Are you for real? Spoilt brats and entitled?

Both my teens are currently at Reading with friends. They have both worked over the pandemic and bought their own tickets out of their hard earned money. DD works in a supermarket and has had some very testing times with customers.

So as far as I am concerned they deserve to go and have fun. Both have had Covid recently too. It's not down to our young people to organise events to be Covid safe - that's down to organisers and the government. Our teens aren't breaking any rules.

You sound very bitter and taking your anger out on the wrong people.

Dd is currently at Leeds festival.
They went for early bird so been there since Wednesday.
They had their covid passes checked on arrival.
Apparently they have to have it checked again today, which is the start of the main festival days.
If they leave the site and return it has to be checked again when coming back.
Day visitors have to have their covid passes checked on the day they arrive.

Obviously the lft issue remains. It's not observed so very easy to just scan the qr code without actually doing the test, and just clicking negative. The people Dd knows there though are actually doing them properly. Some don't need to as they are double vax, so,don't have to test. Dd is doing one anyway as an extra precaution.

To the posters who think teens shouldn't be going to festivals, this just posted on another thread:

"I'm a teacher at a state school and have been heavily involved in transition including running a summer school. All of our students have been like this post covid. Lazy, not at all interested or motivated in doing anything. They dont want clubs or trips or even 'fun' lessons. They just want to sit and do something like a worksheet that is easily completed. Give yourself a break, we are trying to work out what to do as it's a real problem for a lot of kids"

I'd say a festival is in order!!!!

I have nothing against festivals. We are quite closely connected to one.

However, a minority of teens might still get persistent symptoms (2-7% or possibly more depending on different studies), quite apart from the small number who might get seriously ill.

Presumably, that would not help their application, enthusiasm for study etc?

I'm encouraging my kids to go and do fun stuff with their friends but also to be a bit careful still. That can include attending the odd festival or fete as they're often in the open air. We avoid full on crowds though.

A fete? The average 18-19-year-old would just lurrrrve to go on the tombola and white elephant stall, maybe making a quick foray into the cut flowers tent…. Who needs Reading when there’s a ladies’ barbershop quartet at the Little Puddlecombe on the Marsh summer fete?

@DottyHarmer

A fete? The average 18-19-year-old would just lurrrrve to go on the tombola and white elephant stall, maybe making a quick foray into the cut flowers tent…. Who needs Reading when there’s a ladies’ barbershop quartet at the Little Puddlecombe on the Marsh summer fete?

Awh mine used to love fetes. Until they were about 12.