Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Flip

1 2 3 4

Original poster

Reading festival

97 replies

funnylady · 24/08/2011 08:16

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!

OP posts:

Claw3 · 28/08/2011 20:40

LOL@ 27 cereal bars, any reason why 27 or is that just how many in the boxes?

mediawhore · 28/08/2011 20:43

Ha!

First year I went I was 22, but went with my sister (19) andsome friends of hre friend's boyf.

There were people ranging from 16 upwards.

The 16-18 yo spent the weekend drunk, smoking copious amounts ofpot, trying to light a rocket firework by pushing the wooden stand bit into the ground - and wondering why it felloverwhen they lit it. They also made a catapult to throw things at other tents, threw aerosols on the bonfireand one kid made a sign that read 'will do anything for acid'.

I know itisnearlyover now, but I wouldsay that he would spendmost his time pissed at the very least and setting up tent properly is the least of his concerns!

Ponders · 28/08/2011 20:48

I gather they are a lot stricter now about possible fire (& other) risks - no fireworks, no camping gas, no glass.

Judging by the way DS2 smelled last year they still have bonfires, but it's much less hairy generally

(some would say 'shame' )

nomorefrizz · 28/08/2011 20:53

My 18 year old son was driven up to Leeds by a friend (yikes) with wellies (uncharacteristically sensible) and a bottle of Morrisons gin decanted into a plastic squash bottle. No news apart from a text saying "Yes Mum I'm alive"
Be afraid you mothers of early reading toddlers be very afraid.

BerryMojito · 28/08/2011 21:29

DD safely home. Didn't want to stay any longer. I nearly had a heart attack when I picked her up - she has been punched in the face and has scratch marks that look like someone tried to gouge her eyes out! If it had happened on the street I would be pressing assault charges. Going to look great to start L6 eh?!?!? Loved it until then though and said My Chemical Romance were phenomenal.

gerardway · 28/08/2011 21:42

Ohhhhhhh, everyone loved MEEEEEEEEEE

gerardway · 28/08/2011 21:43

Am having a very bad day so trying to enjoy myself on this thread.

maddiemostmerry · 28/08/2011 21:47

Claw, the cereal bars were boxes with 9 in. Three for the price of two. He decided that was all he needed.
Expect they will all come home stinking of bonfire and mud.
He called me to say he had heard a rumour that The Killers were going to play and could I check it out for him.

Helium has been popular in recent years

TheSecondComing · 28/08/2011 21:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Claw3 · 28/08/2011 22:01

Maddie, sounds about right, all you need in life are some cereal bars right!?

I have no idea about the rest of your post, showing my age!! (ds did tell me who he was looking forward to seeing, i felt like saying why cant they just have normal names, like Cliff Richard or something, but i would have sounded like my mum

Berry Oh is your dd ok?

BustersOfDoom · 28/08/2011 22:04

Mine is on his way back from Leeds at the moment. He only had a day ticket for the Friday but has somehow managed to string it out til now by sleeping in his mates' tent!

TSC - the shuttle buses running to and from the festival site go to and from Leeds coach station....

MissBetsyTrotwood · 28/08/2011 22:18

There was a leaflet in our local library for an actual course you can go on to train you how to go to festivals safely . I had no idea thinks like that existed!

TheSecondComing · 28/08/2011 22:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BustersOfDoom · 28/08/2011 23:05

Might be a good idea, the coach and train stations will be absolutely mobbed.

My boy is home now and stinks of bonfire smoke! Says he's had a great time tho.

IloveJudgeJudy · 28/08/2011 23:24

DS1 (16) is there with loads of friends. Haven't heard from him apart from Thurs pm to say the tent was up and they all got in OK.

I hope they're all having a lovely time. I did see in the papers just how wet and muddy it was. It's strange as he's usually so precious about being clean and smelling nice.

His friend's parents are picking them up tomorrow.

Berry, for your DD. I really hope that nothing like that has happened to anyone else there. I hope that she's OK now that she's home.

PernodPeril · 28/08/2011 23:35

Busters, I wonder how the organisers of the festival can tell whether the one day only ticket holders have overstayed their welcome, I mean what's to stop you just staying on? My dd was there Fri btw and took a day to recover!

acsec · 28/08/2011 23:54

Pernod you get different coloured wrist bands depending on what day you have a ticket for/ whether you camp, but when you are all pushing through the cattle stalls to get into the main arena (trying to walk with little steps so the vodka bottle you have concealed between your legs in the crotch of your shorts, hidden by your oversized hoodie, doesn't fall out and get confiscated) you just have to hold your wrist up so they see a band. It's so busy you just get nodded through and the staff don't pay a great deal of attention to the wrist band :o I've stayed in mates' tents but decided to head home at 6am as the pouring rain had dampened my spirits as well as the only clothes I had with me!

BustersOfDoom · 29/08/2011 00:11

Yup just as acsec says, there are so many people crowding through the gates it's fairly easy to get into the middle and sneak through.

It wasn't something he planned to do, he only really wanted to see Muse but his friends suggested he stayed.

runningfast · 29/08/2011 00:16

We're just back from Reading, and our 12 year old worked out that it was his seventh festival, so he's an old hand now. We're far too ancient to camp, but we live locally, so we catch a cab home each night and sleep in a lovely warm bed. It was a great crowd this year, far more mellow and laid back than the last few years. Expect your youngsters to come home exhausted and smelly, but with some fantastic memories.

We stopped at the Jack Daniels bar on the way out for a night cap and the barman gave us triple measures and told us they were strong, but we looked like we were used to that. I didn't know whether to be insulted or flattered!

PernodPeril · 29/08/2011 00:17

ahh ok, different in my day when you just showed your ticket and that was that!

AuntieMonica · 29/08/2011 09:07

hope those with DCs who have had a bit of trouble are ok. and the DCs of course.

DS1 has texted me and DS2 a few times, to ask if the rumours about Jane's Addiction pulling out were true and the football scores!

no idea when he's back, or where his tent is but since he's 27 and he's into double figures for festivals now, i don't think he wants or needs me to ask

Claw3 · 29/08/2011 09:48

Ds got back at 8.30 this morning, in one piece and not a bit of mud in sight, although i havent looked at the clothes in the bag yet!

He said it was cold and very, very muddy, but had an amazing time and no sleep. Guess what Maddie, he went to Tesco and bought cereal bars 'Moshing' isnt that much fun when you are cold!

Tent and sleeping bag he left there. Would he go again, only if he can stay in a hotel apparently!

TheSecondComing · 29/08/2011 10:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BerryMojito · 29/08/2011 11:13

Good to hear that they are all slowly coming home, albeit a little worse for wear.

DD ok after a bath and getting warm, thanks claw and Ilove, her face is a complete mess though and her brothers are steaming! Admitted she had been terrified when it happened as the guy was clearly out of his head!

Currently trying to be brave enough to open her bag and incinerate wash her stuff!

Claw3 · 29/08/2011 11:24

Berry, your poor dd, someone just attacked her?

I asked ds if there was any trouble when he got home, with your dd in mind when i asked and he said that everyone he met was really friendly and chilled, so hopefully an isolated incident. Bad luck for your poor dd though.

Flip

1 2 3 4