Reading 2022 Any of your 16 year olds going?

[MumofSpud]

DD is off to Reading next week - planning on going on Thursday-- morning (as soon as possible her GCSE results email (to avoid any falling out!)--
She is going in a group and they also have friends going on the Wednesday - these friends will take their tent and put it up for them so they all get a good spot together
Can't see what could possibly go wrong with that plan!
I went to Glastonbury (a million years ago) so am a bit out of touch with current festivals!
I had originally said no to her going but when I saw here on Reading threads that most Ops would let their 16 year old DC go / Reading is full of Year 11s, I changed my mind.
We watched the recent Woodstock 99 documentary but she thought it all looked great fun
She is used to going to gigs / mosh pits - although is horrified that I was moshing in the early 90s!
Any advice? (For either of us - although she won't listen to me!)

I first went to Reading when I was 16, many many years ago.

I had a fab time, but the thought of my 16yo DS doing it now send shivers down my spine! My parents were very liberal though!

Suffice to say he isn't going and happily has never asked to!

If they need a bit of downtime head over the bridge into Caversham. There are some lovely cafes and pubs. The church in the centre near Waitrose is also open for the duration offering clean toilets, phone charging and assistance.

Hello all, thanks for the prompt @Rollergirl11 joining for hand hold as DS age 16 half his year group are off to Leeds...his group of 6 close friends are going on Thursday & have persuaded us parents against our better judgement to let them stay until Monday morning. They are post GCSE & we are about 45 mins away, it's a rite of passage thing locally. Happy that we are reasonably close in case he decides to come home early. Looking at the tips on the thread, very useful. Will be living on my nerves this weekend for sure...

Thank you for this - I copied it and sent it to my son who's going on Wednesday.

Appreciate the thread and all of the comments and advice on here, thank you ☺️

I live near the site in Caversham. Parking on the road in Caversham is mostly 2 hours on a weekday and permit holders only on a weekend, and they do check! Beware tgi car park as I thought it had restricted parking for customers only, although I could be wrong. Read the signs carefully!

My DD has now said that I will be dropping her and a friends off and they will meet the others
I have explained it will be chaos!

Just ordered her a camping chair and a head torch!

Also am I right that bottles of water aren't allowed - they can be brought in empty though?

Joining thread as suddenly starting to worry about my 16yo DD going - one of those things that seemed forever away…

@sorryimlateagain - I am finding it difficult thinking beyond the 09:00 GCSE results email!
Yesterday's Reading discussion argument was why wearing dungarees are a bad idea (thinking re: toilets)
She doesn't even have any!

Ahaha - that’s brilliant! Especially as she doesn’t own any. Part of me would be “ok, see for yourself then”…cue soggy (with the indescribable) straps!

tgi car park is on a small retail estate. There is an Aldi and a range. It has a limited time but drop off and pick up shouldn’t be there more than 2 hours.

re meeting people as long as you have a clearly designated spot it should be ok. The Gorge cafe seems to be a popular place to meet. It’s right on the corner of the road that they go down to get to the entrance.

it’s also popular for breakfast. A proper greasy spoon not been decorated since about 1965! Tea from a massive urn that brews all day. I hate it but plenty of people seek it out at festival time.

There's support from Festival Angels at Leeds and Salvation Army at Reading if anything goes wrong - they can get support from them.

Such a shame there’s been so much rain for Reading. Wondering if DD now needs to get some wellies?! Think it’s meant to stop shortly and then be warm and dry for the remainder of the weekend. 🤔

It's going to be dry and sunny I think from this afternoon onwards. My son went yesterday, he texted me last night to say all okay and has just texted me now saying all good 👍🏼

They queued to get in yesterday but were happy that they got through with their alcohol 😂

@snowstorm2012 ahh that’s good to know on both counts! DD challenged me earlier to find the alcohol in her bag. She’s done a good job as I couldn’t find it and there’s 2 decanted bottles of vodka in there somewhere! 🤪🥴

That's funny! We put vodka in pouches and hid them in rolled up socks, bottom of his sleeping bag and he put a couple down his pants 😂😂. It was funny trying to sort it!

I hope your daughter has a fab time. I'm not expecting to hear much, just the odd text to know he's alive 👍🏼😃

The organisers are absolutely fine with alcohol going into campsite as long as it's carried by over 18 year olds. No need to hide it.

It's getting it into the arena that's more challenging. I used to slip a hip flask or two down my welly boot, but recent events I've been to have had metal detectors. I don't know if I'd get away with it now.

Yeah she has it in a mouthwash bottle, micellar water bottle and then a water bottle hidden in a secret zipped compartment.

Yep same here just want to know she’s still alive!

When I dropped off DD earlier - Reading was like a school playground!
She refused to take her wellies (!) but it looks as if the rain will stop

My DD has hers in her sleeping bag - I am waiting for the text later that her bag is full of broken glass and smells

That's so lovely.

Both my DC went after GCSEs. Girls need to be strong on girl code looking out for each other to make sure no one gets left alone especially if inebriated. DD rang me in tears because she was looking after her friend who was drunk and missing the Red Hot Chilli Peppers! She also accompanied friends to the first aid tent after drugs issues. And ended up lending money to a friend who stupidly left cash in her tent.

A power pack charger is useful (like cash - don't leave it in the tent!) as is a bum bag/fanny pack for valuables. Mine smuggled in alcohol too in the bottom of their sleeping bags - but I didn't say that.

They just come back exhausted and grumpy and filthy,

Be aware that reception is not great on site - can be v patchy. I needed to get in touch with my DS as his GCSEs meant he had to change his A level options and it was quite tricky. So don't panic if you don't hear from them straightaway.

I hadn’t realised that there is literally nothing going on tonight. I know the bands don’t start till tomorrow but I assumed there would be silent discos or at least music of some sort tonight but DD tells me there’s nothing!

DD says she is having a nap now (FFS ) and there is a rave at 12?

@MumofSpud hah hah thanks, I shall pass that on. How did she know about it? What camp site is your DD in? Mine is in the Camping plus area next to Red, DD is worried it’s a bit dead!