Reading Festival Drama

[Susue999]

DD 17 is at Reading for the first time has called us to say tent has leaked all bedding and all clothes are soaked. We are 2.5 hrs away and debating driving to take her to a launderette and give her dry bedding to then sleep in her mates tent. She has been hyped for months so feeling bad for her. Any seasoned Reading parents have any other brain waves?!!

Are you me?!?

Yep, that’s what I would do too

Send her money for a new sleeping bag. No help but it happens, my tent leaked last night, not reading, far more rural, and it has all dried out now

Really? She can buy stuff there, in the town or Decathlon. She does not need someone to drive over 2 hours!

Thank-you for reminding me of a telephone conversation overheard by a friend in a hall of residence in the days of coin operated phones: 'Mam, should I soak mi knickers?'

The calling you for advice is fine. The thought that the solution is to drive 5 hours is unusual.

🤣

^ This.

What on earth does this matter now?

Oh how times have changed.

I was at the Reading festival in 1992 when there was a storm overnight.

Our tent pegs snapped and part of the tent blew away so we gave up and all slept in my friend's car. I arrived home covered head to toe in mud.

Happy days.

It happened to my daughter at 16 and I only found out when she got back. Somehow she managed to figure something out. I think it's part of the experience (both the getting soaked and the figuring out)

Absolutely - it was all part of the hilarity!

I slept in a play tent once at Reading, friend was bringing the tent, I was getting there a few hours later than others so all our group's tents were up when I got there, including our tiny model with play tent emblazoned across the side, I got rained on, sunburnt, drunk, had a cracking weekend and definitely didn't call my mum! She'll figure something out

Yep, no mobiles then to track you down, I can remember hitchhiking in the 70s to go to places in my teens, I certainly wouldn't have rang my mum about anything

My favourite memory of Reading is seeing a gaggle (not sure of the appropriate collective noun...) of Marilyn Manson fans storm a burger van and start athletically distributing buns and lettuce whilst mooing.

To help her learn how to try and avoid the same thing happening next year.

If you’ve not been to a festival or know the proximity to the town I think it’s an understandable parent panic moment but then op came here to get ideas. Not really sure why we need to insult her fairly normal behaviour. I can only assume she has a great relationship with her dc because all of mine would call me in these circumstances.

Part of the festival experience and she's not going to die. Tell her to get some bevvy down her and she'll soon forget about the rain.

It’s how she’s been brought up. Mummy is considering a 5 hour round trip and all the faff of finding her daughter just to bring her a sleeping bag. How pathetic. I grew up with alcoholic for a mother and knew every holiday and festival I booked, as well as taking myself to and from uni (from the very first day to the very last day) was all on me. No one was coming to save me. Ever. I’m a self made millionaire now.. it’s the mentality of wanting a better life and finding a way to survive.

I’m in my 40s and did my share of festivals in my teens. I think more people would have been calling parents for help if they had phones/ or if they had phones they had enough battery.

Times are different but there were plenty of young adults who still heavily relied on their parents.

I also grew up with an alcoholic mother. I am doing fine now I’m an adult but I would have preferred a parent who knew where I was and gave a shit. Not that I would have expected them to drive 5
hours but there’s somewhere in between.

She told me no way should I drive there so im
not! I just felt for her as she has saved for a long time for this and has been so excited. Thank you for the launderette info and helpful comments. I imagined all responses would be very negative and critical! It’s all learning eh - for both of us!

I agree. Having children has been really tough too without family support.

I don’t think it always is the best to swing the pendulum the other way… I’d have gone mad if one of my friends was calling mummy for help. if it were me I’d have found a way forward because there was no one to call. That’s the difference.

Underage drinking?

OMG YES! Let the kid be an absolute rebel