Glastonbury 2004: reports and reflections

Baby in a Backpack
Report by 'pennimania', July 2004

Arrived with rain blowing in from the wild blue yonder on wednesday afternoon. Within 2 minutes I had bumped into Sunray! this was before I had even got on site.

About an hour later I was struggling with a tent and the wind on the family camping field. I looked up and saw Aqua, bees and Wiskey coming towards us! bees put the second tent up for me the darling!

And that was the tone of the whole festival- never have I bumped into so many people I know in such a short time. Not all Urbanites - but it was lovely to see you all and meet some new ones.

Particularly want to mention poului - you are much less annoying in real life!



Things that stick in my mind:

watching a mate's baby jigging in her backpack while watching Basement Jaxx, She is only 10 months old, couldn't hear the music because she had ear plugs in but she waved her glow stick like a good 'un! And what absolutely lovely people in that crowd!

Cafe Tango -- we were amused by a man with a very nasty beard who seemed to be a frustrated DJ. I saw him interfere with more than one hapless disc spinner - rummaging through their record boxes. My kids called him 'Goatman' - I wondered why he didn't do a spot himself. He will figure in a comic strip of mine soon....

The beautiful sculptures made in such a short space of time by such talented people - I loved the garden by HDRA - they surpassed themselves this year with that strange basket work retort shaped thing. And the maze of willow wands - so simple but effective.

Watching my bony little son swarm up the Greenpeace climbing wall.

The Chemical Brothers - their light show was fabby
Mikey Dread - I would like a lot more of that sort of thing
Soul2Soul - I used to teach one of them
Muse - I know- but I like a bit of guitararama
Morrissey-what can one say?




Some delicious food - loved the lemon cake at cafe Tango and the stir fried prawns from the 'big pans'.

Didn't find the mud too bad but had my waterproofs and Shelly's boots - I suppose I am one of the middle class people with expensive shoes (but I've had them 6 years and they do damn hard work).

And my kids never asked to go to the Kidz field once - they find the rest of the festival more exciting

A band of 5 brass players on the Circus field who would celebrate any passing nubile young woman with music dance and laughter

The gun toting mutants on stilts on the same field

Getting more exercise in a day than I usually do in a month - when I finally collapsed each night I would hardly manage to get my boots off before falling asleep - usually I sleep very badly

It was brilliant - and we got off E5 in only about an hour - but we left quite late!

Roll on next year...see you there (if I can get a ticket)