Thread: Greenbelt 2015 Board: Oblivion / Ship of Fools.


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Posted by iamchristianhearmeroar (# 15483) on :
 
At about this time we're normally getting excited about some of the lineup announcements for GB, or making the first soundings about a GB shipmeet (which I am still, to my shame, yet to make!).

Things are probably all a bit more subdued this year, given tickets have yet to go on sale, and the exact format of the festival is still unknown.

So, how are people feeling about the festival? Will people definitely be going whatever happens, or waiting for some more announcements from GB about how things will be run before making that decision?
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
I'm a quite apprehensive, to be honest. We have been every year for about 20 years but I found last year very hard. I manage my bipolar disorder by strictly organising my routine and I couldn't handle the uncertainty of the final day last year, especially when our area of the camp (the furthest) were unceremoniously told there would be no trailers for us and we'd have to carry a family tent and paraphernalia all the way with no assistance. I had a full blown melt down in public and in front of my children. The board member who helped us out in the end was lovely and sympathetic though.
The advice to come as groups and share the load doesn't really wash when your group consists mainly of small children. The comparison with other festivals that manage this when they are made up of fit and healthy teenagers is laughable. I really want to camp this year and we even considered getting a stall (we've had a stall before) so we could better establish a guaranteed routine to help with my anxiety. we are lucky in that push come to shove we could commute there but that hardly fits with the green ethos of the festival.
 
Posted by Lucia (# 15201) on :
 
The news via the Greenbelt Angels is that there are only going to be 5000 weekend tickets and that these will only be available until Easter Monday. After that only day tickets will be available. they are in financial difficulties after last year and are going to hold a smaller scaled back festival to try and consolidate things, while consulting with people on the future shape of the festival.

For reasons non-festival related we probably can't make it this year but I hope Greenbelt makes it through this rocky patch.
 
Posted by Sipech (# 16870) on :
 
I went for the first time last year. I doubt I'll book this year. As I don't own any camping equipment, I had to stay in a hotel, but the shuttle bus didn't run to any of the hotels. So I had to walk some 5 miles each way which left me hobbling for most of the weekend.

While many of the talks were good, I think I could wait for mp3 files on a USB stick or CD. As for seeing people, the Christian New Media Conference is just as good.
 
Posted by Schroedinger's cat (# 64) on :
 
There is a lot of bad feeling about the way things have been handled this year.

I have a lot of sympathy with both sides. I think the organisers have had to make some huge and difficult decisions. Some of them are probably wrong, some - many - are right. Some people are hurt by the way things are going.

The festival is going through a difficult time. It is not impossible that it might fold, because it is a difficult time. I hope it doesn't, but I think they organisers have had to deal with the possibilties. I am planning to go, assuming that I can get a ticket.
 
Posted by Yangtze (# 4965) on :
 
I'm hugely excited about it. I loved it last year: carrying stuff to the camping, rain and all. It will feel different being smaller, and I'm sorry that that's because things are financially difficult, but I think it will be nice.
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
I think they will have lost a lot of families after last year. The location was lovely but impractical for many of us with families and with disabilities. It might end up a far less inclusive festival than it used to be, which is a terrible shame as I feel this was one of Greenbelt's strongest attributes.
 
Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
It's good to see from the website that they are rearranging the site to make the car park nearer the camping area this year. It will be strange not to have main stage though.
We will probably buy weekend tickets and play it by ear as to whether we camp or commute. We might buy a collapsible barrow to take [Smile]
 
Posted by Rosa Gallica officinalis (# 3886) on :
 
Angels' tickets went on sale last night- we've got ours [Yipee]
If you're an angel and haven't had the email link contact angels@greenbelt.org.uk

[ 04. February 2015, 12:22: Message edited by: Rosa Gallica officinalis ]
 
Posted by iamchristianhearmeroar (# 15483) on :
 
We'll be getting ours soon.

I'm excited about the festival. We struggled a bit last year, but that was mainly due to circumstances (injury-me, and illness-our son) rather than anything particular at the site.

I think what a lot of people (on the various GB fb groups for instance) are finding frustrating is how GB is communicating things, significant changes particularly.
 
Posted by Schroedinger's cat (# 64) on :
 
I have bought my ticket!
 
Posted by geroff (# 3882) on :
 
We have bought our tickets too.
We booked the Holiday Inn Express in September
[Eek!]
 
Posted by Rev per Minute (# 69) on :
 
We're probably not going this year. Partly an issue with timing (schools go back the day after the Bank Holiday, in theory anyway) but also we found last year hard going. Even with two fit(-ish) adults and two teenagers, the distance to and from the car park with our kit was hard work. The uncertainty as to whether we would be able to get off the site on Tuesday morning (plus some unusually officious stewards) made our Monday impossible and so we left by 5 on Monday afternoon, having spent the afternoon packing and transporting everything up the hill in three or four journeys. None of us want to do that again.

The change in price structure this year means that a family ticket is now about £365. That plus the increased distance (Cheltenham being an hour away, Broughton closer to four) will probably mean we won't be there - and the talk of a 'smaller' Festival doesn't make us any more likely to change our minds.
 
Posted by Jay-Emm (# 11411) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Rev per Minute:
The uncertainty as to whether we would be able to get off the site on Tuesday morning (plus some unusually officious stewards) made our Monday impossible and so we left by 5 on Monday afternoon,

I'm hoping that might be better this year, I know one person who's son helped* and there was a comment about inexperience, which might be better if there are more who've done it before.

Also there was another interesting conversation with some stewards (actually on camp) about how people would try to nick ridiculously big things from the main tents. Which put some things in perspective.

[of course that still leaves all the other stuff, and it might not change]

*neither (as far as I could tell in conversation) christians, but they seemed to have found it a good experience (which is why I mentioned it).

[ 08. February 2015, 12:32: Message edited by: Jay-Emm ]
 
Posted by Auntie Doris (# 9433) on :
 
We're not going this year. Several reasons, but partly the cost and I accept that is partly due to having to get a boat there. It's quite a tough sell though when we realised that we could spend about the same amount of cash on going to France for two weeks as planning on going to GB for a few days.

From what I heard last year I don't fancy doing it with two small children either.

It's such a shame. I love GB but it also has to feel like it is worth the hassle of dragging us and all our stuff onto site!
 
Posted by Auntie Doris (# 9433) on :
 
PaulW just noticed that my last post was my 6000 ship post. I reckon the majority of those were done during my first 3 years aboard!
 
Posted by Yangtze (# 4965) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Auntie Doris:
PaulW just noticed that my last post was my 6000 ship post.

Woot! Congratulations.
 


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