Reading Festival

[Layla]

Ok girls, i need your advice on something,

every year i go to reading festival and camp out from the thursday till the monday morning, i brought my ticket for it back in march, before i caught pregnant.
I was going to sell it coz i did not want to camp on a hard floor for 4 nights being 5 months pregnant then.

but

my other half, who i was going with, has no said that i can stay at his familys house for the nights and just go in the day to see the bands, as long as i stand well back so not to get caught up in the crowds, he said he would look after me and make sure im ok, then take me to his familys house after everythings done, then get me in the monring to start the next day.

Im in 2 minds about this, the festival is something i look forward to going to every year, its like my hoilday! i have been going for 3 years in a row, and now that i know i can have a warm comfy bed each night and a shower every morning makes it even better.

but im still very undecided as to wether its a good idea, what do you guys think??

 

I'm having the same dilemma - same bands but at Leeds - I don't know if I shoud go or not anymore Will be tent bound and about 4 or 5 months pregnant - i really dont know what to do - i so want to go as ive never been and the line up is bands i am desprate to see - is it a good idea or should i seel my ticket?

 

[Layla]

yeah the line up this year is amazing for me, i want to see them all!!!

i went to leeds 2 years ago, it rocks!!!!! so much better than reading, if you do go, you will love it!!

 

argh i am so in 2 minds!!! I'll be a week behind you? How far will we be???.......19 weeks ish? a bit before or after. it's out of the danger zone but is it safe enough? what a horrid decision. I'm also going to Oasis next month in Milton Keynes - thinking I definately won't be going - I'm still too early days then - will be a shame though

 

[Layla]

I will be 20 weeks, i think as long as you dont go in to teh crowds when watching bands it should be ok? but then maybe im trying to convince myself that coz i so despratly want to go lol, i need to hear it from someone else.

im going to Milton Keynes on sunday to see green day, its going to be an all dayer but i cant wait!!
also going to see papa roach the wed after, in fact, i have loads of gigs lined up over the next few months!

 

[hels]

GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS.......
get yourselves there....and enjoy!!! LOL.
Seriously, avoid being squashed, watch the screens, and beware of the dodgy food stalls!!! You'll be mad to miss it.
Im heading to cornwall camping in august, ill be 3 months over then and just gonna take an air bed....mmmmm well comfy.
Let me know what you decide.
Love Hels xx

 

Right little rocker aren't you Layla!!

I live in Milton keynes Quite handy really - bowl is a massive place - you been ther before?

 

[Layla]

lol ha yeah im a full on rock chick at heart, i go to every gig i can!

not been to Milton Keynes before so that will be new for me


hels, i like your post, i am one step closer to going now lol

 

[Rosebay]

Hi there,

I'd say go- since you don't have to carry all of your camping gear and you have a proper bed to go back to. I'm not going to Glasto this year- it would have been my 9th so you can tell how difficult that decision was! Thing is that unlike Reading (I've only been to that festival twice mind) you can't pass in and out of Glasto and there's a hell of a lot of carrying camping equipment around that I just wouldn't be up for. Even in the best of years I end up sleeping in the afternoons because of the amount of walking around involved in the huge site and lask of decent sleep at night. I will really miss it though. . At least a lot of it is on TV!

Take one of those collapsable chairs and make sure that if you get tired you can go home for a power nap if need be and I reckon you'll be fine! It'll be good to be out and about anyway! Stick to food that they can't mess up like chips and jacket p's and enjoy! If I could have stayed with a friend in a real house and passed in and out of Glasto there would have been no stopping me- dodgy toilets or no dodgy toilets!

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Thanks hels - feel more encouraged now - could use the money though. but i know i will love it!

Layla - Milton Keynes bowl is wicked, the place is mad and cool (HUNDREDS of roundabouts!) Are you getting the train or driving to MK?

 

[Layla]

cheers for the post Rosebay


Sami, my other half is driving down to MK

 

Parking will be quite hard I'll warn you now - you may have quite a walk to the bowl after finding parking. The best way is probably to park in the city centre (will have to pay a few quid) and get a coach (usually free or a couple of quid) to the bowl. Does that help at all or had you already sorted this

 

Rosebay - what do you reckon in my situation? I will be camping from the Wednesday night till probably the Mondy - I hate camping anyways but was so looking forward to the festival. Should i still go and risk beign bashed in the stomach - I don't think staying out of the crowd will be an option

 

[Layla]

thanks for the tip sami, i will let jase know about the parking.

you can avoid crowds at leeds, just means you will have to stand back and watch the bands on the screens rather than get close to the stage.
also when going in and out of the arena area, you will either have to wait a bit longer till all teh crowds have gone, or leave a bit eariler to avoid the crush at teh end

 

[Rosebay]

Hi Sami,

it's up to you really! Can you get someone to take you a nice inflatable bed to sleep on? Last year I got really cheap £2 lilos from pound shops and I slept at Glasto on one of those- it really made it warmer as there's space between you and the floor then. Like I said Reading and Leeds are quite a lot easier because you can always go out of the ground and get anything you really need- I end up taking everything possible to be imagined to Glasto which weighs a ton as once you're there you can't get stuff that isn't on site and you're in the middle of the Countryside.

As for crushes well I got a bit crushed in a bit of a crowd surge in Glasto 1994 when Blur played Girls and Boys (they were just getting big then and weren't as cringeworthy sounding as they sound now in hindsight honest!) I'm only 5ft and I got actually swept off my feet- I was terrified! My husband (then BF) and our best mate grabbed one of my arms each and pulled me to the back of the crowd where I vowed never to let that happen again! (Actually I only went against this rule last autumn when I saw Razorlight and couldn't bear not to be in the thick of it but I wasn't pregnant then!) So for years I've been stand at the non-crushy bit girl and honestly it's not that bad. Being my height means that even if I was 10ft from the front I wouldn't see anything so I always end up watching the screens. I just arrange to meet everyone afterwards somewhere. There is always somewhere that's safe and not liable to crush.

Alternatively you could always try asking the organisers about special viewing places. They usually provide platforms for wheelchair users so I wonder if pregnant women might be able to stand nearby? Might be worth a go? You could contact them before or try flashing your NHS card and smiling at some security guards on the day?

I'm 4 months pregnant tomorrow and despite a cheeky nap this afternoon I'm feeling loads more energetic than I have since week 4- I don't think I could have coped with anything much over the past few months I've been that knackered so if you're 4-5 months by the time it comes round then hopefully you'll be feeling a lot more up for it too!

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[beanie]

.............

 

[Layla]

great beanie! i wanted to go to download, wanted to see papa roach play.

thats made up my mind now tho, i am defo going to go

 

[beanie]

...............

 

[-Cat-]

I say go for it, your energy levels should be up as its second trimester, and hey music is good for developing babies! Mine gets blasted out every day! Just dont cowd surf and watch what you eat and should be fine! You might have to make a lot of regular visits to lovely chemical loos!

 

[bobtheunfortunateone]

GO AND PAAAARRRRTTTTTTTYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!! inflatable beds are ok we have one for when my brothers stay, they love it! Oh but look on ebay 1st to see how much the tickets are going for, might make quite abit of money! We have tickets for Little Britian Jan next year, even though I would have had the baby I am still looking to see how much they sell for, because money for the baby would prob be more handy at the time!

Layla
OH and I love Milton Keynes, but don't get lost too many bloody roundabouts! We went to Collectormania there afew months ago and going again in Sept so it's a happening place

TA TA