My first festival
Well maybe not first, as they all sort of mixed together into one big childhood memory.

between the age of 5 and 8 i went to glastonbury and spent much of the time in the playground and craft areas, I remember the playground quite vividly, large wood fortress with a zipline that you went down and landed in straw. I dont even think i was aware that live music even took place at the festival, all i remember is the playground and all the cool arty stuff like stilt walkers and fire breathers and them gyro thingys.

anyway, while I was playing (unsupervised as my mum was rather liberal and didn't bat an eyelid at the idea of a 5 year old boy walking around a festival ground alone (those were the days)) I saw a large blue tent, to my youthful eyes it looked like a circus tent, and the door was slightly open to reveal more playground activities, as well as food and drink all lined up on a table, but it was all closed off and my attempts to get in were met with denial from the staff...

I walk away defeated, upset that i couldn't play in the exclusive area but not so much as to stop me having fun in the common zone.

I think it was the next day, or maybe the same, I really can't remember but I asked my mother permission to go off exploring, she happily let me and off i went into the unknown regions of glastonbury, I must of been walking around for an hour or so, through the camp sites, past stalls and artistic stuff and performers, taking in all the sights and sounds of the festival weekend.

Now I havn't been back to glastonbury since then so I can't exactly remember but i think the layout was sort of like a figure of 8, at any rate I ended up back at the same 4 way junction several times, and when i began to get tired I decided to head back to the tent... except. I couldn't remember which way the tent was... not being one to panic i remembered what I'd been told if i were to get lost. stay calm, stay still, and find someone who looks offical. Eventually 2 girls, probably in their 20s come up to me and ask if i'm lost, I tell them I am and they explain that they are going to take me to the lost child tent, a big blue tent near the big zip line...

well awesome, I get to go there afterall! huzzah! I wasn't worried about being lost at all now, if anything i was over the moon, and i walked back to the lost tent with a skip in my step. past the performers, past the stalls, past my tent waving to my mum as i past.

I spent the afternoon sheltered from the harsh sun, playing with all the exclusive toys, eating all the free sweets and meeting a couple of kids my age too.

but eventually i got bored and decided to leave, so i waited to the staff weren't looking and left. walked back to my tent just in time for sandwiches. festivals are such wonderous places when you a child :)
(That Random Guy, Fri 5 Jun 2009, 9:55, 1 reply)

I *LIKE* this
I wonder, is there a button I can click to register my approval?

What a lovely story. Not an overflowing bog trench, bad trip, lake of mud or drunken Geordie anywhere near it.
( Scrumper, Fri 5 Jun 2009, 10:18, closed)