My Glastonbury Adventure 2025: Part 1, 'A Tent Called Brian'.

 

Since I first went to Glastonbury 46 years ago in 1979, I think I have only missed about five festivals which was mainly due to Kim being ill. However, 2025 was the first year where I seriously considered not going. This was due to worrying about being at 73 too old for it, and not being up to all the walking, and suffering in the heat. Also, I had usually worked the morning shifts which meant I got the work out of the way by mid-day and didn’t miss any music. This year I had been put on evening shifts at the Park Stage which is on the opposite side of the valley from our camp site at Tom’s Field. With the walking involved this would have turned a 6 hours shift into 8 hours. Even worse, I would have missed seeing Neil Young. Happily for me, an angel came to my rescue which was Kate who has arranged my lift to Glasto for the last four years. Kate is a team leader on the Backstage crew at the famous Pyramid Stage and managed to get me transferred to her team, also it meant I was reunited at work with Odele my Glasto friend since 2013. So, in the end there was nothing to worry about, and Glastonbury Festival turned out to be just as magical as it ever was. This is what happened.

Heidi, Julie, Kellie, Me, Donna, Kate.

On Sunday morning I was up and about by 4.30, and my rucksack and tent were ready to go. At 7.00 I got the message that the convoy was on the way and got outside on Westbury marketplace. Soon three cars arrived driven by Kellie from Frome, Donna from the Isle Of Wight, and Russell from near Devizes. It was wonderful to see them all again after a year. I travelled with Kellie who we first met three years ago when purely by chance she camped next to us, which is often how friendships begin at Worthy Farm. Kellie is kindness personified and always brings me a chair and 8 cans of cider. She also has a wicked sense of humour. There were no traffic problems, and we soon arrived at the car park where we found Heidi and Julie. (Later in the week Heidi was to become a radio star, but I’ll tell you all about that when I get to it). We met Kate in the long queue at the recyclers cabin which had opened at 8.00, so we had wait patiently to collect our wristbands for Glastonbury and Tom’s Field. Once inside we made our way to our usual spot near the far end of Tom’s field which was already filling up. I had bought my little tent in Lidl for only £19 and was a bit concerned that it wouldn’t be up to the job, especially if it rained. 

Brian.

I called my tent Brian in tribute to the late great Brian Wilson who was my favourite ever Glasto performance exactly 20 years ago. Brian the tent proved to be well up to the job and looked after me for the next 8 days. Shortly after we got the tents up there was a couple of quite heavy rain showers, so we sat in the porch of Heidi and Julie’s huge posh tent until the rain stopped. Our little encampment was completed when Donna And Leon arrived. They are a brilliant, fun, positive couple who live only a few miles away. In Tom’s Bar it was great to meet up again with my friends of many years now Peter, Helen, Paul and Greta. There are about 30,000 workers at Glastonbury, so there are crew bars everywhere behind most of the main stages. On Sunday evening we made our traditional way to the Tow & Hitch which is the crew bar at Arcadia. You can also get food there which kept me going for the evening.

Pyramid, Sunday Evening.

After two pints I was getting tired and decided to be sensible and head back. Halfway home I stopped at the Bread & Roses Saloon and after another pint I seemed to revive, so decided to make my way home via the Acoustic Stage Crew Bar. I chatted to the barmaid who was from Dilton Marsh just outside Westbury and knew lots of people and pubs that I know including Rob Pike who always provided the marquee for this bar, so that was interesting. I also had a good chat with this guy who has helped build the Kidz Field for the last 20 years. Finally, I made my weary way home and crawled into my sleeping bag about 12.30 and fell asleep almost instantly. Little did I realise all the amazing adventures, chance encounters, great music, and excitement that was to fill the week ahead.

To Be Continued…………………………………

 

Oisin Leech, One Hill Further, Acoustic Stage, Glastonbury 2025