big green gathering 2007

[jonny2mad]

well sunrise celebration was a bit like big green , I stewarded that too it lost money and was a bit like watching a small version of woodstock where everyone was wondering what to do .

Then theres the northern green gathering that i havnt been to as it clashed with another festival beautiful days I also stewarded , but it sounds very good.

whats stewarding like well I really like it .

yes you bring a tent sleeping bag spare clothes to suit most conditions so wet weather gear (goretex is king), the food in the big green was really good for stewards all vegan or vegetarian , you needed to bring your own plate and knives and forks although they would hire you some really nice stainless steel plates.

you camp in the steward area although you dont need to but I think its a nice area to camp

most of the positions had some form of cover or a woodfire and seats, but I did one shift which was just sitting in a chair outside all night and it was cold like on russian convoy but I was dressed for cold weather so it didnt really bother me that much

This is from last year
This is an unpaid post. In return for your duties you will get free entry to the event (worth £95). You will receive meal vouchers after each shift completed, Your total number of shifts will depend on which day you start work, and when you finish. Shifts are 6 ½ hours long, starting 7am, 1pm, 7pm, 1am round the clock:
• Sunday and Monday starters work 6 shifts, only one of which is during the main event.
• Tuesday starters work 5 shifts, only two of which are during the main event.
• These early shift-patterns include shifts after the event, so be clear about your availability.
• The majority of stewards will start on Wednesday (or after) and work 4 shifts over 5 days.
duties to include
Assisting the Public
Checking tickets and passes
On site traffic direction and Parking Control
Making sure we keep to the NO DOGS policy
Being aware of fire and evacuation procedures
Helping our Health and Safety measures work
Reporting potential security problems to the security team
Dealing with lost children (and adults)
Ensuring casualties are seen by an appropriate first aider
Ensuring distress is notified to welfare
Helping stallholders, contractors, officials etc coming onto the site
Ensuring the event runs as smoothly and safely as possible
Helping the organisers in a variety of ways when requested

you have to be over 18 and your not allowed to drink or do drugs or whatever while on duty , generally you working in pairs you have a radio and you can help the event run very smoothly .

you pay a deposit of last year it was £65 and they do have a training weekend that you can do before big green but you dont need to do it ,Ive stewarded big green and lots of other events and never done the training weekend although plan to this year.

when you do your shifts you will get your deposit back usually after the event

[gunners71uk]

thank you for that info

[the.fee.fairy]

Ta Martin

Thanks for the info about stewarding there.

Don't think i could steward though, to be honest, i go to have a good time, and i don't mind paying to not have to work for 5 days!!

[jonny2mad]

Well in most events i go to I get a bit bored , and I like being part of making the whole thing run smoothly .

Also if you steward you can arrive earlier and they generally let you bring a live in vehicle although I just took my tent for the last couple of events, I think normally if your a punter they charge you more to bring a live in vehicle.

I get there on the sunday (after going to the carboot sale in chedder ) and leave the following week .

I have never worked in glastonbury and generally just go to that one as a member of the public, but I may try to get a job working that one too as I do quite like being part of making the event work .

[Welsh Girls Allotment]

I have persuaded my not so green husband that this would be a really good place to go this summer, however, we are caravaners, it says on the website they accept caravans - are they few and far between or is there a reasonable contingent? We can of course do tents but we are rather spoilt by the luxary of a tin can on wheels ! Also can you go and pay for individual days or is it a five day pass or nothing? Questions questions, thier website is not working at the moment hence me harrassing you lot !

[Martin]

no problem! - here's our two caravans at the BGG last year!

[jonny2mad]

They sometimes have one day tickets my old mother (whose nearly 80 bought one this year shes gone for the whole thing every other year and goes to glastonbury) but these tickets dont allow you to camp and are only for the sunday or saturday.
otherwise you buy one ticket and your ticket for the caravan or camper

There are lots of caravans and camper vans I didnt take specific photos of the campervan field but took two of a path across its narrowest part


This is a road inside the campervan field there are lots of campervans and caravans on both sides of this path the fields are wider than the length of this road so you wont be alone

[Muddypause]

I looked into a day ticket for last year's BGG, but the information I found (IIRC, from the website) said no day tickets because they wanted people to do the whole thing or not at all[1]. Motor vehicles also carried a hefty premium[1]. Otherwise I might have gone for a day.

[1] Far be it from me to suggest that was a commercially motivated, profit maximising, consumerist driven policy.

[Martin]

one of the few downsides to last year's BGG were the day visitors - those who came for the duration were there for the right reason - every day there was an influx of local yobbery on day tickets who were drunken pains!
Looks like they don't want a repeat!
Having nattered to the organisers about the prices of tickets, they were adamant that the main reason why they are so expensive is because the authorities demand so many expensive hoops to be jumped through!

[jonny2mad]

Well I normally go via the big red bus from outside weston super mare train station thats how my old mother got there too .

One of the things that newsnight commented upon was the number of people who went to the event via cars , I can understand why people do it if they have cars ( I had three cars a few years ago dont have one now)
but I think they are trying to encourage people to come via public transport or to car share use bikes or whatever.

[madanna]

Definately think the kids and I will go - not a hope in the warm place of convincing non green hubby to go - but thats not stopping me!

[jonny2mad]

what sort of things would hubby like , there is nice music no big bands but nice music , there are nice workshops on doing lots of things I did some welding when I was there

[madanna]

Ha now theres a question - think victor meldrew and thats my hubby - I think he just doesnt like things generally - he wont camp - he wont 'rough it' he doesnt like hippies - he thinks i am a batty tree hugger!

Sorry Know u mean well but honestly he wouldnt be interested in any of it - but I will be there !!

[Martin]

probably best not to mention that I've never seen quite so many utterly gorgeous women as were at the BGG!

[madanna]

u know sad as it is - dont even think that carrot would work - were there any gorgeous looking computers, hard drives or citrix servers and his little eyes may just light up

I on the other hand will happily add to the gorgeous female population by one