Personally it's been a few years since Glastonbury & I haven't been at the opposite ends of a rather long barge pole because for me it has ceased to be what it was 'supposed to be about'!
Musically the BGG has plenty of choice. Some amazingly talented artists from around the globe all of whom can be enjoyed without the tight security hassles found at bigger festivals.
The scheduled Musical Events start around lunchtime & end latish, although the 'impromptu jamming' goes on much later at the little café venues around the site.
The whole site is an 'Eco Festival'. No fossil fuel generators. No laid on mains electricity. All the power comes from the wind & the sun & also from exercise bikes connected to dynamos at a couple of stages. The children in particular love to peddle these & try to beat each other! (Right: But if you're Desperate - there was free Internet Access on-site!)
The limited nature of electricity at the BGG means that after dark the festival develops a wonderful 'Mediaeval feel' with most of the café's & smaller venues having only candle lighting (other than a little lighting for the stage). (OK, OK, The 'knight' image (left) is a poor pun on mediaeval I know!)
The Lighting around the site has improved since 2003. Many of the areas are lit by candles and lamps making it easy (once you have your 'night eyes') to walk around. Some areas are still pretty dark though and some form of lighting is essential to use the toilets at night!
A 'Wind Up Torch' or a thick jam jar with some string tied round it, & a supply of nightlights & matches are a 'must have'. Or take a less 'Environmentally Friendly' battery powered torch. But don't worry if you forget! There are plenty of vendors selling Wind Up Torches, plus every type of candle & candleholder from hand decorated jam jars on string to fabulous Moroccan lanterns with beautiful silver work & coloured engraved glass!
In the daytime there is still a 'Mediaeval feel' because the BGG grants 'Fly Pitch licences' so that people set down a piece of material or open up a box & display their wares. Very often these include people who have just returned from a trip to India or other far-flung lands who are selling things they bought on their travels. They are often interesting to chat to too!
Some of the best parts of the BGG are away from the Musical Events. For Children of all ages there is oodles to do!
Lots of activities & workshops where they can spend day after day making things, like lanterns, stone carvings, tie-dye T-shirts, & new friends! It's likely older kids will be off to the 'Kid's Area' the minute they wake, and you won't see them for hours! Obviously younger children should be supervised by a parent or carer (Left: Workshop for tots. Right: Craftworkshop spills out into the warm sunshine). If you do get separated then it's highly likely they will have been taken to the 'Lost Children' area where they will be well looked after until you find them!
For me, one of the best parts of the BGG is the Healing Field where there are workshops, talks & many other happenings centred around 'complimentary medicine'. The talks, workshops, & other sessions are included in the entrance ticket price. I know that over the years I have 'absorbed' so much from going to the BGG Healing Field.
The one-to-one sessions with healers using just about every method you can think of & some you probably can't are either a set fee or very often a 'what you can afford' donation.
For anyone into Permaculture and learning more about pollution free energy production and/or ecology and the environment, there is also lots to do and see. And of course the Tippee Village, with sweat lodges, talks, workshops and more is well worth a visit while you're at the BGG too!
The BGG does not have an alcohol licence but you can bring your own 'personal' drink in. There are many food venues offering a wide range of foods. Most are vegan or vegetarian.
The BGG Festival is held on Fernhill Farm and local produce including Fruit and Veg, Chicken & Duck Eggs, Cheese, Yogurt, Bread is for sale from a range of sources including the On-Site Shop. Within the 'Food and Farming' section of the site were two fooderies where visitors could buy locally grown food including Lamb, Aberdean Angus, Farmer's Sausages, Bacon and Eggs. This was wonderful for the non-vegetarians at the festival. Although some question the ethics of meat at a 'green' festival Mercury Moon were pleased to see that the range of farming and of visitors was catered for in this section. In our own personal opinion (not that of Festival Eye) we think there is a place for ethically produced meat in a Green Envionment. If you're a vegetarian/vegan of a 'sensitive' nature - best avoid this area - but please allow those who want this section to continue to do so. People vote by what they buy and the Food and Farming Eateries were busy showing there was a demand!
BEST CAFÉ/VENUE OF THE FESTIVAL |
Run by Jim and Jane. Price Guide: Filter Coffee £1.00 a cup. Jim is also the one who builds and mans the Tipi Village Sweat Lodge which proved popular once again on Thursday and Saturday evenings. WELL WORTH A VISIT for a COFFEE and a 'nibble'. |
Horsedrawn Field Café/Venue A mention to this lovely venue in a part of the site some people obviously didn't get round to visiting! Make Sure you visit the Horsedrawn Field Next Year where you'll find the Café/Venue plus stalls and the chance to book into horsecraft workshops such as learning to harness and drive a horsedrawn cart. |
To Sum Up: The BGG which runs from Wednesday lunchtime to Monday lunchtime offers great value for money and has such a varied range of events and activities that just about *anyone* can find things to enjoy. The countryside is wonderful and the 'chilled' atmosphere makes it ideal to 'unwind' and 'recharge your batteries'! We live in Brighton and consider the BGG as a main 'Holiday'. Well, we can hardly go to the seaside - as we're already there!
More info on http://www.big-green-gathering.com
Love, Light & Peace
Fee
Written on the 10th August 2005
The Floating Lotus at the top of the 'Amare' field gets a total 'Thumbs Up' as a small Cinema Venue and also as THE Best Café on-site!
Deciding Factors: General Atmosphere. Comfort of Seating. Music. Friendliness of staff. Prices (yes the Floating Lotus did have the cheapest drinks & flapjacks we found anywhere, but that was only one of the factors!). 
CAFÉ OF THE FESTIVAL RUNNER UP
CAFÉ/VENUE OF THE FESTIVAL RUNNER UP