General Chatter, Comments and Reports

[YaBB Master (Colin)]

This topic is intended for general reports covering the whole festival, rather than reviews.

Things like:

Meeting up with people.
Selfies of you with Peggy.
What do you think of the merch?
Food.

[Tim Fletcher]

There are a lot of people here!  

Huge queues for t-shirts yesterday, and one of the 50th shirts had already sold by the time FC Acoustic took the stage.

And only one grumble - people who annexe half an acre with a groundsheet when it is so busy.

Otherwise it's fab so far - let's hope the weather stays fair.

[mickf]

Enjoyable weekend. A couple of acts I really didn't care for but overall pretty darned good. Managed to get one of the last XXL shirts on Friday. Nice company and only a bit of rain on Friday evening.

[David W]

There were an awful lot of dogs this year.
Why, when the weather is going to be moderate,  people extend the tent guy lines to their full extent?
Too many beach shelters on the arena field.

[Tony Mc]

T shirt queue on Thursday was meandering through the audience and split the crowd. Where we were sitting we were surrounded by the queue and ended up having to move all our stuff, twice. Cant understand why a marshall wasn't on hand to steer it down the white line near the bar.  

[Andy Tuck]

A couple of mornings I was able to sit outside my tent watching Red Kites soaring above the field. A truely beautiful site.

[Gouty (Gary)]

You know Phantom Hat Syndrome? I removed it hours ago, before I got in the shower, but I've got Phantom Wristband Syndrome.

[flossiefiddler]

More beach shelters than ever this year. Not only beach shelters but small tents too, some of which are higher than the seated sight line. It is a huge PITA when someone rocks up and pitches one in front of you. Whatever happened to the poncho and shower curtain?

I noticed so many people around us this year who clearly weren't interested in the music. One guy playing his radio near us, and a huge amount of people who were holding lengthy conversations, having to shout to be heard above the music. I think some people might be better off going to their local park and chilling out there with the radio on.

Big high five to the crew on field 4. We've been in field 7 the last 4 years and find that it seems to be a race to cram everyone in, with no thought as to how people are going to be able to park a car and set up a tent next to it.

This year in field 4, the crew took time to ask if we were in a convoy, directed us accordingly, and made us wait while people got their cars positioned so that there was room to pitch a tent. Very well organised.

[hendo (Dave)]

Just a thank you from me to everyone who has posted reviews and comments.
I had one small pang over the weekend at not being there but that was more about people than the bands.
Now if I could just have seen RT's and Fairports sets......

[Andy]

Now if I could just have seen RT's and Fairports sets......

You'd have been in seventh heaven, Dave.

Bob Harris did the afternoon startup intro and there were lots of cameras around, so there's hope for a Sky Arts programme once again, but if so, let's hope they don't butcher the festival as they have in the past.

[Lubiloo (Lorna)]

It was my twentieth  consecutive Cropredy ( a mere beginner compared with some, I know! But a great landmark for me especially as it was their 50th birthday and will also be mine later this year).

We had a wonderful time, despite the facts that  our northern relatives couldn't attend, plus we noted higher levels of selfishness amongst some people in the crowd ( as described by Flossie Fiddler, plus things like using massive shelters quite far down despite being spoken to by a steward, pitching six chairs up when only two were used all day etc...etc)

The food was great, especially ostrich burgers. The shopping was fab, I got some great earrings from Shilpa silver and my man bought me a beautiful heart from the arteangels mosaic stall at the village.

The music was absolutely second to none (apart from a couple not to my taste) and to have Richard Thompson playing so much was the icing on the cake. I know this area is not for reviews, but the Fairport set was exceptionally beautiful.

[Chris]

Whisperin' Bob did do band interviews with artists singing a couple of tracks, but I haven't heard of a Sky doc this year. I suspect any footage will go on ?Bob's Under the Appletree sessions.

Here's hoping for a least a double/triple CD release. Any video presumably being taken from the live screen feeds.

[Professor Bob]

Wow! What a weekend. I have had a few years off. My first Cropredy was 1986. I think I have made 20 or so in that time but could not miss the 50th. Imagine my delight when I turned up on Thursday morning at about 08.30 and got straight into field 4. The omens were good. Personal faves were Trevor Horn Band, Divine Comedy, Richard Thompson, and of course Fairport. Actually the rest of Saturday was the least engaging for me. I am a big prog fan but to me Marillion played music with all the superficial characteristics of prog: length or music, virtuosity etc. but for me it was lacking in basic tunes, engaging riffs, story, heart and soul.  

The other part of Saturday that was a disappointment was Brighton losing to Man City but the fine ales and a bottle of fine Cardinal Mendoza brandy that my friends and I polished off helped with the pain.

The Fairport numbers with RT and DM were pure magic. The entire FC set held me mesmerised and before I knew it was MOTL time. The time flew by. Surely there is a double live album there??

[johnmitch93]

I thought it was all great this year. Loved all the bands in different ways then caught sunburn then almost froze then went home very happy with no traffic trouble.

[barton cobbler]

Overall it was definitely one of the better Cropredys but has it EVER been colder on the campsites than it was on Thursday night ?

[Gouty (Gary)]

There were a few moments this weekend when I was like Marlon Brando at the end of Apocalypse Now -  that bit when he's dying and whispers 'The horror, the horror...'

Except I was going 'The chairs, the chairs...'

[StephenB]

My one whinge about chairs and utter selfishness and unCroprediness. I was parked in my chair in a regular spot for me, near the bar and backed up to the white line behind me. I do this so I know I can get in and out easily as due to spinal compression my legs can get shaky so I don't like fighting my way through rows of chairs. There was a natural little gangway next to me that many were using to get in and out of the rows of chairs. (These gaps tend to occur naturally and are reinforced by people using them, like sheep trails.)

Anyway, so then this couple come and park 2 chairs behind me, so obviously outside the white line. Then I  hear this:
Him: "but people are going in and out through there, dear."
Her: "Just block it so they can't."

So I  waited till they were settled in their seats and starting to get comfy, then got up with my stick and turned round and said "sorry, I need to get out".

Well they moved apologetically for me and, strange enough, the gap stayed.

Rant over, everything else was lovely 😊

[Lubiloo (Lorna)]

...Anyway, so then this couple come and park 2 chairs behind me, so obviously outside the white line. Then I  hear this:
Him: "but people are going in and out through there, dear."
Her: "Just block it so they can't."
Rant over, everything else was lovely 😊

On Thursday, we were sitting a few places 'in' just above the middle with some friends. It became really hard to get in and out and we saw several people actively turn chairs sideways, with comments showing the aim was  to block the walkway.

We sat by the white line the next two days and felt much happier. The natural walkway was near to us, but this was a good chance to observe and chat to people and their dogs.

Hilariously, a chap came up at about 8pm on Saturday and was perplexed because he had left his chairs and stuff out the night before, intending to return to it!!! Seemed to wonder why other people were all sitting there. Had to explain the field is cleared each day.

[YaBB Master (Colin)]

I have absolutely no idea:

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[Will S]

Doesn't look like he did, either