Glastonbury Event, June 2007



photo copyright of Tom Braund

Information

The yearly Glastonbury music festival was held between Friday 22nd and Sunday 24th (inclusive) June 2007, and as the event area is nowhere near railway stations, a shuttle service is required to take campers from Castle Cary and Bristol railway stations to the event.
The ‘Glastonbury’ farm used for the festival is in Pilton (Somerset), near Glastonbury, and the area where the buses dropped off/picked up passengers was west of North Wootton.
The Bath & West Showground at Prestbridge was used as a secure area for buses when not in use, including series 1 VR AYG941H – the Hotel for some of the vehicle crews!
Buses to Glastonbury commenced on Tuesday 19th, with the camp site opening early on Wednesday 20th. The site closes by 5pm on Monday 25th, so the Monday is the busiest day for buses as everybody has to leave the area on the same day!
Tues-Fri – VR’s were generally in use from after 11am until just before 11pm.

photo copyright of Tom Braund

Buses Used

VR’s from Hoare of Chepstow were the main double deck types in use, these supplemented coaches at busy times.
Vehicle registrations follow, and dates observed in use (no observations made on Sat/Sun):
OVV849R – Mon only
Failed on Tues (not used on public service?), next noted on Mon
WTG359T – Weds/ Thurs/ Mon
Failed on Thurs, next noted on Mon
XAN431T (owned by...) – Mon only
AHW201V – Fri/ Mon.
Failed on way to Glastonbury on Weds, then ran to there OK on Fri.
BJG671V – Weds/ Thurs/ Fri/ Mon
ECY987V – Mon only
FDV818V – Weds/ Thurs/ Fri/ Mon
Arrived from Surrey on Weds morning - used by Timetrak
XJJ655V – Thurs Arrived on Thurs
XJJ659V – Mon only
CJJ677W – Weds/ Thurs/ Fri/ Mon
Arrived on Weds
DBV31W – Weds/ Thurs/ Fri/ Mon
KRM432W – Weds/ Thurs/ Mon
Failed on Thursday, next noted on Mon
STW33W – Mon only
VVV966W – Weds/ Thurs/ Mon Failed on Thursday, left Glastonbury on Fri, returned to use by Mon

Workings

A brief example of workings, on days where notes are available:
Tuesday 19th:
Some shuttles from Bristol and Castle Cary

photo copyright of Tom Braund
Wednesday 20th:
VR’s commenced use from Castle Cary around 1145am, first on the scene were CJJ677W, WTG359T, DBV31W and KRM432W.
Next used were VVV966W, then FDV818V arrived from its Surrey home and went straight into service, then with BJG671T following.
DBV and KRM got out of sequence later, and were behind FDV. By 1640, they had all completed three journies each from Castle Cary to the vehicle gate at Glastonbury (roughly a 10 mile journey) except BJG which had completed two.
The only other double deckers in use were J814NKK (Olympian) from ABus and A740THV (Metrobus) from Bath Bus Company.
OVV849R was at Prestbridge, unused.
Thursday 21st:
A few failures are reported on this day, but only minor faults – affecting WTG359T, KRM432W and VVV966W, although the latter had to leave the site the following day for a more permanent repair.
XJJ655V made its debut in use here on this day.
Olympians in use included BxxxUAS and J814NKK from ABus.
Friday 22nd:
A late start for all on this day as it was much quieter than the previous two days. DBV31W was first to appear at Castle Cary around 11am, although was not put into use until 1215pm as the station was so quiet!
CJJ677W, BJG671V, FDV818V and, making its debut in service this year, AHW201V were the next to arrive at Castle Cary, CJJ and BJG departing shortly after 1pm, FDV leaving at 1310, and AHW not until 1420.
The next departure from Castle Cary was DBV again, at 1500, FDV having another trip too at 1510. CJJ and BJG disappeared for a while as they were surplus to requirements.
After 1510 the next VR departure was at 1630, when XJJ655V appeared for the first time on this day, BJG671V was loading passengers at the same time at Castle Cary station and left shortly after BJG.
XJJ655V had been used during the early afternoon as a staff shuttle from Prestbridge to a local café.
By 1820, WTG359T and KRM432W had not been in use, and remained at Prestbridge. OVV849R was nowhere to be seen either.
VVV966W had been jump started at Glastonbury by Olympian C803ECY at 2pm, and left the site soon after.
Other ‘deckers in use: A740THV from Bath Bus Company, J814NKK from ABus, C224xxx from Hoare of Chepstow.
Saturday 23rd:
Believed to be no VR’s in use, although no sightings are available to confirm this.
Sunday 24th:
Some VR’s in use, no sightings are available to suggest which ones.
Monday 25th:
Everything that moved…! 'Glastonbury'-Castle Cary shuttle service: OVV849R - WTG359T - AHW201V - BJG671V - FDV818V - XJJ655V - XJJ659V - CJJ677W - DBV31W - KRM432W - VVV966W
'Glastonbury'-Bristol shuttle service: XAN431T - ECY987V - STW33W

Photography - as shown on the VR News page to show each day of service

This section includes relevant news from each day shown.

Tuesday 19th June 2007

VVV966W and ex Ebley of Stroud’s DBV31V were both at Bristol Temple Meads at 16.30 for a shuttle service to Glastonbury.

Wednesday 20th June 2007

Glastonbury Festival
Castle Cary-Glastonbury shuttle services
WTG359T - BJG671V - CJJ677V - KRM432W - VVV966W - Hoare, Chepstow
DBV31W Ebley, Stroud
FDV818V Timetrak
out of service between Castle Cary and Glastonbury
AYG941H(sleeping accomadation), OVV849R

KRM432W and DBV31W arrive at Castle Cary railway station to begin their day of work on Wednesday 20th June 2007.
photo copyright of Shaun C

CJJ677W 'Limeade' and KRM432W (which both carry '9xx' fleet numbers).
photo copyright of Shaun C

Timetrak FDV818V seen arriving from Surrey at lunch time.
photo copyright of Shaun C

WTG359T has received a repaint from red to dark blue within the last month, apart from its removeable roof which is still in Cardiff colours.
photo copyright of Shaun C

Another very smart Chepstow VR in use was BJG671V 'Pineapple'.
photo copyright of Shaun C
Thanks for todays News from - Pete Turtle - SC - Ian Smith & SLC

Thursday 21st June 2007

Hoare, Chepstow
XJJ655V
After recent use on hire in the Caerphilly area, this is now also at Glastonbury for this weekend. KRM432W had also been on hire there, they stayed at the depot of Castell Coaches, Bedwas, so possibly operated for them?

As mentioned above, here is KRM432W at Bedwas on 19th February 2007.
photo copyright of Glyn Williams

AHW201V

AHW201V 'Orangeade' seen on test today in Devon, this too heading for Glastonbury shortly.
photo copyright of Shaun C

Friday 22nd June 2007

Glastonbury Festival
Castle Cary-Glastonbury shuttle service
XJJ655V - CJJ677V - FDV818V - BJG671V - DBV31W - AHW201V

BJG671V 'Pineapple' kicks up a spray heading past Castle Cary station empty, 22/06/07.
photo copyright of Shaun C

AHW201V today made its Glastonbury debut for this year, although by 18.00 had only worked one trip because of low passenger loadings. The music event began this morning, so the majority of visitors had already travelled by bus on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
photo copyright of Shaun C, 22/06/07

DBV31W (now carrying Chepstow legal lettering, rather than Ebley's) at the drop-off point for coaches at Glastonbury, which is just to the west of the village of North Wootton.
photo copyright of Shaun C, 22/06/07

XJJ655V 'Banana Split' and BJG671V at Castle Cary station.
photo copyright of Shaun C, 22/06/07

The livery on the rear of XJJ655V, explaining the unusual name.
photo copyright of Shaun C, 22/06/07

Castle Cary station is closer to the village of Ansford than Castle Cary. FDV818V is seen returning empty from the school in Ansford where some buses use the car park when the area at Castle Cary station is full.
photo copyright of Shaun C
VVV966W spent the night at the Glastonbury drop off point, and left (away from the event) in the early afternoon today after a temporary repair to a mechanical fault suffered yesterday.
Photographed above leaving Glastonbury, 22/06/07.
photo copyright of Shaun C

Monday 24th June 2007

'Glastonbury'-Castle Cary shuttle service
OVV849R - WTG359T - AHW201V - BJG671V - FDV818V - XJJ655V - XJJ659V - CJJ677W - DBV31W - KRM432W - VVV966W
'Glastonbury'-Bristol shuttle service
XAN431T - ECY987V - STW33W

OVV849R at Castle Cary station on Monday (25th). Of the vehicles present, OVV849R, WTG359T, AHW201V, ECY987V, CJJ677W, STW33W (possibly also XJJ659V and VVV966W) had not been used at all this year, and are kept in the Chepstow fleet for events such as Glastonbury.
photo copyright of NC

Originally with Eastern National, STW33W's last use before Monday was with Abus several years ago. It was seen at Glastonbury, heading off to Bristol.
photo copyright of NC
Grateful thanks to: Tom Braund, Neil C, Matt Powell, and Allan Macfarlane amongst others for assistance with information