Glastonbury Event, June 2008

photo copyright of Allan Macfarlane

Information

The yearly Glastonbury music festival was held between Friday 27th and Sunday 29th (inclusive) June 2008, 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 Prestleigh was used as a secure area for buses when not in use, this included series 1 VR AYG941H – the 'House' for some of the vehicle crews.
Buses to Glastonbury commenced on Tuesday 24th, with the camp site opening early on Wednesday 20th. The site closed by 5pm on Monday 30th, so the Monday is the busiest day for buses as everybody has to leave the area on the same day!
Tues - VRs in use on a few runs from Bristol to Pilton.
Weds-Fri – VRs are normally in use from after 11am until just before 11pm.
Mon - VRS in use from the start until the evening, except for during a break for lunch.

Buses Used

VRs from David Hoare of Chepstow, Go South Coast and Abus of Bristol:
OVV849R (not used on Castle Cary shuttle)
UDL671S
WTG359T
FDV818V
XJJ653V
XJJ655V
XJJ659V
BJG671V (not used on Castle Cary shuttle)
ECY987V (not used on Castle Cary shuttle)
CJJ677W
KRM432W
STW32W
STW33W
XHK221X

ECY987V (top) and BJG671V (lower) at Chepstow on Thursday 26th June 2008, these were only used for Oxfam volunteer shuttles between Bristol and Pilton, thus were seen here whilst not being used.
two photo's copyright of Terry Partridge, 26/06/08

Workings and Sightings

A brief example of workings, on days where notes are available:
Tuesday 24th:
Abus, Bristol
Present at Abus' Yard, Kingland Road, Bristol at 09.30 were:
XHK221X & WTG359T
some other VR's were also present.
Chepstow Classics, Chepstow
WTG359T - STW32W
At 16.45 were observed at Bristol Temple Meads waiting to carry early festival goers to Glastonbury.
'The Bus' AYG941H - Ribena XJJ653V - Limeade CJJ677W - KRM432W - FDV818V seen at Bath & West Showground today.

Wednesday 25th:
Castle Cary-Pilton shuttle service
WTG359T, XJJ653V, XJJ659V, FDV818V, CJJ677W, KRM432W, STW32W, STW33W and XHK221X
Damory
5073 - UDL671S
was noted on a Bristol Temple Meads-Glastonbury/Pilton special circa 18.30

Thursday 26th:
5073 - UDL671S
Bristol Temple Meads-Glastonbury service(s)
Castle Cary-Pilton shuttle service
WTG359T, XJJ653V, FDV818V, CJJ677W, KRM432W, STW32W, STW33W and XHK221X
UDL671S joined in on Castle Cary services during the afternoon from about 15.30 after operating from Bristol earlier in the day.
Reserve at Prestleigh Showground
XJJ659V
Notes from Allan Macfarlane:
"Thursday was the day when there was an explosion and fire at a scrapyard on the A37 just to the east of the Festival site. The police had no option but to close this section of the road, so putting enormous pressure on the A361 and A371, i.e., the very roads used by the Shuttle service! Massive queues built up, meaning buses were taking hours to get back to the station, while all the time more trains were arriving. The station forecourt was becoming overwhelmed, so trains had to be held back, with a serious knock-on effect to the rail network.
"Consequently, the police instigated escorted convoys, to bypass the queuing traffic and to try to clear the station forecourt. In one such convoy, I (in XHK221X) was the last of the six VRs that lead the convoy up through Pilton village.
"WTG359T had a minor failure during the evening and was towed to the Showground, to clear the road."

Friday 27th:
Castle Cary-Pilton shuttle service
XJJ653V, XJJ659V, FDV818V, CJJ677W, KRM432W, STW32W, STW33W and XHK221X

Out of service
WTG359T

Saturday 28th:

Sunday 29th:

Monday 30th:
'Glastonbury'(Pilton)-Castle Cary shuttle service
UDL671S - WTG359T - FDV818V - XJJ653V - XJJ655V - XJJ659V - CJJ677W - KRM432W - STW32W - STW33W - XHK221X
'Glastonbury'-Bristol shuttle service
OVV849R - BJG671V - ECY987V
Notes by Allan Macfarlane:
"The Shuttle service from the Festival to Castle Cary Station was worked by anything up to 40 buses and coaches during the day. The problem here is that we therefore put too much pressure on the Railway Station and people weren't being cleared away by train fast enough, to begin with.
"The number of VRs on this service was up, to eleven (including Damory's UDL 671S again), the "fresh" VR being Chepstow's XJJ 655V. Furthermore, to take the Oxfam Volunteers back to Bristol Temple Meads, three more Chepstow VRs accompanied varied deckers from the Abus fleet, namely OVV 849R, BJG 671V and - the only VRT/SL3/501 present - ECY 987V."

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

This section includes relevant news from each day shown.

Tuesday 24th June 2007

Chepstow Classic Bus pair WTG359T and STW32W at Bristol on 24/06/08. STW32W was the red VR recently reported as being at the Abus yard in Bristol.
photo copyright of Paul Stephens

Rear of STW32W at Bristol, 24/06/08.
photo copyright of Paul Stephens

Wednesday 25th June 2007

CJJ677W, Castle Cary, 25/06/08. Earlier this month, CJJ and XJJ653V both were used at a festival in Cornwall (reported earlier in June with photo's).
photo copyright of Roj Fraser

CJJ677W loading up festival fans at Castle Cary. Of course these folk pay well over Ł100 each year per person to ride VRs (and coaches, Metrobuses, Olympians and even an RM or two), though between VR rides they're entertained by a couple of bands playing on a stage somewhere at Pilton too...
photo copyright of Roj Fraser, 25/06/08

KRM432W at Castle Cary, possibly its first appearance of the year in service?
photo copyright of Paul Stephens, 25/06/08

STW32W at Castle Cary, 25/06/08. This has had a recent repaint in the same red as it previously carried when it was also named 'Cherryade', it has mostly seen use in recent years at the Hugh Lowe farms at Mereworth, Kent.
photo copyright of Paul Stephens

Chepstow STW33W at Castle Cary, 25/06/08. First use of the year?
photo copyright of Paul Stephens

UDL671S at Bristol Temple Meads prior to a trip to Pilton on 25/06/08. Damory were providing one VR on at least Weds/Thurs/Fri this week for the shuttles.
photo copyright of Paul Stephens

WTG359T, Castle Cary, 25/06/08.
photo copyright of Paul Stephens

XHK221X has been provided by Abus, though the Abus vehicle returns to Bristol each night so may not be present for all of the days. FDV818V, unseen and unreported since Glastonbury last year and unlikely to have been used this year before this event.
photo copyright of Roj Fraser, 25/06/08

XHK221X at Castle Cary.
photo copyright of Paul Stephens, 25/06/08

'Ribena' XJJ653V at Castle Cary, 25/06/08.
photo copyright of Paul Stephens

XJJ653V at Castle Cary, 25/06/08.
photo copyright of Roj Fraser

Un-named XJJ659V leaving Castle Cary, its first use of the year.
photo copyright of Paul Stephens, 25/06/08

CJJ677W, Castle Cary, 25/06/08.
photo copyright of Roj Fraser

CJJ677W, Castle Cary, 25/06/08.
photo copyright of Paul Stephens

WTG359T, during the evening of 25/06/08 at Castle Cary.
photo copyright of Roj Fraser

WTG359T at Castle Cary, 25/06/08.
photo copyright of Roj Fraser

WTG359T, Castle Cary, 25/06/08.
photo copyright of Roj Fraser

UDL671S and XHK221X at Pilton at 19.55 on 25/06/08.
photo copyright of Allan Macfarlane

Thursday 26th June 2007

KRM432W, CJJ677W and XJJ653V amongst others parked at the Natterjack Inn between Castle Cary and Pilton on the evening of 26/06/08, during traffic disruption further ahead.
photo copyright of Allan Macfarlane

KRM432W, FDV818V, XJJ653V and CJJ677W.
photo copyright of Paul Stephens, 26/06/08

STW33W, KRM432W, an Olympian, and STW32W at Castle Cary, 26/06/08.
photo copyright of Paul Stephens

STW32W leads XJJ653V, CJJ677W and XHK221X at Castle Cary, 26/06/08.
photo copyright of Paul Stephens

XHK221X at Castle Cary, following CJJ677W.
photo copyright of Paul Stephens

XHK221X, STW32W, STW33W and UDL671S unload passengers at Pilton on 26/06/08.
photo copyright of Allan Macfarlane

Friday 27th June 2007

Monday 30th June 2007

XHK221X, CJJ677W, XJJ659V at 10.08 at Pilton, with a long day ahead of them.
photo copyright of Allan Macfarlane, 30/06/08

CJJ677W at Castle Cary at 10.42.
photo copyright of Neil C, 30/06/08

XJJ653V, Castle Cary, 10.45.
photo copyright of Neil C, 30/06/08

The other XJJ's - 659V in view with the rear of 655V poking out behind, taken at 11.02 at Castle Cary.
photo copyright of Neil C, 30/06/08

STW33W, Castle Cary, 11.15.
photo copyright of Neil C, 30/06/08

KRM432W, Castle Cary, 11.17.
photo copyright of Neil C, 30/06/08

STW32W, Castle Cary, 11.22.
photo copyright of Neil C, 30/06/08

Offside of KRM432W at Castle Cary, 12.29.
photo copyright of Neil C, 30/06/08

WTG359T at Castle Cary at 12.41.
photo copyright of Neil C, 30/06/08

UDL671S, Castle Cary, 13.49.
photo copyright of Neil C, 30/06/08

STW32W, Castle Cary, 13.51.
photo copyright of Neil C, 30/06/08

FDV818V at Pilton, 14.52. This was once named 'Digestive' in the Chepstow fleet's series of names on account of its livery.
photo copyright of Neil C, 30/06/08

Nearside view of FDV818V taken a minute later.
photo copyright of Neil C, 30/06/08

STW33W and XHK221X, 15.03. This is not a pair of Abus VRs, STW was once hired from Chepstow Classic Buses to Abus, hence the livery.
photo copyright of Allan Macfarlane, 30/06/08

Another shot of STW33W and XHK221X at Pilton, 15.08.
photo copyright of Neil C, 30/06/08

STW33W, Castle Cary, 15.34.
photo copyright of Neil C, 30/06/08

XHK221X at Castle Cary at 15.35.
photo copyright of Neil C, 30/06/08

UDL671S and XHK221X, 16.12 at Pilton.
photo copyright of Allan Macfarlane, 30/06/08

XJJ659V and XHK221X at Pilton, 16.57.
photo copyright of Allan Macfarlane, 30/06/08
Grateful thanks to: Neil C, Matt Powell, and Allan Macfarlane amongst others for assistance with information