Glastonbury (bus) Event, June 2009

If you've found this via Google and you want act information, you're in the wrong place as this is all about buses (sorry!)

29/06/09 - Right to left - VDV143S, XJJ655V, VDV142S, XHK221X, FDV818V at the temporary 'bus station'.
photo copyright of Shaun C

Background Information

The yearly Glastonbury music festival was held from Friday 26th until 2am on Monday 29th June 2009, 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 - Worthy Farm - used for the festival is near Pilton (Somerset), near Glastonbury, and the area where the buses dropped off/picked up passengers was south west of Pilton village.
The Bath & West Showground near Prestleigh was used as usual as a secure area for buses when not in use, including series 1 VR AYG941H having its yearly leg stretch - the 'Hotel' for some of the vehicle crews, this year the area was also home to an open top Leyland Fleetline, on Monday 29th at least.
Buses to Glastonbury commenced on Tuesday 23rd (mostly from Bristol on this date for the many staff), with the camp site gates opening at 8am on Wednesday 24th when the Castle Cary to Pilton shuttles begin in earnest.
The site closed to campers by 5pm on Monday 29th - as always this means the Monday is the busiest day for buses as everybody has to leave the area on the same day. Traffic control on this day though is much better than the other days to combat potential congestion with the bus shuttles.
Not so much rain this year meant the buses returned home in a presentable condition, with just a brief covering of souvenir Glastonbury mud (how much does that sell on Ebay for then?!)

Glastonbury Festival, held the week after the summer solstice, has been an almost yearly event since 1970.
The farmland takes a break some years though, 1996 was one of these, 2001 another and 2006 the most recent.
The event returns again in 2010.
This view showing a large number of tents in situ, seen above chimney tops of the residents of Pilton, which shows the 'ring of steel' around the edge of the site created for the 2002 event following issues of gate-crashing at the 2000 event.
photo copyright of Shaun C

(Tues)Weds-Fri VR use - VRs were generally in use from after 11am until just before 11pm.
Mon - VRs in use until 5pm.
image

Note; Daily report notes are provided by Allan Macfarlane who drove Abus XHK221X at the event, with additional notes for Mon 29th provided by VR News site photographer Shaun C.
Allan produces a bi-monthly Bristol publication - info to be added

Buses Used

On the Castle Cary to Pilton shuttle, VR's provided by Hoare of Chepstow t/a Chepstow Classic Buses formed about half of the vehicles used and are of course listed below.
These were supplemented by coaches and on Monday included Go South Coast Olympians inlcuding K737/8ODL plus RM25, RML2344/2665, Olympians A954SAE, B899UAS, G761UYT, R142EVX, R181VPU, S110SHJ, Metrobus A441UUV, minibus P229EJW and Volvo F310MYJ.
Notes from Allan on the vehicles provided - No fewer than 15 VRs were recorded at work (this in part aided by Chepstow Classic Buses not running Olympians here this year). That beats the number in the first year, 10 years ago! The Bristol to Festival run was again provided by Go South Coast, using N.C.-bodied ONs in either Southern Vectis green or Wilts & Dorset red. A few Spectras were added on Monday. I didn't notice any of the coaches that we had last year from Damory, West Wight, etc etc. The Railway Station shuttle also saw input from the Bath Bus Company, with Ensign-liveried M1441 again, as last year (it was one of London's three Mk IIs), then, on the Wednesday evening, two of the Bath CitySightseeing open-top Ayats-Volvos arrived to join in the fun ... and were much appreciated! Preserved ON-Roe, 9554, was also on.

VR registrations follow, and dates observed in use (no observations made on Sat/Sun):
VDV142S - Weds - Mon
VDV143S - Mon (last half of day)
BFX666T - Weds - Sun
WTG359T - Weds - Mon
BJG671V - Mon
ECY987V - Weds - Mon
FDV818V - Mon
XJJ653V - Weds - Mon
XJJ655V - Weds - Mon
XJJ661V - Weds - Mon
CJJ677W - Weds - Mon
JWV269W - Mon (Pilton-Bristol only)
KRM432W - Weds - Mon
STW 32W - Weds - Mon
XHK221X - Weds - Thurs - Fri - Mon
All owned by Chepstow Classic Buses except BFX666T = Go South Coast and XHK221X = Abus of Bristol.

Workings & Photography

This section includes relevant news from each day shown.

Tuesday 23th June 2009

Proceedings actually got going on Tuesday lunchtime, to take Oxfam volunteers down from Bristol Temple Meads, and Chepstow VRs were involved in that (being joined by Abus buses after their school duties). I had met Chepstow Alexander-bodied VR WTG 359T as I was returning on the 683 from Wells, on a bit of the A37 that I use, then I went direct to T.M., to find two VRs waiting to load. These were XJJ 661V and VDV 142S. I had only seen 661V when it turned up for the Oxfam returns on the Monday of the 2005 Festival and I had not seen VDV 142S before, with Chepstow. I had been using Spectra R222 AJP today, but had suffered a badly cracked upper front window on one of the many neglected trees on my route, so Alan Peters suggested I took the spare bus ... VR XHK 221X! I had insisted I use it for the rest of the Festival, anyway.
Bristol-'Glastonbury' shuttle service
VDV142S - WTG359T - XJJ661V

Wednesday 24th June 2009 - Camp Opens
24/06/09 - XHK221X, VDV142S (Glastonbury debut for this one) and STW32W unload at Worthy Farm on the Wednesday evening.
photo copyright of Allan Macfarlane
"Come early", said the organisers (following problems on the Thursday in 2008)... with the result that the A37 from Bristol to Shepton Mallet choked up solid! It was slow going before the A37/A39 split at Farrington Guerney, so I broke away there and used to A39 to just north of Wells and cut along the Mendips back to the A37 ... where I found the traffic totally stationary. No way of escape now. There were occasional bursts of movement, but for those who know the road, it took me an hour from the Old Mendip Inn there to The Downside Inn not far away, just outside Shepton Mallet, and another hour to "Showerings" (Gaymers now) in the town. After that, progress was slower! In all it took me six hours for the one-hour journey to Castle Cary, yet I saved myself 2 hours or more by diverting. For Bath Bus Company drivers it was longer and we were told of a Wilts & Dorset bus on the Bristol-to-Festival run taking ten hours! At the end of the afternoon, W&D/S.V. were transferred to the Station Shuttle to help us - a more rewarding option for the drivers! That aside, the A361 and A371 which we used between Castle Cary Station and the Festival were the clearest I've ever known them and my usual time for a trip up was just about 20 minutes - little different from when running empty!

With Wednesday's traffic hold-ups, I didn't get to Castle Cary until 5-past-5, but then on I worked through the evening alongside VDV 142S, WTG 359T, XJJ 653V ("Ribena"), XJJ 655V ("Banana Split"), XJJ 661V, ECY 987V (to represent the VRT/SL3/501!), CJJ 677W ("Limeade"), KRM 432W and STW 32W, to give 10 VRs on the road. Then at the 11th hour - literally, being close upon 11pm - was an 11th VR! Mike Walker returned to the Station to gleefully tell me that the Wilts & Dorset Heritage bus, BFX 666T had just turned up at the Festival bus-station! He had taken photos by flash and also said the driver was considering coming down to the Railway Station. Well, just after we had been dismissed at 11.05pm, after the last train had been cleared, I met BFX 666T heading for the station! What an amazing choice! I gather it had in fact run a trip from Bristol.
Bristol-'Glastonbury' shuttle service
BFX666T
Castle Cary-'Glastonbury' shuttle service
VDV142S - BFX666T - WTG359T - ECY987V - XJJ653V - XJJ655V - XJJ661V - CJJ677W - KRM432W - STW32W - XHK221X

Thursday 25th June 2009

On Thursday, the Shuttle was somewhat quieter, but most of the VRs were in service at some point during the afternoon or evening. There was also another VR to be seen ... but not on the road. Parked behind the former Evercreech Junction Station buildings was EWS 742W, the bus converted to a caravan for a major European and Asian tour to Nepal and back a year ago. It had been parked back in Simon Munden's yard earlier this year and Simon had recently told me it had been sold - but I never expected to see it here today!
Castle Cary-'Glastonbury' shuttle service
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26/06/09 - KRM432W, VDV142S, ECY987V, FDV818V, AYG941H on the front row, CJJ677W and XJJ661V behind.
photo copyright of Allan Macfarlane

Friday 26th June 2009 - Festival begins!

Friday was even quieter and Chepstow buses only came out in pairs, to share the work. It was early in the evening that I went into the Shepton Mallet Showground, where the Chepstow buses were being kept, and found another two VRs. One was FDV 818V in the livery of Timetrak Travel of Sheperton. Proprietor John Appleford had actually been driving STW 32W and had told me that Timetrak had now officially been wound up, as he is leaving the area, and that he has sold FDV (unused since last year's Glastonbury) to David Hoare. The other VR here was "House" - David's ex-West Yorkshire Series 1 accommodation unit AYG 941H.
Castle Cary-'Glastonbury' shuttle service

Saturday 27th June 2009

Sunday 28th June 2009

'Glastonbury'-Castle Cary shuttle service
None?
'Glastonbury'-Bristol shuttle service
BFX666T
One trip at least.

Monday 29th June 2009 - Home Time
29/06/09 - The homeward bound bus queues during mid morning on Monday.
photo copyright of Shaun C.

Monday saw additional help on the Shuttle from a couple of Stagecoach C&G ONs and an Eastville Coaches NC-Citybus. All the time, local operators Smith's of Pylle and Centurion of Welton supplied several coaches. On Monday morning, anything and everything was in use and as I arrived in the area, I spotted John Appleford driving his old FDV 818V to the Railway Station! When in turn I got to the Station, I found BJG 671V ("Pineapple") was unloading (it must have gone out of the Festival exit as I went in the other way). On my return, I noticed EWS 742W had gone! When approaching the Festival site about 20-to-12, I was amazed to see an open-top VR on its way out! It was VDV 143S, still with blue vinyls round the upper panels. The driver (Keith) had previously been with Ribena. What I did not see, however, only to be told later, was that JWV 269W was used among the Oxfam returns to Bristol. But that took the VR total up to 15 buses! (Plus "House".) I thoroughly enjoyed driving XHK 221X - it's hard work, mind, but I know it like the back of my hand, how it'll behave, and how to get perfect gearchanges. And there was the pleasure of driving among so many other VRs and in the pleasant company of the drivers, four of whom are involved with the Scottish Vintage Bus Museum, among several who have regularly appeared down here. The Festival-goers were thoroughly pleasant and friendly and the Stewards worked very hard and efficiently.

'Glastonbury'-Castle Cary shuttle service
VDV142S - VDV143S - WTG359T - BJG671V - ECY987V - FDV818V - XJJ653V - XJJ655V - XJJ661V - CJJ677W - KRM432W - STW32W - XHK221X
'Glastonbury'-Bristol shuttle service
JWV269W
One trip.
Workings information
All buses on the Castle Cary shuttles were in service by 0730 except;
WTG359T, XJJ661V, STW32W - entered service at 0920
XHK221X - arrived from Bristol early morning and entered service at 0730, all other vehicles were already on site except;
BJG671V - arrived during the morning, entering service at 0830.
VDV143S - also appeared in late morning and replaced XJJ653V.



photo copyright of Shaun C


photo copyright of Shaun C


photo copyright of Shaun C


photo copyright of Shaun C


photo copyright of Shaun C


photo copyright of Allan Macfarlane


photo copyright of Shaun C


photo copyright of Shaun C


photo copyright of Shaun C


photo copyright of Shaun C


photo copyright of Allan Macfarlane


photo copyright of Shaun C


photo copyright of Shaun C


photo copyright of Shaun C


photo copyright of Allan Macfarlane


photo copyright of Shaun C


photo copyright of Allan Macfarlane


photo copyright of Shaun C


photo copyright of Shaun C


photo copyright of Shaun C


photo copyright of Allan Macfarlane


photo copyright of Shaun C


photo copyright of Shaun C


photo copyright of Shaun C


photo copyright of Shaun C


photo copyright of Shaun C


And finally... Glastonbury Tor (OK, and an electricity pylon...)
photo copyright of Shaun C

Greatful thanks to: Neil C, Matt Powell, and Allan Macfarlane