VFestival Weston Park

Yesterday we went to the VFestival for the day. There were a number of bands that we were interested in seeing, Ami Macdonald, Madness, Mika, Paolo Nutini just to name just a few. We enjoyed the performances very much. They were pretty entertaining.

This picture was taken at 15.43 whilst waiting for Ami Macdonald to start her performance.

But as with last year, we were appalled by the lack of mutual respect and general low standards abundant. Not that we saw anyone who was unhappy. Those people we spoke to seemed to be having a nice time and came across as well educated and well spoken.

It?s the litter everywhere that first surprises me ? even though we were at the car park before 12 midday, there was litter dropped all over the place and when we walked into the central area we have to wade through it. There are bins, but only near to the food facilities. There is a place to exchange paper and plastic cups for 10p each and some people were collecting them up for the deposits. I can only assume that most people just have too much money or just don?t care enough. Why aren?t festival staff going around with sacks picking up litter? Why isn?t a litter vacuuming machine sent through intermittently? I do realize this wouldn?t be possible if it were a muddy quagmire, but although it did rain, it wasn?t muddy. Why leave it until it?s all over to clean up?

Then, before we have even been in the central area for 5 minutes, we see guys urinating up the mesh fences and solid green partitions even though there seem to be plenty of loos, including standing urinals, in place. Not too long later though, maybe an hour or so, the queues for the loos are horrendous. There also seemed to be no staff around replenishing with loo paper either. I realize it?s sensible to take some yourself. Lots of desperate looking people in the loo queues and so inevitably it seems that every bit of vertical partition or fence became a public urinal. Not just the guys now, the girls too. Some girls had Shewee?s (http://www.shewee.com) so were standing up like the guys; some got their friends to shield them whilst they squatted. It just seemed really uncivilized.

I thought it was an offence to litter or urinate/defacate in public. I suppose this is a private estate and so those laws don?t count. But I blame the organizers of the festival. Surely I?m not the only one who is offended?

I?m glad not to be going again today.