YFCs’ vital role at Glastonbury
World-famous bands, mud and round-the-clock partying. Glastonbury is famous for lots of things – but less well-known is the vital role Young Farmers play at the festival. Aly Balsom reports
There are not many who can say they have watched Dizzee Rascal perform from their tractor cab, but Wells and Glastonbury Young Farmers chairman Ali Trippick can.
She was one of 30 Young Farmers helping the event run smoothly – and was parked up and in prime position overlooking the Pyramid stage to see the rapper last Saturday while on hand to tow out any vehicles.
“It was all very bizarre listening to the musicians perform from the compound between jobs – it gives a completely different perspective,” she says.
This group of Somerset Young Farmers had the opportunity to put their agricultural skills to a more diverse use, pulling revellers and performers out of sticky situations at the music festival, which this year attracted 180,000 people to Michael Eavis’s Worthy Farm.
The county’s young farmers were originally asked to help during the wet years of the 1990s, when their tractor-pulling skills were in high demand as vehicles attempted to move around and off the site through liquid mud. Since then, they have been called upon every year to be poised and ready for action.
In return for working three, eight-hour shifts each, the tractor drivers get free tickets to the festival.
The festival acts as a deadline for all hay-cutting to be done, says one, Andy Biss, who farms a few miles away from the site at King Weston. “Glastonbury is the social event of the year, everyone makes sure they have time to fit it in,” he says.
Among the clubs involved are Bath, Wiveliscombe, Farrington Gurney and Wells and Glastonbury, with the majority of drivers coming from Wells and Glastonbury.
 |
|---|
| YFs’ tractors parked up and in prime position overlooking the Pyramid stage while on hand to tow out any vehicles. |
Although some of festival’s urban contingent would probably balk at visiting the spot, it’s a prime position, offering a panoramic view of the site and a perfect view of the main Pyramid stage.
There is a strong sense of community within the compound, with everyone gathering for a hearty fry-up and mixed grill dinner from Ronnie’s café, from the back of an Argos van.
It is a great opportunity to get everyone together, says Young Farmer Kev House. “It is a good time to meet up with everyone before harvesting gets into full swing.”
Andrew House, aka “Big Man”, of Wells and Glastonbury YFC, has been festival Young Farmer supervisor for the last six years.
The festival is obviously a big draw, with the core of the Young Farmers chomping at the bit to work, says Andrew. However, there is a serious charitable side, with the festival donating money to the club, most of which is used to sustain the club carnival. “Carnival is one of the main events of the year in the south-west and a unique event for our YFC.”
As well as the carnival club, the festival raises funds for a number of charities, with a proportion going to this year’s chosen charity, Transverse Myelitis. “The money we receive from the festival is a very welcome donation to our cause,” he says.
“It is fantastic to get everyone involved in a local event, but Glastonbury is also an important charitable event for us,” he says.
“It also gives our members the chance to see an internationally renowned festival in a stunning, local location. And put their day-to-day skills to diverse use.”
This year, a few good spells of scorching sunshine made up for the odd torrential downpour. But in between, the sticky mud claimed a few victims, mainly in the camper van fields, where about 40 vans were pulled out in one night. And among the performers, Neil Young’s support lorries needed a helping hand.
In a wet year, the Young Farmers’ skills really come into play, with 2007 a particularly busy year. “In 2007 there was 5ft of water by the John Peel stage, so we were called upon to remove buses and equipment in the space of a few minutes,” recalls Andy Biss.
The majority of Young Farmers fit in working at the festival between everyday work on the farm. “I was up at 5.15am this morning to milk the cows and then in here for 8.00am, all on about two hours sleep. But it’s worth it, for the free ticket and good cider,” he says.
“I was on the midnight to 8am shift on Friday and was called on to pull out a dustbin lorry which had come off the track near the pyramid stage.”
Dairy farmer Chris Dunner of Dinder also fits in working on the family dairy farm between shifts. “I was up milking at 5.30am this morning and scraped up and fed before I came down.”
“Working at the festival is a great experience – no one else gets this opportunity so we might as well take advantage.”
There is also a sample of Young Farmers involved in other aspects of the festival. Matthew Curtis and Mike Sweet of Chew Valley Young Farmers act as chaperones for the slurry tankers carrying human waste through the site. “We finished baling hay last night and came in this morning to start work,” says Mike. “It’s fantastic for people-watching – you see some pretty out-of-it people. But it’s also great for the club.”
Without a doubt, the added draw of working at the festival is a proper, porcelain toilet hidden at the back of the compound – the holiest of grails, and an immense luxury at Glastonbury, where the majority are forced to use long drops along with copious amounts of alcohol gel and wet wipes.
However, the majority of Young Farmers live so close to the site – so it’s a short land rover drive to clean sheets, hot water and toilet paper.
