Discover | Little Known Glastonbury Festival Facts

Glastonbury is a weird and wonderful place at the best of times, but it gets weirder and wonderfuller for a long weekend each summer as Worthy Farm opens its doors to the world again. The festival runs from 21-25 June this year, so in celebration of that, here are a few fascinating facts to casually drop into conversation while standing in a mud bath in front of the Pyramid Stage with friends (or watching from the comfort of your sofa with a cuppa in hand and your wellies nice and clean in the shed). 

1. The first Pyramid Stage (built in 1971) was modelled on the Pyramid of Giza, built at one tenth of the scale of its namesake. It was built to be on the Glastonbury Abbey and Stonehenge Ley Line to benefit from the line’s auspicious energies. 

2. Glastonbury has had many monikers in its time but since 1990 has been known as Glastonbury Festival for the Contemporary Performing Arts as Michael Eavis felt invoking theatre was more likely to get the event a licence from the local council.

3. In 1999, co-founder Jean Eavis died and a giant wicker angel was ceremonially burned at that year’s festival. REM dedicated their rendition of ‘Everybody Hurts’ to Jean that year. 

4. The wettest Glastonbury was in 2007 when 60.1mm of rain fell in a single day…

5. …And the highest wind speeds recorded at Glastonbury occurred in both 1985 and 1987 when gusts reached 41mph. Hold onto your tents!

6. Free milk from the farm was available at the first ever Glastonbury event in 1970. Worthy Farm still produces more than 10,000 litres a day and you can still buy the milk from the trucks that drive around the festival. 

7. Each year there is a secret stage called The Underground Piano Bar, which appears on no maps of the festival at all. You just have to find it (or find someone in the know). 

8. Glastonbury Festival has a Guiness Book of Records mention, not for its music but for a World Record in juggling! In 1984 826 people at the festival juggled at least three objects simultaneously, managing to keep 2,478 objects in the air at one time. 

9. Glasto 1987 is still fondly remembered as The Year of the Trouser Thieves. Many pairs of trews were nicked from tents overnight and later turned up in a ditch, but the trouserless masses emerging from their tents in the morning was a sight to behold. 

10. It’s not all about the music. Glastonbury has also hosted The English National Ballet, the Dalai Lama and The Wombles over the years.

You can read more about summer festivals in our feature ‘Best of the Fests’ in our June issue, in shops now.
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More things to do this summer…

More from our blog…

Playlist | The best of the festivals

Image: Shutterstock

In our June LINGER issue we take a look back at the history of the music festival. Pop this playlist on as you have a listen to really immerse yourself in the moment – and take a read of the stories behind our selection below.

Listen to the playlist on Spotify here.

DJ: Julian Owen

The Wailing Boat by Ted Heath

Recorded at the Beaulieu Jazz Festival (1959)

Up Jumped the Devil by The New York City Ramblers

Recorded at the Newport Folk Festival (1961)

It’s All Over Now by The Rolling Stones

Studio version of a song they played at the National Jazz & Blues Festival in 1964

Light my Fire by The Doors

Their first hit, heading up the charts as they played the Fantasy Fair and Magic Mountain Music Festival in 1967

Shake by Otis Redding

Live at Monterey (1967). Has there ever been a better festival set opener? Look up Monterey Pop, filmmaker D. A. Pennebaker’s magisterial overview of the pioneering Californian gathering.

Woodstock by Matthews Southern Comfort

With a respectful nod to the Joni Mitchell original, which isn’t available on Spotify

Oh Happy Day by The Edwin Hawkins Singers

On the same June weekend that Woodstock rocked upstate New York, Stevie Wonder, Mahalia Jackson and Nina Simone headed a stupendous line up of funk, gospel and soul as the Harlem Cultural Festival hit the city – this is a live recording from that event (aka the Summer of Soul) in 1969.

So Long, Marianne by Leonard Cohen

Live at the Isle of Wight in 1970.

54-56 Was my Number by Toots & The Maytals

One of the stars of the 1970 Caribbean Music Festival at Wembley. As featured in Reggae, an evocative look at reggae’s impact on Britain

I’ll Take You There by The Staple Singers

Recorded at Wattstax in 1972 – in 1972, the celebrated Stax label put on a Los Angeles benefit concert to commemorate the Watts riots, showcasing its stellar soul roster.

Kama K’iwacu by The Drummers of Burundi

Recorded at the first WOMAD in 1982

It’s Like That by Run-D.M.C. Vs. Jason Nevins

The old school rappers headlined the first Creamfields in 1998, the year after Jason Nevins’ remixed their 1983 debut single

If It Makes You Happy by Sheryl Crow

Recorded at the notorious Woodstock 99 and thereby drenching the “… it can’t be that bad” payoff in irony

Ziggy Stardust by David Bowie

Recorded at Glastonbury 2000

The Best of the Festivals playlist on Spotify

Festivals 2016: The Simple Things

We’re taking time to switch off at some of the finest festivals this summer. Come along to enjoy good food, being outdoors, interesting music and a chance to learn a thing or two.

The Simple Things will be at the following festivals, you can find out more and book tickets at the links below

Caught by the River

6-7 August, Fulham Palace, London

Two remarkable days of music, arts and nature. Gathering bands and brewers, authors and artists, thinkers and drinkers on the banks of the River Thames

Valley Fest

2-4 September, Chew Magna, Somerset

Smile 'til your cheeks ache. Family fun in beautiful countryside. Dancing, music, movies and top-notch sustainable food.

The Good Life Experience

16-18 September, Hawarden Estate, Flintshire

A weekend of fun and discovery. Music, books, food and the great outdoors for all the family

Readers of The Simple Things will get 10 per cent off festival tickets until the end of July – quote TGLESIMPLE to claim your discount. For more information and tickets visit thegoodlifeexperience.co.uk

Seasonal blooms: See the Amsterdam spring snow, and more

See the spring snow! Dutch elm trees create a blanket of petals in April, drawing visitors to Amsterdam

From clever ideas and amazing architecture to nature at its most beautiful, we’re loving all things Dutch right now (see My City on page 74 and our garden feature on page 110 of April's The Simple Things). Along with the famous tulip fields that are in full bloom this month, another wonderful spring display is the ‘spring snow’ in Amsterdam. From around 21 April the city’s 75,000 elm trees scatter their seeds, creating a shower of fragrant elm confetti.

There’s an 8km walking and cycling ‘Elm route’ through the city, from the elm arboretum to the city’s botanical garden and special art installations around the city inspired by the spring snow. 

Want more seasonal blooms? Try the violet festival, taking place every March since 1952 in Tourettes-sur-loup in the south of France. After a violet procession, take part in the town's annual petal battle. The month before, mimosa is celebrated in Mandelieu-La Napoule, where 12 tonnes of flowers are used to decorate the town over eight days of festivities.

Japan celebrates its 'sakura' (blossom) season with picnics, parties, and a national blossom forecast. In this country, head to Batsford Arboretum, Gloucestershire, for a shower of cherry blossoms. From 11 April 2015.

And May sees the annual Rochester lilac festival, New York. Taking place in the Highland Park, over 1200 lilac bushes bloom alongside a festival of art, music and food.

Words: Lottie Storey

 April's The Simple Things is out now - buy, download or subscribe today.

Things to do in July

Our list of music, film, events and festivals not worth missing in July, see you there?

Photography: Carly Lesser and Art Drauglis

Shucking knives out! Whitstable Oyster Festival cracks open on 27th July

The world’s largest classical music festival clears its throat on 12th July

Pack a festival hamper for Latitude from 18th-21st July

Take a trip with Greg ’n’ Aud as Roman Holiday returns to the big screen on 19th July

Join in with the hot hot fun at Birmingham Chilli Festival from 19-20th July

Pitching tents this summer, the dos and don'ts

Heading to Glastonbury this week? Or perhaps you're preparing for the first camping trip of the year, either way here's a recap of everything you've forgotten since the last time.

1. Lay the flysheet (outer layer) flat, ensuring doors and so on are zipped up.

Think: "I could be at home now, catching up on Borgen." Say: "Nobody panic! It's all coming back to me." 2. Feed the poles carefully through the sleeves and bend them up to form the tent's 'skeleton'. Lock the ends of the poles into the metal rings at the edge of the tent.

Think: "The manufacturer's given us the wrong poles." Say: "We'll be on the beach within five minutes!"

3. Look for loops on the corners, sides and guy ropes, and stake these out with tent pegs and a mallet, keeping tension equal all around. Now secure the inner tent into place using the toggles provided.

Think: "Why are we listing violently to one side?" Say: "Ta-daaa!"

Alternatively – get a pop-up tent.

Taken from Issue 10 of The Simple Things,  download a back issue now.

Photography: XPeria2Day