I love Glastonbury, I’ve been visiting since the 8th of August 1988 (8/8/88 of course) and have lived here since July 1993. I’ve tried moving away, even emigrating, but I’ve been pulled back repeatedly – by the Glastonbury rubber band effect as it’s locally known. Glastonbury is an endlessly fascinating parade of engaging characters, mythology and history, interesting shops, and great musicians. Except on my less positive days when it’s shabby, shambolic and full of nutters trying to blag a quid.
It’s surprisingly easy to buy crystals, magic wands, cloaks and vegetarian food in the town. It’s surprisingly hard to buy underwear, white goods or a Big Mac. Although saying that there is now a Mcdonalds on the edge of town. It is apparently the favourite haunt of Glastonbury’s teenagers, particularly those who whose parents live entirely on a diet of raw food and regular colonic irrigation.
Second generation Glastafarian teenagers are somewhat challenged when it comes to rebelling against their parents. It appears that if you want remarkably nice, well adjusted, responsible children, you could do worse that to drag them off to festivals all Summer from an early age, trusting that they will get you back to your tipi or truck even when you are hallucinating and have lost your shoes. Chances are they will then turn into the kind of adults who give up smoking spliffs at around 18 years of age, do jolly well at University, wear understated designer labels and get a job with a decent salary, while retaining many of their parent’s ideals around equality, ecology, community and kindness.
What always draws me back to Glastonbury, besides the remarkable community, is the music. You would be hard pressed to find a town with a higher concentration of talented singers, songwriters and musicians. Many of them live here, many more are regular visitors. Where there is a fireside, a gathering of more than 3 people, a pub garden, a bench on the High St or a patch of grass, there will inevitably be someone performing
Most villages have one idiot, Glastonbury being a market town might be allowed 3 or 4, but actually we have hundreds. Rival reincarnated King Arthurs have been known to battle it out on the High St. A local B&B hosted 4 people at once who claimed to channel St Germaine, apparently that made for a lively breakfast table, until they all stopped talking to each other. More than one person walks through the town sporting a sword or bow and arrows strapped to their backs.
Glastonbury is of course a tourist town, there’s no way the multitude of shops selling stuff that is, quite frankly, not terribly useful, survive through local custom. Unlike many tourist town however Glastonbury attracts visitors throughout the year, not purely in the Summer months, this is partly thanks to all the special interest groups who like to congregate in the town for their own annual knees ups.
Glastonbury’s calendar is full of gatherings of druids, wiccans, pagans, fairies, earth mystery enthusiasts, goddesses, Krishna devotees, even ‘Breatharians’ (don’t ask – you wouldn’t believe me if I told you). Last year the charity Zombie Walk clashed with the Fairy Ball, locals were entertained to overhear fairies replete with cloaks, full size wings, hair extensions, and the full range of steam punk accessories bitching from the side lines as to what the fake blood spattered shambling zombies thought they looked like.
Having lived in Glastonbury for 23 years it is virtually impossible to walk down the street without acknowledging at least half the people who I encounter. Depending on the weather and time of year this could result in the journey taking several hours, or even the entire day. When I’m busy, or particularly grumpy, I find avoiding eye contact and repeating the mantra ‘Invisible, Invisible, Invisible’ surprisingly effective. This mantra is best repeated silently however, otherwise I risk becoming one of the people everyone else avoids.
April 22, 2016 at 3:17 pm
Brilliant Website Vicki, looking forward to the ensuing hilarity that is bound to follow such a good start!
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April 22, 2016 at 3:19 pm
Shucks, thanks, seems appropriate that my first comment is from a Wizard.
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April 25, 2016 at 8:43 am
I guess that’s normal for Glastonbury 😉 Looking forward to reading more x
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April 22, 2016 at 4:25 pm
Really entertaining Vicki and captures the essence of Glastonbury
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April 22, 2016 at 4:59 pm
Funny, and kind. Well done love, cant wait to hear more, all sounds very familiar xx
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April 22, 2016 at 5:21 pm
This is brilliant!!!!
Thank you for putting into words the feeling I’ve had since visiting Glastonbury in 2007.
Only there a week, but it was an important week evidently.
Again, many thanks for the words…
Brightest of blessings
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April 22, 2016 at 5:28 pm
Thank you! That’s very kind.
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April 22, 2016 at 5:50 pm
Wow! Encore
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April 22, 2016 at 6:22 pm
All so true, first time I climbed the tor the first person I met was Merlin. cloak and all …i offerd him a lift down into town. No… he said, horse & cart for me.
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April 22, 2016 at 6:35 pm
Great blog – captures the essence of what I miss most when I’m away from Glastonbury!
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April 22, 2016 at 6:42 pm
Really very clever and so TRUE! We’ve only been here 5 years but recognise so many of the wonderful qualities you describe ….
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April 22, 2016 at 7:24 pm
The beginning of a book I hope. Write it as fiction, nobody outside the area will ever believe the truth.
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April 22, 2016 at 7:30 pm
I thought about writing a book but it’s just too intimidating a task! Thanks for the encouragement.
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April 22, 2016 at 8:00 pm
Hi vicki…i loved this blog…very entertaining. Not surprisingly your observations are v funny. I also love your website but just to say i couldnt find a contact me option. Thought it would be good if people could easily get in touch with you. Also you might want to invite feeling to sign up to receive your blog posts…i certainly would.Writing a blog is a great way to popularise and promote your talents i hope u get some really interesting projects and great pay!
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April 22, 2016 at 8:13 pm
Thanks! Great feedback – I appreciate it. There is a contact form on the bottom of ‘Hire Me’ but I’ve just made it a page too. I’m new to WordPress and haven’t worked out how to push the signing up bit yet, perhaps you could email me on my new ‘Contact Me’ page and tell me how!
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April 22, 2016 at 9:11 pm
Hee hee, great reading, I’m the only St Germain in the village made me chuckle in agreement. Beautiful. Love the teenage reyrograde rebels all rings true .
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April 22, 2016 at 11:18 pm
Great blog keep up the good work.
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April 23, 2016 at 12:25 am
Absolutely perfect description, love it!
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April 23, 2016 at 8:08 am
Brilliant! Local for 15 years….
And run a B&B! Great writing and very witty! Keep them coming x
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April 23, 2016 at 9:12 am
Thank you. I’m helping run a B&B at the moment so I might have to write something on that subject. I’m sure you’ve got some great stories, if you’d like to meet up please use the contact me form.
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April 23, 2016 at 12:57 pm
You forgot the bookshops. Fantastic bookshops.I love Glastonbury.
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April 23, 2016 at 4:03 pm
I will write about the bookshops Colin, I worked in them for years, sure I can come up with some amusing stories…..
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April 23, 2016 at 1:59 pm
Genius, funny, spot on, after living here for a mere 15 years, having a grown up daughter who fits the description of the second generation Glastonian, your blog is so accurate without being mean. Full of so much love for this perfectly absurd place we live! xx more more! xx
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April 23, 2016 at 4:02 pm
Of course your daughter fits the description – she was my inspiration! x
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April 23, 2016 at 5:52 pm
Wonderful! My friends that have never been to Glastonbury don’t understand when I try to explain what it’s like… Now I can just send them this post instead 😀
Love the second generation bit… Fits so many people I know, and me too (mostly). I realised the other day that working full time in an office feels kinda rebellious because I never saw my parents or any family friends doing it when I was growing up!!
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April 23, 2016 at 8:06 pm
Hundred’s of idiots lol X brilliance
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April 23, 2016 at 11:45 pm
this has really hurt my emotional body. now i need a nettle & rescue remedy smoothie
great blog Vicki! do you want to join our “everyone else avoids us” support group? we don’t have many meetings 🙂
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April 23, 2016 at 11:51 pm
I’m thinking of offering Healing with Root Vegetables Richard, do you want to be my first client?
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April 29, 2016 at 7:56 pm
only if they’re shamanic free-range vegetables
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April 23, 2016 at 11:56 pm
Highly amusing and perceptive article. Brilliant! A man balancing upside down with his head in a bucket, has been my most memorable encounter to date, on the High Street. They say, “if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em”. Consequently, I now dress up in white tights and frilly lace, wear a long green, caped greatcoat topped with a feathery tricorn. I ring a bell and shout my head off in public quite regularly now. So far, I have enjoyed every single second of it!
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April 24, 2016 at 12:01 am
Great to know you are reading my blog David, I took a photo of you at the bank closure last week, I’ll post it up soon. Love the man with his head in a bucket story, can we have a chat, would love to get more stories from you.
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April 24, 2016 at 2:50 am
Could it be twinned with diagon alley?
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April 24, 2016 at 10:27 am
Think we are already twinned with Narnia.
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April 24, 2016 at 5:14 am
Most excellent, I’ve been visiting the town since the 1970’s, (Local innit) and living here since 1994. I tried to leave once and also came back, No other town would have me.
Keep up the good work 🙂
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April 24, 2016 at 5:30 am
But you did forget to mention the trials of being a woman when new to the town, as in every other woman will HATE you on sight, and every man will try all the tricks there are to get into your pants……Here are many of the ones I have encountered all of which require a “home visit”….
Your beautiful aura which just needs a little cleansing….
An “exchange” of energy (one man offered to brush my hair for me, but I did not deem this enough to give him the “exchange” he quite wanted)
A mutual massage to release tension, CLOTHED, of course, shoulders only…cough
Some crystal healing (this was back in the day when I used to put up waifs and strays of either sex, allowing them to bed down on my floor with a spare quilt and mattress., I awoke to find the man, and the crystal, in my bed, I threw the man out, I still have the crystal twenty odd years later)
And then there was the time I took in a homeless alcoholic, he was a nice enough chap and I wanted to save him, but alas, being partial to a “drop” of the hard stuff myself, that was never going to go well…..ahem..
EEh, I was a nice young lady back then, naive but all rainbows and big heart, Now I am bitter and twisted and middle aged
Glastonbury is still a wondrous town, if clad in enough armour
I look forward to reading more of your posts 🙂
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April 24, 2016 at 11:01 am
All I can think of to reply is this: https://timhawthorn.bandcamp.com/track/any-witch-way
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April 24, 2016 at 9:44 am
That would be good. I took a photo of the man in the bucket. It is on my Farcebook page.
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April 24, 2016 at 10:34 am
I’d love to see it.
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April 24, 2016 at 2:47 pm
I still love Glastonbury, is over 18 years since I left, and still think maybe one day, I will return, there isn’t a normal, Glastonbury has phases of weird, long time no see vicky.
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April 24, 2016 at 6:22 pm
Erm, “McDonald’s on the edge of town”? Since when? McDonald’s is in Street, which the authentic must have realised, in the past 23 years, is a whole different town.
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April 24, 2016 at 6:53 pm
Yeh, yeh, I got a bit geographically challenged there didn’t I? In my defence I’ve never actually been in there.
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April 24, 2016 at 6:57 pm
I remember the MacDonald’s that was built on the edge of town mysteriously burning down shortly after opening.
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April 24, 2016 at 6:31 pm
Have sent you a friend request on the Farcebook. You can then see it under “I don’t believe it”,
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April 25, 2016 at 5:22 pm
Great blog Vicki, nice work! I spent so many years in that town and I’m quite sure there’s nowhere else like it. I think you really should consider writing a book, even if it takes years of gathering peoples memories and stories. It would be so worth it! Mandy F xx
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April 25, 2016 at 9:47 pm
Thanks Mandy, ooh there’s some stories I could tell about our parties…..x
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April 26, 2016 at 8:22 am
First class blog Vicki. I’ll be following it and promoting it in any way I can. Glastonbury is such a unique place, and you’ve got the tone and feel of it exactly right. I saw a fight on the High Street last time I was there, between a cider drinking beggar and a local redneck. Actual fisticuffs, including the use of a magic wand, followed by a ripe exchange of swear words from the benches. A tourist said they thought Glastonbury was supposed to be so peaceful. That’s the last thing it is!
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April 26, 2016 at 8:58 am
Thanks Chris. I better get writing my next post then.
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May 11, 2016 at 8:49 pm
This sounds like my life! I’m always being pulled back in. 😭😸👍 For better or for worse we shall see. Niki
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May 12, 2016 at 2:26 pm
One of my favourite places to visit, for all the above reasons and more. Am hoping to drop by some time this summer/autumn if I can.
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August 14, 2016 at 11:35 am
Brilliant blog and photos! I visited Glastonbury for the first time this year and loved it!! –> https://wellswanderlust.wordpress.com/2016/08/14/confessions-of-a-glastonbury-first-timer/
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August 21, 2016 at 1:02 am
Thanks Jodie!
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