As the rain unexpectedly breaks the gorgeous sunny spell we have enjoyed – we know it can only mean one thing…..the start to the Glastonbury Festival weekend! That got us thinking about how many VWs will be driving down to the Somerset Levels to the largest green fields festival worldwide & how many will get stuck in the mud on Michael Eavis’s 900acre dairy farm!
The lure of the outdoor festival began truly in 1969, with Woodstock – on a 600acre farm near the town of Bethel, outside New York, there were 32 acts playing to 400,000 young people & is widely regarded as a pivotal moment in music history – with acts such as The Who, Janis Joplin, Joe Cocker & Jimi Hendrix. And of course who else made an appearance? The now famous ‘Light’ – a VW campervan commissioned by the lead singer of the band ‘Light’ to turn his tour bus in to a “magic bus” which was done by Dr Bob Hieronimus. Dr Bob drew inspiration after long backstage discussions with rock & rollers such as Jimi Hendrix and he recalled “We would share information on various things like UFOs, Atlantis, reincarnation, and especially the the eye in the triangle and pyramid found on the back of the $1 bill”
So these days we have Glastonbury – which began in 1970, the day after Jimi Hendrix died……. there are over 2,000 acts planned this weekend ranging from Dolly Parton to Laughter Yoga Lessons! And the camping….well no matter what the weather we really hope there is a good turn out of VW campervans & Beetles.