Wither the Weather 2015

Submitted by Nathan on

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General Discussion

I have been disappointed by the lack of weather discussion this year. I'm predicting hail. And frogs whilst Goat are playing.

What are the best websites for weather watching? Thus far I have:

http://www.accuweather.com/en/gb/crickhowell/np8-1/august-weather/330372?monyr=8/1/2015

and

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/forecast/gcjz08jex 

Who got it most right last year? 

N 

GAster's picture GAster replied on

We need the Druids to come and give us their blessing again. Seemed to do the trick in 2009.

I'd like to be the first person to use the word 'micro-climate' on this thread.

Wakestock replied on

Now we have the day/stage splits, is it time to start talking about the weather? Weather forecast just mentioned the persistent rain of last few days giving way to possibility of frost in rural areas in coming days. Green Man must be close then

Nathan replied on

I have been following the relevent week on accuweather since starting this thread. First is was good (and I was afraid), then it naff fot the settlers, then it was naff for everyone (and I was pertified) and now it is back to all round habitable (with a wierd thunderstorm), but I imagine we will all survive. 

scousebaby's picture scousebaby replied on

Theere was a day about 4 yeaers ago. It was very bad. I fell asleep with one of my arms lying outside the tent. Very burnt it was.

Wakestock replied on

Accuweather's 'forecast' is looking just about perfect this morning. No doubt it'll be entirely different in an hour or two, but I'll take their current prediction

Krasnyi's picture Krasnyi replied on

Cyfarthfa, the sage of Merthry, will advise us on the weather on the eve of the festival. All else is mere speculation.

Spod's picture Spod replied on

I remember that day around 4 years ago! If its the same day im thinking off, a band called 'Will and The People' (new band competition wnners) opened the main stage. It was mid-day and people were seeking shelter under the trees as the expanse in front of the Mountain Stage felt like Death Valley. Thats the single only time I can remember it being too hot at Greenman for the 6 years we have gone. 

berthasdad's picture berthasdad replied on

So...three years ago, after coming along to GM the previous 2 years, me and Mrs Berthasdad invited one of my oldest friends (lets call him Mike) and his wife to come along. We also took my 17 year old son and one of his mates. We set off with the two lads in Bertha the bus from sunny Stockport and had a great run down. My mates were due to join us on the Friday.

Dont know if anyone remembers from 2012, but the rain started within minutes of us getting the awning sorted on the Thursday aft. By the time Mike and Mrs Mike arrived on Friday it was just plain wet wet wet. Sonny boy had decided there was no way he was pitching up anywhere near us and was half a mile away, celebrating his first GM by hotboxing the tent, delighted that wet weather gave him and his mate the perfect excuse not to venture outside.

So, Friday lunchtime Mike and Mrs Mike duly turn up and after rows with parking staff and lots of huffing they get their micro-tent set up next to Bertha's awning. Dragging thier gear through the mud from the (as of then) new car park which was frankly about as close to the live-in area as Hay on Wye.

Now the thing to bear in mind here is that while we are hearty, uncomplaining (usually) and festival-literate, 2/3 of our fragmeneted party are comfortably the wrong side of 40 and a bit long in the tooth for a 72 hour wet, muddy, dreary experience. Especially one including an hour of Van bleeding Morrison going through the motions.

And the offspring was clearly not interested in 'sharing the experience with mum and dad', happy in the relative peace and quiet brought about by the mud making any trips from our 'camp' to his tent take about 30 minutes longer than it should have done...

Mike and my ability and willingness to trek around trying to find interesting acts to enjoy was seriosuly hampered by the mud glorious mud. Did anyone interestig play in 2012? It didnt feel like it. And it had the joy sucked out of it by our beautiful wives becoming increasingly depsondent by mud, rain and more rain. No happy camping, mud pies and larking about for these middle agers; watching their sense of fun disappear behind welsh clouds. And then bloated, disinterested, lazy and disengaged Van bleeding Morrison came on stage to depress us even more and remind that fings aint necessarily wot they used to be...

My glorious GM party, which had promised so much in the build-up; the chance to share GM with my beautiful boy and my oldest (and Welsh-born) friend - frankly disappeared under tonnes of mud and liquid skies. We spent far too long under the awning, pushing the water balloons of rain away before they burst in over our heads, listening to wives having an ever-less enjoyable time telling us all about it.

And on Saturday night Mike and Lisa's micro-tent split. They 'slept' under the awning, in deckchairs, next to the porta-potti.

We got Bertha towed off the field by noon on Sunday and f%^£ed off back North. We remembered to pick up my son and his mate. To this day I really dont think he remembers a single minute.

 

Now this has been followed by two years going to End of the Road (wash out my mouth). 2013 was gloriously sunny and me, Mrs, and Bertha had a great time. Last year, Bertha had gone to pastures new and I went back to EOTR with another mate in another van. It was relatively mild throughout and rained once, for about 15 minutes. 

 

Which brings us up to 2015. I have convinced Mrs to come along with me again this year. And, because clearly enough time has passed for them to conceive of it, or forget 2012, my Welsh friend (lets call him Mike) and his wife are coming along with us again....

 

The two Mrs are sharing the campervan (a modern Japanese one borrowed from the sister in law) and us 'boys' are sharing a tent next door.

I am just not prepared to experience this in heavy rain again. It will not happen. My wife will not allow it to happen. Mike and Lisa are not prepared for it to be the case. Just to make sure, we spent 5 days just outside Crickhowell in a yurt the week before last. It rained quite a bit. So some of the Welsh rain has been used up and has fallen on our heads. It's done. Stands to reaon it will be dry this year. And it's my 50th birthday Green Man extravaganza.

IT WILL NOT RAIN

Will it?

 

Fraz's picture Fraz replied on

I spent a lot of the 2012 festival under cover in the Far Out tent - Tallest Man On Earth was a particular highlight. Then the sun came out in time for Tune-Yards on the Sunday, which was fantastic. The mud was ridiculous that year though.

Krasnyi's picture Krasnyi replied on

Blimey, good job you didn't go in either 2007 or 2008, the latter surely the wettest and muddiest GM ever. We persuaded friends to go that year and they've not been to a festival since.

ljt79's picture ljt79 replied on

We last GMed in 2011, which was ocassionally drizzley and ocassionally sunny (i.e. about perfect). On the basis I've used up all my good weather allowance (that's how it works, obvs) has anyone got any wet weather advice? What are the must have survival tools beyond wellies and a mac?

moz replied on

not wellies! Wellies hurt your tootsies. Walking boots with a think sock are heavenly. (comparitively)

ray_rad's picture ray_rad replied on

i say it every year

but they can make the difference between a miserable experience and not caring whether it rains or not at all

cost next to nothing (get a cheap pair from argos)

weigh next to nothing (stick em in yer rucksack - if you don't need them, you won't have even noticed that you're carrying them)

berthasdad's picture berthasdad replied on

Not attending with my wife and Lisa. That is the only survival tool anyone needs if its wet this year. Mud and rain we can all do. Just not with them.

2011 was nice, I remember it well.

ljt79's picture ljt79 replied on

Good idea! I have walking boots as well, which I'll go with unless it gets super muddy as I don't have gaters. I was looking at those seat pads in Millets yesterday, but £5 seems a lot for a sheet of foam that probably won't make it home... Maybe a roll of bin bags would suffice...?

peridot's picture peridot replied on

berthasdad - your 2012 experience has may parallels with our 2008 one when we came with friends who hated every moment of it and have never returned to any festival. Mrs P also gave up that year. 

I hate to say it but '08 was bad, '10 was bad, '12 was bad - seems to me that we're overdue a bad 'un.

 

berthasdad's picture berthasdad replied on

Sorry peridot I'm refusing to listen.

it will not be bad. It cannot be bad. 

Although I've been told by mrs Bertha that if it's looking proper wet she isn't going to take the journey south with me/us.

ill miss her fair weather loveliness, but can try to lark about in the mud without her harshing my mellow. 

 

Dont think these will be the last weather-related forum posts......do you?!

Wakestock replied on

Monday 17 August—Sunday 23 August
A return to cool northwesterly winds

Westerly or northwesterly winds will become the norm through this week with rather cool and cloudy conditions with rain at times for western Scotland. The week won't be a total washout though with some good dry and fine spells too. Further south and east there will be one or two showers but on the whole, it will be a mainly dry week with above average temperatures.

Towards the end of the week the likelihood of thundery showers breaking out across the southeast gradually increases as warmth builds.

 

This is the key phrase I'm holding on to: "mainly dry week with above average temperatures."

Elizabeth McEvoy's picture Elizabeth McEvoy replied on

With you on this one Wakestock, I like the sound of "mainly dry week with above average temperatures." too.

I'd take that.

moz replied on

I have never understood the fascination with the weather. I mean......it's handy with regards to packing etc. But this constant analysis about what it might be.....it's SO dull. If it is sunny, we will all have a lovely time . But, if it's rainy? Well.....we will all have a lovely time.

 

It's always lovely among those hills for a weekend in august.

marc_london replied on

Laid back on the hill in the sun with a beer is always the best way to go... Will be my first Green Man, I'm guessing even if it rains it won't mud bath up since it's fairly small?

Compocoles replied on

Unfortunately I've seen the mud at Greenman on par with Glastonbury and some other major festivals, 2012 and a good few years before I've had certains spots come to the top of my wellies. Doesn't bother me in the slightest mind as I find it difficult to have an unpleasant time at Greenman, although if you're in a group with someone who is extremely irritated by mud and bad weather I can fully understand the people praying for good weather! 

Slugger's picture Slugger replied on

It became a bit of a mud-bath in 2012 but they've done a bit of work on the site since then to avoid a repeat. As bad as 2012 conditions were, the line-up was so fantastic (for me the best yet) that I have fond memories of the mud. At the time of course I was cursing it like everyone else especially as the wellies were left behind due to a full to the brim car.  

Nathan replied on

I was at 2012, and it was a bit muddy - especially on top of the hill, and the inclines away from the courtyard! - but is wasn;t too bad. I skipped 2013, but last year they seemed to have sunk quite hefty plastic mesh into the areas where the mud got bad. I think that stops things getting churned up. 

Anyway, we're predicted sun now! 

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