Geoffrey Harvey, 1978 (the unofficial festival)

I was in my very first band, in my twenties and with one of my first jobs as a Pinball Machine engineer with the all important van... The year was 1978 I believe and we turned up unannounced and semi uninvited one Thursday evening at the Glastonbury festival, lack of knowledge and organisation made up for by pure enthusiasm and the excitement of the unknown.

I was super short of fuel as was our "other" van a large ex British Road Services van with a thirst for petrol and whilst in conversation with some true "Hippies" mounted on horseback a lovely particularly engaging individual who would not have been out of place in a documentary about lost civilizations asked if anyone could ride a horse which I actually could and without hesitation he handed over his beautiful piebald Mare with a long mane and tail to my care and off I trotted to the town itself with Jerry cans strapped to the saddle.

A glorious ride on a beautiful day accompanied by some exceedingly weird looks and moments of mild embarrassment brought fuel to our two vans and for the generator that was to power our lights and sound on a small hand crafted stage and no sign of a horse owner, but unperturbed we had a lovely first gig and although still no sign of my new equine companion's owner.

We were asked if we could be free for the weekend as a a band had dropped out and we were offered the support slot for "Hawkwind" which was to me like the Gods coming down to have an unexpected chat with me - we were all overcome with astonishment and actually played on the "original" Pyramid stage that sadly burnt down many years later and I can truly say it was one of the very best days in my very happy life .I still have a cassette of the track as a memento and during the gig the beautiful horse to whom by now I had become deeply attached was tethered to my van so as not to be anywhere too loud and gave me a lovely welcome as I came off stage overwhelmed by the whole event.

Being before the world of instant communication I was wondering where I could find a phone box to ask "my mum" if we could keep a horse in our garden in Golders Green when the errant equestrian turned up and said "cheers Man" for the gig and was reunited with his horse and when I said truthfully if unwillingly that I had been looking for him, he nonchalantly replied "if she did'n't like you she would have left you and found me"... and with love, disappointment and the awareness of unwelcome reality I said farewell.

I remember those few days with such great delight now aged 63 and still playing drums and having originally borrowed my "works van" for one day and left home and came back 6 days later a changed person.

It was worth all the brief grief as even now I look back at those few days as truly life changing and totally an insight into another possible world and still remains possibly and almost definitely the best week of my life . . .so far!

Our main singer and songwriter Hal (unlike his namesake in 2001) is now a teacher and the lead guitarist "Mathew Ashman who was a quiet "hippy type" joined Adam and the Ants and then "Bow Bow Wow" and was less quiet . . .but sadly died some years ago - Jasper the bass player became a member of "Then Jericho" - I am lucky enough to be in touch with the lovely John, percussionist and lovely man who was very practical and cheerful and Jasper and rarely but delightfully Hal…

I am now after a long gap a regular attendee at Glastonbury and have been lucky enough to do pinball and music bits at “Lost Vagueness” and “Shangri La” and then more recently the fantastic “Glastonbury on Sea” pier built by the mudtoid waste but still looking back on those few days in 1981 as my most exciting and astonishing times both at Glastonbury and ever…