Insight Interview No.5

As we get ready to board the ferry over to the Isle of Wight Festival for a weekend of running the RESPECT camp field and spreading the Love Your Tent and Take it Home message it seemed only fitting to get the camping low down from Isle of Wight boss, John Giddings:

1. Do you own a tent and if so how long have you had it?
YES – OUR DAUGHTER IS USING IT FOR DUKE OF EDINBURGH

2. Where is your favourite camping destination and why?
ANYWHERE WHERE IT IS NOT RAINING…
I LIKE CORNWALL

3. Apart from IOW are there any festivals you look forward to over the summer?
WERCHTER IN BELGIUM

4. Why do you think the UK embraces outdoor festivals and as a result has an enviable leading festival scene?
IT IS NOW A RITE OF PASSAGE FOR A YOUNG PERSON
IT IS SAFE,AND YOU CAN MEET PEOPLE

5. Does IOW have a problem with discarded tents and camping equipment?
YES

6. It’s estimated across festival land, that 1 in 5 people leave their tent behind after each festival does that surprise you?
YES – THEY SHOULD NOT BE LAZY,AND TAKE THEM AWAY

7. Why do you think think people leave their tent and camping equipment behind?
THEY DON’T WANT MUDDY THINGS – WET ,TOO HEAVY,LAZY? AND THE EQUIPMENT IS CHEAP

8. What do you think can be done to change people’s behaviour and to value their possessions and the environment more?
TELL THEM THE HARM IT CAUSES – EDUCATE THEM,OFFER THEM SOMETHING!

9. Do you have a funny camping story?
A FOX STOLE MY SAUSAGES

10. What are your current top three tracks to listen to around the campfire?
BASTILLE POMPEII
IAN HUNTER ALL THE YOUNG DUDES
KODALINE ALL I WANT

11. Any top camping tips?
BE NICE TO YOUR NEIGHBOURS

12. In your experience is there anything festivals can be doing more of to make it easy for punters to take everything home with them?
NOT REALLY – THEY ARE VERY TIRED AT THE END OF A LONG WEEKEND!!

13. What do you think of the first cross-festival waste campaign aimed at campers, Love Your Tent?
IT’S A GREAT IDEA...
  

Isle of Wight Festival at Seaclose Park runs from 13th-16th June 2013 with headliners including Stone Roses, The Killers and Bon Jovi