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Post by webm@ster on Jun 23, 2004 7:17:22 GMT -5
The gates to this year's Glastonbury Festival opened on Wednesday, with organisers predicting a sunny afternoon following heavy rain. A spokesman said some festival-goers were already queuing when the gates opened at 1000BST (0900GMT), despite there being no music until Friday.
He said organiser Michael Eavis was planning to use a "cloudbusting machine" to help keep the rain away.
This year's event is headlined by Oasis, Muse and Sir Paul McCartney.
"There are quite a lot of people already on site - workers and the like - and it is pretty buzzing already, despite the rain," said Eavis.
"Because the ground is so dry, it has soaked up pretty well. The rain is predicted to clear this afternoon and the sun to come out," he added, hopefully.
Saturday rain
The five-day forecast for neighbouring Shepton Mallet shows sunny weather for Thursday, Friday and Sunday, but showers on Saturday. The temperature is expected to reach a high of 21C on Sunday.
The festival features some 2,000 acts spread over 25 venues
Eavis' "cloudbusting" machine was designed by 1960s psychologist and inventor Wilhelm Reich, who believed extracting "orgone radiation" from the atmosphere caused clouds to turn to rain.
The machine, which may be set up several miles away to "break up" clouds far from the site, was last used at the festival in 1971.
"It is a bit of a joke," the spokesman said. "In a way it is using psychological powers to keep the rain away. He's (Eavis) still trying to get the machine working."
Headliner Sir Paul McCartney recently used another machine to spray dry ice into rainclouds at a concert in Russia.
Giant screen
Meanwhile, organisers announced that they will show England's Euro 2004 football match against Portugal on a giant screen on Thursday night to prevent festival-goers leaving the site to watch it in local pubs.
In a continued bid to prevent criminal behaviour, police will this year patrol the 100,000-capacity festival site on mountain bikes.
"Officers on mountain bikes can get around the Glastonbury site much more quickly and efficiently than those in 4x4 vehicles," a police spokesman said.
Last year reported crime at the festival fell 43%, with robberies falling almost 80%.
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