A SHREWD family have told how they earn a fortune flogging parking spaces at the Glastonbury Festival – then blow all the cash on a monster knees up and a holiday in Turkey.
Happy-go-lucky Rich Rayner, 64, snapped up a field just a ten minute walk from the world renowned music festival in 1992.
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Since then the cheeky grandad has raked in an absolute killing at his Ash Combe Park site where punters can park as well as camp.
Rich, from Glastonbury, told The Sun how he used to run a catering trailer on the site which was owned by travellers.
He explained: “After the festival they wanted to sell it so I did a deal with them… £10,000, I second mortgaged my house to get it.”
The 64-year-old – who was a local bus driver for 30 years in Somerset – runs the entire campsite just off the A361 with his family and mates from the area.
Parking on the three-acre plot starts at £35 and goes up to over £70 for campervans for the whole weekend.
And with space to park “500-600 cars plus 70 campers”, the family and their mates are laughing.
Pal Shaun Doggerell, 56, whose job is to keep an eye out for mischief with “24 hour patrols” at the site reckons they get about “2000 visitors” in over the weekend.
The whole family are involved too and the nippers, youngest four, orders the campers into the correct car parking spots.
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“No one’s going to eff and blind at a four-year-old are they!”, chimes Howard Fox, 69, a local mate of Rich’s who’s worked at the site since it opened.
Meanwhile Rich’s wife Teresa runs a burger van flogging £4.50 greasy patties day and night.
She’s working out of a massive shed her hubby brought online for just under £6,000.
Son David Payne, 38, added: “We get people coming off the streets, using the burger van as obviously our burgers are a lot cheaper than going in there.”
Sleeping arrangements for the team are basic – a few tents and a caravan have to suffice.
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But they don’t care as they’re only getting 3 hours sleep a night “Monday to Monday”.
There are three showers onsite, mains water, a simple concrete toilet block and it all costs £3,500 to set up.
But punters have to be quick if they want to snap up the bargain parking the family has on offer and Rich says booking sells out every year.
Punters in hatchbacks and small cars pay £35 a pitch for the whole weekend – or £35 a day if they leave the site each evening.
It is £40 for estates, 4×4’s and small vans and £70 for campers, while motorhomes and caravans can cost upwards of £75 for the weekend.
But the money is made if festival goers rock up in a car towing a caravan which takes up three pitches – these can net the family over £150 each.
No one’s going to eff and blind at a four-year-old are they!
Howard Fox, helper at site
Rich proudly notes: “We are still the cheapest campsite at Glastonbury!”
Rich was jailed in 1999 but he’s back out flogging his guts each year at his prized paddock which he says is for his kids.
And despite what the critics say, local lad Shaun – who one bystander branded “The Godfather” as he sat in his chair – insists “we are not here to rob people”.
While pal Howard added: “We do it cos we love it.”
The site hasn’t been without its problems and David – who works on the gates – says the family used to arm themselves with “baseball bats” to fight off “thieves”.
They say the festival used to be a honey pot for bandits who would journey down to “rob people”.
The pals – who carry out their own security – have even dragged people off the site who get mouthy.
“We sort ’em out ourselves”, Shaun quips.
Kids do the litter picking so the parents don’t have to and then dart off on the Monday leaving punters to find their own way out.
NEVER SELLING UP
David says his old man has had “thousands of people” offering to buy his prized plot but he isn’t budging.
Reflecting on his prized plot, Rich says: “Over the years it has been a good investment, it’s been a good family investment.”
While David says he is is proud of what his family achieved.
Despite being pushed, Rich refused to reveal how much he is raking in, but he winked and said its enough to see him through for “some time”.
And once it’s all over – the fun really starts.
The adults up sticks and drink the profits down with a massive knees up at the Hungry Horse boozer in nearby Yeovil, then jet off on holidays.
Rich chimed: “I treat them all to a big evening at the pub once this is all over – it’s fantastic.”
Shaun says the cash he earns gives him enough to take a holiday in the UK each year which he says he loves.
And for Rich, he jets off to Turkey with wife Teresa to recover from the brutal toil the Glastonbury week has on him.
It’s also much needed break from day-to-day grandchild duties he helps his kids out with.
A whopping 210,000 festival goers are expected to descend on Glastonbury, which runs from Wednesday June 22 to Sunday June 26.
What to watch out for when renting your drive
BEFORE you dive in and start renting your drive, you should first make a few checks:
1. If you don’t own your home, check if your landlord is happy for you to rent out the space.
2. Check if renting your parking space will invalidate your home insurance – it may increase your insurance risk and therefore your premium or you may need a separate public liability policy.
3. Check how payments are made via the rental website. It’s best to withdraw cash as soon as possible to protect your money if the worst were to happen and the company went bust
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This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk
