Bright side to Glasto toilets

A Fort William student was invited to lunch by the founder of the world-famous Glastonbury Festival as a reward for his hours of hard work – helping to maintain thousands of loos.

Joseph Rochford, 22, is a volunteer with the charity WaterAid.

And last year he was one of nearly 500 volunteers with WaterAid’s Loo Crew, who cleaned and maintained more than 2,500 “long drop” toilets across the huge area of the festival which is held most years in Somerset.

Michael Eavis of Worthy Farm – who founded the Glastonbury Festival on his land more than 40 years ago – judged Joseph’s Loo Crew team to be the best on the site, and he extended the lunch invitation at this year’s festival.

Mr Rochford said: “Glastonbury is just an amazing event and I love

“Mr Eavis is a brilliantly eccentric character”

going there as it’s always great fun.

“Last year I was part of the crew that maintained the toilets in the late night area, so it was fantastic when three other volunteers and myself were asked to lunch by Mr Eavis.

“He is a brilliantly eccentric character and I really enjoyed meeting him.

“His support for WaterAid in providing clean water and decent toilets to some of the world’s poorest people is a real inspiration.”

Conditions at last year’s festival were very wet and muddy which made the work of the WaterAid volunteers all the more difficult.

But the adventure tourism management student at West Highland College in Fort William wasn’t put off and volunteered for the international development charity again this year.