'I quit my job so I could go to Glastonbury'

Jasmine DuFraisse
BBC News, Manchester
BBC Laurence wears a black T-shirt, black shorts and a purple hat. He stands next to his friends Meg (left) and Kitty (middle) in the coach station surrounded by bags. They smile at the camera as Meg and Kitty do peace signs BBC
Laurence (right) quit his job after his request for time off to attend the festival was denied

A man who quit his job to attend Glastonbury Festival has said he "had to do it" because his leave request was denied.

Laurence had been working as a videographer at a university but left the role last month ahead of the festival.

"They wouldn't give me the time off so I handed in my notice and here we are," he said.

The gates to Glastonbury Festival opened earlier and thousands of people are heading to the site on Worthy Farm ahead of this weekend's festival

Laurence was travelling with his friends Meg and Kitty who were up at 04:00 BST to catch the coach from Manchester Coach Station to the Somerset town.

"I'm on adrenaline, I've had two hours sleep but we'll get there," he said.

Craft-lover Kitty said she planned to spent the journey crocheting a bandana to match one of Meg's outfits.

She said she was also planning to turn their tent into a "sanctuary" for the group with fairy lights and air mattresses.

"She's got enough to make it into an Airbnb when she gets there," Meg joked.

More than 200,000 people are set to descend on the site in the coming days ahead of the main festival programme launching on Friday.

The Manchester trio said they would spend the build up completing "sidequests", hunting out secret bars and hidden venues.

They said they were also looking forward to Charli XCX's set where they planned to unveil a two foot chicken head they have brought with them.

"We might be on telly as a couple of chicken heads, you never know," Laurence told BBC Radio Manchester.

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