I DON'T go on holiday.

Instead, I choose to spend my summers sitting in fields, often covered in mud nursing wellie-induced sores, at music festivals up and down the country.

Glastonbury, of course, is the mother of them all and something I would urge everyone to experience at least once in their life.

But I am not alone. At least 177,000-odd others are also keen to go. 

And this is where the annual horror of ticket day comes in.

I've done it what feels like a million times; sitting in front of my computer/phone/laptop/tablet, clicking and pressing F5 for what seems like hours in the hope of seeing that screen appear asking me how many tickets I would like to buy...

The pressure... The pressure...

But that is just the first round of ticket sales. If you miss out, once you get over the initial disappointment, you psyche yourself up for the final resale.

It's on Sunday.

Contrary to popular belief, there is no sure-fire way of getting through and buying your tickets.

However, here are some tips which may - or may not - help. 

Good luck.

1. Open different browsers. I've always had Chrome, Firefox, even the dreaded Internet Explorer running when trying for tickets. They all work in different ways, so who knows if one may be more effective than another?

2. Learn URLs. Ticket sales websites often use a specific URL for big events, like Glastonbury, so do your research and have this copied to your pasteboard.

3. Have all of your details ready. With Glastonbury, you need your registration numbers to buy a ticket, so have them ready for speedy copying and pasting. The same goes for your card details (remember, you must pay by debit card - NOT credit card).

4. Stay away from the 'back' button. If you're through, don't panic and start hitting 'refresh' and 'back' too soon. Things take time.

5. Keep the faith. Don't give up at the first sign of your patience running out. Others are giving up all the time, or have got through, so the queue is constantly getting shorter, even though it doesn't feel like it. Don't give up too easily.

One thing I would add is that getting a ticket is not the be-all-and-end-all, no matter how much it may feel like it.

There are countless other great festivals around - which I will write about soon - and there will be other Glastonburys. Fingers crossed.

So don't get too down if you miss out - it just wasn't meant to be.

Meanwhile, check out the official Glastonbury Festival FAQs on the resale so that you are well prepared for all eventualities - they are available here.

Burnham and Highbridge Weekly News: Glastonbury Festival Pyramid Stage. Pic: Paul Jones