Ascott Fesival. Were you there?

Subject: Ascott Fesival. Were you there?
From: RobbieWilson
Date: 26 Jul 06 - 10:32 AM

I know it was not really a folk fes, but Richard Thompson was on the bill and I know he has a lot of friends in here.

I was at this festival last weekend(21 22 July). Richard Thompson was brilliant on Friday night. There was a great thundesrstorm on saturday afternoon and once it had brightened up again they announced that the rest of the fes was cancelled and everyone should go home. All the vendors closed and the music field was cleared. Stewards came round the camping field encouraging everyone to leave and most did. Nothing at all was done for those left though we did enjoy a very pleasant evening singing round a ire until well into the morning.
Does anyone know anything about this?

Subject: RE: Ascott Fesival. Were you there?
From: skipy
Date: 26 Jul 06 - 10:41 AM

www.traditionmagazine.com/linksfestivals.htm
skipy

Subject: RE: Ascott Fesival. Were you there?
From: Scrump
Date: 26 Jul 06 - 10:43 AM

Yes, I heard about the floods on the 2nd day. Sad for those who had no choice but to go home - I gather a lot of them had been drinking and were unable to drive (as they hadn't expected to have to that evening), which must have given them a problem. Did anyone get arrested, I wonder? I'm glad I didn't go in the circumstances, although I'd have liked to see RT on the first night.

Subject: RE: Ascott Fesival. Were you there?
From: skipy
Date: 26 Jul 06 - 10:51 AM

www.traditionmagazine.com/linksfestivals.htm

Subject: RE: Ascott Fesival. Were you there?
From: RobbieWilson
Date: 26 Jul 06 - 04:43 PM

So where did you hear that, Scrump? I was there and was not aware of any flooding or other poor conditions, once the rain had passed.

The festival was cancelled after the storm had passed and a lovely evening begun. Why should anyone be arrested? Again I am not aware of any unpleasantness. A poorly attended festival was cut short, in my view to cut the financial losses. The paying customers were dumped once this decision was made.

Subject: RE: Ascott Fesival. Were you there?
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 26 Jul 06 - 05:08 PM

Time for a writ

Subject: RE: Ascott Fesival. Were you there?
From: RobbieWilson
Date: 26 Jul 06 - 05:18 PM

Part of the trouble with that, Richard is that the fes was billed as a fundraiser for Oxfordshire MIND. The organisation was a specially formed ltd company and by the look of the small numbers and high overheads I would be surprised if there was any money to sue for.

Subject: RE: Ascott Fesival. Were you there?
From: RobbieWilson
Date: 27 Jul 06 - 05:12 AM

Subject: RE: Ascott Fesival. Were you there?
From: Scrump
Date: 27 Jul 06 - 07:59 AM

RobbieWilson wrote:
So where did you hear that, Scrump? I was there and was not aware of any flooding or other poor conditions, once the rain had passed.

The festival was cancelled after the storm had passed and a lovely evening begun. Why should anyone be arrested? Again I am not aware of any unpleasantness. A poorly attended festival was cut short, in my view to cut the financial losses. The paying customers were dumped once this decision was made.

Well I wasn't there, I was only reporting what I heard from others who were. I have no reason to make anything up. As you were there and I wasn't, then I have to defer to you.

But why was it cancelled if the weather was fine? Doesn't seem to make sense to me.

Subject: RE: Ascott Fesival. Were you there?
From: RobbieWilson
Date: 27 Jul 06 - 08:59 AM

Why indeed?

One possibility is that the organisers had expected a vastly greater sale of tickets than occurred. There may have been insurance for the eventuality of the event closing because of bad weather. It may have been simply to save a days wages/ equipment hire. I don't know, thats why I opened the discussion.

What I do know is that shortly after the closure was announced trucks were removing stage and equipment. The weather was by this time beautiful and remained so all night and while paying punters were kept on the outside of the fence where the marquees and only shelter were a loud, lit and amplified party went on inside.

Subject: RE: Ascott Fesival. Were you there?
From: RobbieWilson
Date: 27 Jul 06 - 07:33 PM

Got an email from the Cotswold Brewery , who supplied beer for one of the beer vans. They told me the beer van had called them at 12 noon saying the fesival was being cancelled. This was before the storm and some 5 hours before we, the punters were told.

Curiouser and curiouser.

Subject: RE: Ascott Fesival. Were you there?
From: jonm
Date: 28 Jul 06 - 04:15 AM

Went on the Friday night to see RT. Given that kids' tickets were free, we reckoned the weekend tickets cost us about what four would have cost for another venue to see him.

Since it was so poorly attended, we got to see RT up close and personal on a lovely summer's evening and had the choice whether to return on the Saturday. I'm glad we didn't.

Nine Below Zero were a cracking rock/blues band and there was an 80's rock outfit doing note-for-note covers of classics, but the rest of the Friday acts were a disappointment, especially since I looked up their websites. Why is it that new bands all have brilliant websites before they have learned to play?

There cetainly seems to be a mystery as to the cancellation, though.

Subject: RE: Ascott Fesival. Were you there?
From: RobbieWilson
Date: 29 Jul 06 - 07:04 AM

Richard Thompson was brilliant. A long set and so much energy from just one man and an acoustic guitar. He looked like he was enjoying himself too, can't be that often he can see rveryone in the audience.

It's a week later and still no reply from the organisers. not even an acknowledgement of my mail.

Subject: RE: Ascott Fesival. Were you there?
From: GUEST,Steve and Caroline
Date: 02 Aug 06 - 04:11 AM

Yes, we bought Weekend Tickets and arrived late Friday afternoon. Audience suspiciously small (50) and food stalls empty. Music was poor until Nine Below, and of course the wonderful Richard T - but why did he only play for 70 minutes when billed for 90? many close to us felt oddly cheated.
Saturday was wet, but when you've been to Cropredy as often as we have you just 'get on with it'. As we drove in late in the afternoon, hoping to catch Christine Collister, we were told "It's been cancelled due to electrical storm and as there were more forecast they had no option but to cancel". Having paid over £70 for a 2 day event we certainly feel cheated by the organisers.

Subject: RE: Ascott Fesival. Were you there?
From: RobbieWilson
Date: 02 Aug 06 - 08:07 PM

Hi guys
The people I spent Saturday afternoon with were waiting to see Christine Collister also. We too felt cheated. I have still had no reply from organisers to my e-mail.

Were you turned back at the road as you tried to get on the site? What sort of time was that. Was the storm still going on.? The word from Cotswold Brewery is that they were told of the curtailment before the storm even started.