That's correct Dave - the Festival needed to be rescued never mind saving! But the council needs to recognise how it should move on - or let it go in name at least.....the main thing really is that there are two sides to organising a major festival in a town whether it be folk based or otherwise, you do it to raise an income for the town and be a major tourist attraction for the town (which in previous years the MFAB did achieve and won awards for) and secondly to 'entertain' and enhance the pleasure derived from living in a small market and canal town and the experience of living in a local community like this one and there is absolutely no reason why a management team can't do both. If they don't have the capacity within their own resources - then outsource it!

For some reason - the festival has never been allowed to be treated as a business or be recognised as the valuable asset to this town that it could be and should be and without a doubt has been and anyone seen to be attempting to raise the financial profile of the festival albeit to the benefit of the town and it's businesses will be challenged. Rightly so! However these challenges have overruled common business sense...The Council needs to see sense and ignore those who block it - that is detrimental to it's success and a serious oversight and must be worrying to local businesses in what has to be an opportunity to achieve their best business weekend of the year!

I doubt if this year was a success for all financially, what a waste!