Bideford Festival bites the dust

Subject: Bideford Festival bites the dust
From: doc.tom
Date: 27 Jun 11 - 11:43 AM

Sad to relate, the organisers have just announced that the Bideford Folk Festival 2011 will not be taking place. Funding disappeared last year and town traders won't contribute seriously. They were going to do a shoestring festival this year but advance bookings are low and therefore it becomes too risky.

Sad, but not the only one. And I fear there will be more.

TomB

Subject: RE: Bideford Festival bites the dust
From: My guru always said
Date: 27 Jun 11 - 11:48 AM

Yes, very sad indeed. Heard last night as I would have been singing there. Hilary and Jerry have already done a great deal of organising to arrange the weekend festival but due to lack of advance ticket sales have had to cancel. Such a shame, I feel so sorry for them!

Yes, this has already happened to several other good festivals and will affect more as time goes by and we all feel the pinch and fuel prices increase.

Subject: RE: Bideford Festival bites the dust
From: Andy Jackson
Date: 27 Jun 11 - 04:49 PM

How very sad. This was a lovely little festival with a great future but for money!!
Andy

Subject: RE: Bideford Festival bites the dust
From: Dave Earl
Date: 27 Jun 11 - 07:14 PM

Yeah bit of a downer really init.

Was gonna be there as a steward but now I am free to do White Horse at Grove if they'll 'ave I

Dave

Subject: RE: Bideford Festival bites the dust
From: Soldier boy
Date: 27 Jun 11 - 07:45 PM

It seems to be a sign of the times unfortunately and it is such a shame. I also fear that there will be more casualties to come.

Subject: RE: Bideford Festival bites the dust
From: Andy Jackson
Date: 28 Jun 11 - 07:48 AM

As I have posted before, this is the problem with relying on funding. However keen and forthcoming backers are at first, the festival is at the mercy of their whim. This is why the small song and ale weekends are thriving. We need both though and it it a shame to see such a friendly festival demise. However we are to blame for not putting mo ney where mouth is and buying sufficient tickets in advance. I wonder if a warning might have ellicited more sales. My sincere commiserations to Jerry and Hilary, to have lost their festival twice.

Subject: RE: Bideford Festival bites the dust
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 28 Jun 11 - 09:33 AM

While not wishing to be a wet blanket, or to diss ths perticular festival, but, it has been my contention for a long time, that there are just too many festivals.
Trying to arrange something special, like a Mudgather is almost impossible, as whatever weekend you choose, someone will whinge about it clashing with this or that festival.

Subject: RE: Bideford Festival bites the dust
From: Rob Naylor
Date: 28 Jun 11 - 09:47 AM

I'd agree with John here...since my relatively late induction into the world of "Folk" I've been astounded by the number of festivals and gatherings organised within what is after all a relatively small niche of the overall music arena.

for the last 3-4 weekends I've had the option of attending at least 3, sometimes 4, festivals or events within a 60 minute drive of where I live. They've noticeably depleted attendance at sessions and singarounds, too. Indeed, one session that I sometimes attend is completely suspended during the summer "because everyone's travelling around from one festival to another".

It's hard to see how they can all be kept viable.

Subject: RE: Bideford Festival bites the dust
From: Girl Friday
Date: 28 Jun 11 - 09:59 AM

I had exactly the same problem. Much research was done to avoid Crayside clashing with another festival... but.... it turned out not to be possible. Couldn't get hold of a Morris Side.... and that's for a small, free festival at our Folk Club's home pub. It didn't help that we got virtually no publicity from Bexley Council this year. We don't ask for money.. just a bit of moral support.

Subject: RE: Bideford Festival bites the dust
From: skipy
Date: 28 Jun 11 - 02:42 PM

Kate & I are NOT pleased to see any festival have to close it's doors, if it is the same weekend as ours or not. It is the loss of another festival & that can never be good. For those on the committee we know it is a lot of work that has now been wasted.
However our doors are open on the same weekend see:- www.whitehorsefolkfestival.co.uk
You will be made more than welcome.
Skipy

Subject: RE: Bideford Festival bites the dust
From: GUEST,Rattler
Date: 28 Jun 11 - 06:03 PM

Very sorry to hear of the demise of Bideford FF. While I had never been able to get there because of a long-standing commitment to Whitby, I had heard many good reports of it from friends in the North & Midlands, particularly the friendliness of the event. That's no surprise to anyone who's visited the Bideford Folk Club, run by much the same team as the FF.

My thoughts go out to Hilary & Gerry for all their hard work, and hope they'll have success with future ventures. Richard B.

Subject: RE: Bideford Festival bites the dust
From: Linda Kelly
Date: 28 Jun 11 - 06:23 PM

Lets hope we can collectively lobby the Heritage Lottery Fund and persuade them post Olympics that sport has had its fair share of our cash and its time to let music have a dip into the pot!

Subject: RE: Bideford Festival bites the dust
From: doc.tom
Date: 29 Jun 11 - 05:23 AM

White Horse Festival (see above) is DEFINITELY the place to go!

Subject: RE: Bideford Festival bites the dust
From: Mr Red
Date: 29 Jun 11 - 07:09 AM

I will be there. The ceilidh anyway. The WHFF that is.

AND on the subject of the Olympsics (sic) - is anyone planning to watch them on the proposed big screen at Sidmouth 2012?

thought not................

Subject: RE: Bideford Festival bites the dust
From: GUEST,Raggytash
Date: 29 Jun 11 - 07:38 AM

I'm planning to avoid the Olympic games in their entirety

Subject: RE: Bideford Festival bites the dust
From: cloudstreet
Date: 29 Jun 11 - 08:16 AM

Sad news. We've had some lovely times there.
John and Nic

Subject: RE: Bideford Festival bites the dust
From: Girl Friday
Date: 29 Jun 11 - 08:41 AM

Don't mention the Olympics. I am convinced that Folk Clubs are struggling, not just because of the financial climate, but because there is too much sport on T V ! Orpington is just outside South East London, where some of the Olympics will take place. I'm dreading it, and Orpington Friday Folk (average audience 3 ) will close at end of May 2012, before it all starts up.It would close sooner, but for bookings already made for 2012, which I will honour.
Orpington Friday Folk

Subject: RE: Bideford Festival bites the dust
From: bubblyrat
Date: 29 Jun 11 - 09:54 AM

Oh bugger !! We were really looking forward to that ,too ; however, we wanted to have a little holiday down in Bideford anyway, so , as the National Express coach tickets are in my travel-folder , and we are already booked in for a few days at Dave Green's B & B , I guess we'll still be going !! Perhaps we'll get the chance to play a few tunes and songs with Hilary and co. in the pub ?? Anybody else going to be there ??

Subject: RE: Bideford Festival bites the dust
From: Dave Earl
Date: 29 Jun 11 - 11:06 AM

"the proposed big screen at Sidmouth 2012"

I was hoping to go to Sidmouth to avoid the Olympics altogether so I hope the big screen doesn't happen.

Dave

Subject: RE: Bideford Festival bites the dust
From: Clecky Dave
Date: 29 Jun 11 - 02:25 PM

Another one closes through lack of financial support. When will other local councils wake up to the fact that our events are worth every penny they invest in payback to local business and to the community. We are very very very fortunate to have the full support of Kirklees Council who are ecstatic with the work we do at Cleckheaton FF so much so that we are almost guaranteed a festival next year and can plan for it well in advance. Wake up councillors and support the many willing VOLUNTEERS who make these things happen for you on your patch!

Subject: RE: Bideford Festival bites the dust
From: vectis
Date: 29 Jun 11 - 02:56 PM

Maybe if the local council do a 'costs/benanalysis like Broadstairs council did they will realise that it deserves support. They will need the organisers to PROVE the benifit to the whole town.

Maybe another year after Dartmoor folk weekend?

Subject: RE: Bideford Festival bites the dust
From: skipy
Date: 29 Jun 11 - 07:26 PM

One of the last things councils will ever admit is that Folk is good for the comunity & taking the piss out of morris men is almost a national sport. Shops etc. that profit form festivals will rather say they made a 1% margin out of the event than admit that they made a lot more so as not to give any back, they had to pay extra staff you know & then there is the extra electricity! Pubs have to put extra staff on, the fact that they where run ragged during the weekend only just made them break even (Yeh right!) Heard it all before - too many times! The only way fwd. is to be self sustaining during these hard times. For us the "hard times" seem to have been the last 25 years since we started!
Skipy White Horse Folk Festival Aug 12, 13, 14 see website.

Subject: RE: Bideford Festival bites the dust
From: doc.tom
Date: 30 Jun 11 - 05:50 AM

Bideford did all the analysis / cost benefit / peripheral spend stuff already - you're talking about pros in the trade (but vounteers in the festival, of course). Local Council are simply ignorant. Traders won't put up the money - and would you if your competitors stood to gain without contributing?

Skipy's right - self sufficiency is the answer. That's what we did with the real (original) Song and Ale and it's just made 33 years. But that doesn't pay for the acts you think you want in a 'stage v. audience' type of set-up.