Topic: 9th July Big Arts Day Lydiard Park

[Muggins]

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They didn't take up my suggestion from last year then.  Several large boards placed about with sticky glue, everyone with litter gets to stick it on and create yet another art work. 

I've heard the staff were out until 1pm looking for someone reported as missing - whoever it was, was found in a pub in old town (not by staff).

Litter was a problem last year, time for action before next year?

[bobwright]

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I think it was better than last year. I thought the music sets played in the food tent were really good and the coffee was not bad either. The post card art was really good value as well as interesting.

Hats off to all those involved although I agree on the litter. There were plenty of bins and stewards but still people went ahead and dropped anywhere but in the bins.

Only down side was the Spiritual IQ test was not about Spritual Intelligence it was a reference to the Ten Comandments. Apparently when I pointed out that Spirituality was not Chrisitan specific I was wrong?

[moley]

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we went for a couple of hours in the afternoon and really enjoyed it... a good way to ease the kids into what a festival is like... although I don't think i'll be able to take them to High Voltage for a few years 

[Muggins]

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I'll try not to book an AGM in the middle of the same day next year, were there plenty of unoccupied seats about?

[Drone]

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Apart from the lawns? Not a lot of seats. It's one of those things they always forget to provide. Bring your own arm chair next year - you'll be the envy of everyone!

[Muggins]

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An arts day only for the young and fit, then.

[Rochelle]

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Paul and I went, had a great time! Saw my daughter perform with her school drama group and did a spot of volunteering which was a laugh as I was escorting walkabouts. The tortoises and hare were lovely, simple, silly and really effective.
As far as Korim Miah is concerned, when you are trying to deliver arts on a budget, if you can arm twist friends and relatives to do something for free, you tend to jump at the chance, not so much nepotism as exploitation of your nearest and dearest!

[Drone]

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True, but depsite all claims to the contrary, it was an expensive event with a lot of paid artists and acts. Well done to the volunteers and community groups who worked and played for free, but most everyone else was paid for their services.

[Muggins]

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"if you can arm twist friends and relatives to do something for free"'

Yes, and you also offer others the chance to show their wares in return for a free half an hour.  I wonder how many others were approached? Didn't see or hear any appeals anywhere.

I can't help thinking that as litter appears to be a big problem, that must not be seen as the only way to volunteer at an Arts event and there is an opportunity to educate in some way.

[Drone]

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Oh er, grapevine in full swing. Some people are muttering about costs for the event...

£100,000+?

And they didn't manage to secure a single sponsor. Yikes.

[Muggins]

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And 20,000+ people stil think its Ok to drop litter!

And politicians think it's still Ok to ask others to pick it up after them.

[Drone]

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They did have a few donation boxes on the day - I wonder how that went?

[Richard Symonds]

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Oh er, grapevine in full swing. Some people are muttering about costs for the event...

£100,000+?

And they didn't manage to secure a single sponsor. Yikes.

Add that to the list.

Private Eye might like to note this rotten borough likes spending money on.....................

Frippery rather than

Services

The party of business my *rse!!

How big is the deficit now?

[Geoff Reid]

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Oh er, grapevine in full swing. Some people are muttering about costs for the event...

£100,000+?

And they didn't manage to secure a single sponsor. Yikes.

Crikey!  Do let us know if the grapevine firms this one up?

I missed the big arts day for the second year running which was disappointing, but I did have a good excuse.

I have but one current moan, which is:  What happened to the lessons learned from Radio Rod's Big Spend Weekend regarding preventing parking issues arising in residential roads bordering Lydiard Park?

I returned home in the afternoon and discovered that Spencer Close and Winchcombe Close were being used as car parks for visitors to the Big Arts Day.  I didn't appreciate having to do a 6 point manouvre to get on my own drive. Some of my neighbours couldn't get on their own drives at all.

None of us appreciated the volume of litter left along every exit from the park and where cars had been parked in our streets - parking in a 'handy spot' for the park is one thing, but dumping their litter on us as well was just lazy and disrespectful.

Most of neighbours are quite supportive of events at Lydiard Park - even those who don't attend and find the noise quite intrusive - but if the parking and litter becomes a regular annoyance I'm quite sure those of who live withing parking & littering distance of the park will question our support.

[Drone]

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That sounds fairly accurate, but the accounting looks creative... some of it buried in existing budgets which have been emptied to deliver one event. A lot of money spent on all the generators, staff (including a lot of agency people, NOT just volunteers), toilets, stages, acts, marketing, posters everywhere.

I think there was a grant for the fireworks that freaked the ducks and swans out so badly. Otherwise, no sponsorship and virtually no money taken through donations.

Did local residents get consulted?

[Muggins]

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Top priority - stop the fireworks, biggest waste of money on God's earth.   Let's face it, they are only an event orgasm rather than a lasting delight.  Plus if you can't do it bigger, better, longer, than the best, then don't bother because it won't be memorable.

Another priority should be making up their mind whether or not there is ANY real interest left in promoting/protecting wildlife* at Lydiard - if there is even a smiggen left then it should be taken into account when organising events. i.e. don't have fireworks.

*I say this because they have had  enough  grants and awards in the past to 'enhance it for wildlife' to enable me as a repsonsible citizen, to make sure that has been spent wisely!