Ashton Court in Financial Trouble
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free spirit
more tea vicar?
If the obituries end up getting written I reckon some serious questions need to be asked about the wisdom of booking simple minds IMO
fizzerbird
Always there when I need me...
Isambard said:
Don't forget Donna Anthrax and fergal sharky!
Come to think of it...we still have video footage of that class act...erm what were they called? it was a trio...a bloke and two birds...they were playing percussion instruments on a huge log in front of a crowd of space-cadets and a chocolate loving beetle...feking brilliant music...WHAT were they called...
free spirit
more tea vicar?
yeah - £7 is fuck all to be fair
thing is once you get yourself into debt in this game it can be really hard to pull out of it IME, unless it's the kind of debt you can get out of through some fund raising parties etc.
when we landed ourselves in a few grands worth of debt the other year we managed to clear it with a few days worth of volunteer stewarding for the council and a couple of parties, but a 100k's worth of stewarding might be pushing it.
My only advice to the bristol peeps would seriously be to pull out all the stops till the regional development agency / DCMS step in with a rescue package... and/ or (depending on legal structure) declare the organisation bankrupt and start again with a new organisation and new management committee (and be more careful).
thing is once you get yourself into debt in this game it can be really hard to pull out of it IME, unless it's the kind of debt you can get out of through some fund raising parties etc.
when we landed ourselves in a few grands worth of debt the other year we managed to clear it with a few days worth of volunteer stewarding for the council and a couple of parties, but a 100k's worth of stewarding might be pushing it.
My only advice to the bristol peeps would seriously be to pull out all the stops till the regional development agency / DCMS step in with a rescue package... and/ or (depending on legal structure) declare the organisation bankrupt and start again with a new organisation and new management committee (and be more careful).
fizzerbird
Always there when I need me...
Isambard said:That was the LetterBoxTigers?
Yes! That's them!
Thank fek! it's been driving me mad for days.
You'll have to watch the footage we captured when you next visit
bus said:erm, it was £7 wasn't it?
I can understand how the sponsorship, and closing the bridge would get on people's tits...but £7 doesn't really seem too much to pa...perhaps i'm just getting old..I dunno
It was £7 if you bought a ticket in advance, or £9 on each day.
However, once you add in the cost of all the buses to get up there and back, or the car park charge (£5 each day?), plus your food and drink purchased onsite (-this year a policy was introduced that restricts people from bringing in more than 4 cans of alcohol), funfair rides for your kids, etc...
-Basically, the little costs all add up. If you're on a tight budget (families, benefits, etc), a few extra quid can really make all the difference.
I know £9 a day doesn't sound much on it's own, but it's a 50% (?) price increase since last year. My concern is more about how much it might cost in the years to come, if prices were to continue rising at the same rate.
The original spirit of AC was surely all about inclusivity. A chance for everybody in Bristol to celebrate. But the more the price rises, the less inclusive it becomes.
JoePolitix
Gone
Why are the costs of running the festival increasing?
What pisses me off is that since Orange started sponsering it the prices have seemed to sore every year. I thought the whole point of a big multinational corporation sponsering an event was to subsidise the cost.
TBH I didn't go to the last one (I was @ the dojos afterparty though) because its just getting more of a hassle - more expensive, bridge closed, corporate wank, no dance stage. Its not the Ashton Court I used to know and love.
What pisses me off is that since Orange started sponsering it the prices have seemed to sore every year. I thought the whole point of a big multinational corporation sponsering an event was to subsidise the cost.
TBH I didn't go to the last one (I was @ the dojos afterparty though) because its just getting more of a hassle - more expensive, bridge closed, corporate wank, no dance stage. Its not the Ashton Court I used to know and love.
JoePolitix said:
Again I'm guessing, but it's likely to be costs incurred by the licence. As I said, my friends (experienced Squall and RDK Boys in the main) tried to get a free festival off the ground in London a couple of years back - depsite having pretty much all the skills and equipment in hand and a record of throwing massive (illegal) raves they ended up losing huge amounts of money.
The council can insist on onerous, costly conditions to the licence - apparently these have become much worse in recent years. It's all fairly random, but they can insist on huge numbers of paid stewards (only from selected firms)massive amounts of toilet provision, fencing, clear down fee, fencing, policing etc. With something on the scale of Ashton Court, one single H&S dogsbody could insist on tens of thousands worth of costs if they turned jobsworth.
Aye, I was going to buy in advance but what with the fee there was no real saving and I'd have been bankrolling Simple Minds. 
Sunspots put his finger on it mind (snikker snikker).
It doesn't sound much at 7 squids but once you add on the extras it is a VERY dear day out.
Sunspots put his finger on it mind (snikker snikker).
It doesn't sound much at 7 squids but once you add on the extras it is a VERY dear day out.
fizzerbird
Always there when I need me...
Sunspots said:<splutter>
-OI, WHAT'VE YOU HEARD??!
Er... no, hang on. -Doh...
You been wanking at the sun again mister
I hope Bristol people can keep us up to date with any news/developments in the New Year, because debts that big are going to be pretty damned tough to clear. Fair chance the whole thing will go completely tits up at least for a year or two.
ETA : Does anyione know anyone with involvement in the Ashton Court setup? Would be grand if they could be persuaded to post here!
But if a new/reconstituted festival eventually re-emerges from the ashes, I think it's inevitable that in its new form it will HAVE to be quite a bit scaled down. And as even the current Committee acknowledge in that statement I posted, it'll have to be returned closer to its community roots.
Strawberry Fair in Cambridge is only a one day fest, but it is well established, large (ca 25,000 on a hot day), community/alternative focussed, less bothered with name headliners and only sponsored by the two beer tents, with some additional help from the Council. Also, being free, fairly lightly Policed. The Committee in Cambridge are experienced, just as some of Ashton Court's people are, frutiful information could be exchanged. Other similar large but community oriented festivals also exist elsewhere.
In Bristol's case, if Bath Ales and maybe one or two other low key, more Bristol/local area rooted sponsors could be persuaded to do a deal to keep a smaller version of the festival still going, then there'd still be possibilities. I doubt people would object too hugely to paying a £5 in if the whole thing became less overtly big-brand corporate. Orange were REALLY pushing it in July and were so fucking in your face with those spacehoppers and tacky gifts and constant name repetition. Whereas a beer tent it just ... there, with a big Bath Ales banner, selling beer ... much less problematic I'd have thought!
The real problem seems to be the licensing and Police/security costs. Can anyone tell me how much Bristol City Council would see it in their own interests to keep the festie going as a more comminity focussed thing? Or are they indifferent to the whole thing going down the tube? Because if they in any way want to keep it going, even at the cost of taking on at least some of the debt, it would then be in their interests to smooth the edges of the licensing process and listen to proposals from the existing or new Committee to cut back on some of the more expensive and less necessary costs and obstacles.
Am I being unrealistic here?
Another issue is the expensive buses, which were subsidised by Orange. Would unsubsidised buses be even more expensive for fares?
ETA : Does anyione know anyone with involvement in the Ashton Court setup? Would be grand if they could be persuaded to post here!
But if a new/reconstituted festival eventually re-emerges from the ashes, I think it's inevitable that in its new form it will HAVE to be quite a bit scaled down. And as even the current Committee acknowledge in that statement I posted, it'll have to be returned closer to its community roots.
Strawberry Fair in Cambridge is only a one day fest, but it is well established, large (ca 25,000 on a hot day), community/alternative focussed, less bothered with name headliners and only sponsored by the two beer tents, with some additional help from the Council. Also, being free, fairly lightly Policed. The Committee in Cambridge are experienced, just as some of Ashton Court's people are, frutiful information could be exchanged. Other similar large but community oriented festivals also exist elsewhere.
In Bristol's case, if Bath Ales and maybe one or two other low key, more Bristol/local area rooted sponsors could be persuaded to do a deal to keep a smaller version of the festival still going, then there'd still be possibilities. I doubt people would object too hugely to paying a £5 in if the whole thing became less overtly big-brand corporate. Orange were REALLY pushing it in July and were so fucking in your face with those spacehoppers and tacky gifts and constant name repetition. Whereas a beer tent it just ... there, with a big Bath Ales banner, selling beer ... much less problematic I'd have thought!
The real problem seems to be the licensing and Police/security costs. Can anyone tell me how much Bristol City Council would see it in their own interests to keep the festie going as a more comminity focussed thing? Or are they indifferent to the whole thing going down the tube? Because if they in any way want to keep it going, even at the cost of taking on at least some of the debt, it would then be in their interests to smooth the edges of the licensing process and listen to proposals from the existing or new Committee to cut back on some of the more expensive and less necessary costs and obstacles.
Am I being unrealistic here?
Another issue is the expensive buses, which were subsidised by Orange. Would unsubsidised buses be even more expensive for fares?
Sunspots said:
That's the nub of it. It's Bristol Community Festival. Outsiders are welcome of course but ultimately it's a festival intended to attract and appeal to the whole of Bristol. It's our day out. Once it stops being that (and it's pretty close to that now) then what is the point any more other than to be just one of many bog standard festivals offering nothing different?
tbh William, I don't see how the festival can be easily scaled down - it attracts 50,000 each day because there's that many people who are in the habit of going. That many people would be likely to still turn up to it even if they tried to scale it down so police/security costs would be the same.
The Council will be worse than useless, they've offered nothing that I can see to help St Pauls Carnival which is just as much of an established part of Bristol's calendar. I'm not even convinced the carnival will be back at all, too many obstacles and not enough help.
The Council will be worse than useless, they've offered nothing that I can see to help St Pauls Carnival which is just as much of an established part of Bristol's calendar. I'm not even convinced the carnival will be back at all, too many obstacles and not enough help.
I'll take your local word for it, but that's pretty depressing ...
William of Walworth said:
Anorak Alert!
Although Ashton Court park is owned and operated by the City of Bristol, the liscensing authority within whose territory it wholly lies is North Somerset Council.
Dunno how much incentive they'd have to go easy on the regs.
Security has become a nice little established industry in it own right now hasn't it? It's not about asking some assertive men and women to lend a hand but contracts worth tens of thousands to the handful of "approved" companies. The security bloke who searched me was fairly pleasant but I've heard other tales.
The police must love it. They delegate the donkey work to the security firms.
Becasue the festival is such a magnet they get to play the "happy copper" with the families that are there rather than just buzzing the estates all the time. At the same time though, they know that a fair number of "badduns" will turn up that they woul like to nick and at the same time sending a potent message to people who aren't out to cause any trouble but fall foul of the law.
<waves to Sparkling and sends summery thoughts>
djbombscare
Plays with knives
Isambard said:
You forgot to mention video taping the crowds and marking with uv stuff anyone they suspected had drugs on them so that they could pull them out for a search when they were on the way out.
What DJBS? Some sort of UV dye that would show up when you left via some UV lights or summat?
If they suspected someone was carrying and the police got close enough to them to mark them with some invisible paint, why not just search 'em and nick em there? Worried the crowd might turn on them and that would be less likely at the end of the day?
Dogs are banned at Ashton Court Festival but I remember some bloke walking round with one on a lead and letting loads of people pat it and stroke it which was nice of him innit.
If they suspected someone was carrying and the police got close enough to them to mark them with some invisible paint, why not just search 'em and nick em there? Worried the crowd might turn on them and that would be less likely at the end of the day?
Dogs are banned at Ashton Court Festival but I remember some bloke walking round with one on a lead and letting loads of people pat it and stroke it which was nice of him innit.
djbombscare
Plays with knives
Your gonna have to excuse me if its already been said. Im being particularly lazy today and Im at work so I cant really read the whole thread
I've just had a look at the Ashton court website and all of a sudden now that they are appealling for money its being called the "Bristol Community Festival" again
which up until now seemed to have been known in recent years as the ORANGE Ashton court festival.
Sorry I know that its a shame and a pity that they've run out of money and its future is in doubt an all that. But the way i feel about it personally is Fuck em.
IMO they sold out took on the corporate sponsorship branded it all up likewise and now that its all gone a bit tits up the begging bowl is back out to the people its all back to its roots bollox. Fuck off get fucked and blow it out your arse. Go knock on the door of the corporate devil you sold out to.
The ticket prices was raised last year because of the added cost of policing it and if they still owe 100g cos of that then that is a lack of planning in my book. I mean CMON. They jack up the prices and all of us for one were saying nah thats it, its too expensive for what it is. But we'll go cos we're all meeting up and thats it no more for us. So "WE" the people IMO paid our share of the extra to get in.
I dont know if thats a fair viewpoint on it all, and of course feel free to educate me. But in my book, its a pity and a shame, but they made their bed its now time to lie in it. . . "Orange" duvet covers an all
I've just had a look at the Ashton court website and all of a sudden now that they are appealling for money its being called the "Bristol Community Festival" again
which up until now seemed to have been known in recent years as the ORANGE Ashton court festival.
Sorry I know that its a shame and a pity that they've run out of money and its future is in doubt an all that. But the way i feel about it personally is Fuck em.
IMO they sold out took on the corporate sponsorship branded it all up likewise and now that its all gone a bit tits up the begging bowl is back out to the people its all back to its roots bollox. Fuck off get fucked and blow it out your arse. Go knock on the door of the corporate devil you sold out to.
The ticket prices was raised last year because of the added cost of policing it and if they still owe 100g cos of that then that is a lack of planning in my book. I mean CMON. They jack up the prices and all of us for one were saying nah thats it, its too expensive for what it is. But we'll go cos we're all meeting up and thats it no more for us. So "WE" the people IMO paid our share of the extra to get in.
I dont know if thats a fair viewpoint on it all, and of course feel free to educate me. But in my book, its a pity and a shame, but they made their bed its now time to lie in it. . . "Orange" duvet covers an all
djbombscare
Plays with knives
Crispy said:You got to be kidding me!
nope.
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