Big Green Gathering cancelled due to police & district council pressure:

[laptop]

As we thought...

Of course, the entire point of the existence of Big Green Gathering Limited is that it can go bankrupt and the possibility of forming Big Green Gathering (2010) Limited remains.

Can someone who knows the directors tell them to get the bloody annual return filed, though?

People owed money by Big Green Gathering Limited likely won't get all of it back, though...

 

[lostexpectation]

did they think it would be a base for some climate sabotage? the BGG is tamer the tame though isn't it

 

[laptop]

did they think it would be a base for some climate sabotage?

Oddly, I was just wondering exactly the same.



Never been, but more likely to be a base for chakra-weaving, from what I hear...

 

[laptop]

And...

In the SchNEWS office we're hearing rumours that people aren't going to be put off – alternative sites are being looked at and people are heading to the West Country anyway. In the words of one participant “Things are just getting interesting”

http://www.euskalinfo.org.uk/article/690737?&condense_comments=false#comment44752

 

[lostexpectation]

http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/?lid=3398
A CORPORATE GURU AT THE BIG GREEN GATHERING?

its suit them to paint even corporate greenness as ecoterror

 

[laptop]

Yes, plus Schnews' earlier BIG GREEN GATHER INC.? - nice example of a "reverse ferret" by Schnews - first BGG was good, then it was corporate, now it's banned and good again

 

[lostexpectation]

well no, i don't think schnews could ever had a high impression of bbg and its organisation but it fits in with their world view if police planned to shut it down and and if they did then schnews view is right. its suit the police to paint even semi-corporate greenness as ecoterror

 

[laptop]

its suit the police to paint even semi-corporate greenness as ecoterror

Evidence that they did so paint it would be very interesting...

 

[lostexpectation]

we'll see it now

 

[durruti02]

this is really rubbish news .. i was just arranging a lift ( luckly not got tickets) with mate and thought to check website .. it does seem like BGG are a bit useless but i doubt that was the reason it was stopped as they have NEVER had any problems like so many other festivals .. lots of chat on Indymedia about this and the possibility the right wing owners pulled the plug .. who knows

 

[bendeus]

Claims on the website that BGG ticket holders can gain entry for the Big Chill at the gates for £20 extra per person,

If you are willing to pay an extra £20, you can swap your Big Green Gathering ticket for a ticket to the BIG CHILL. All you have to do is turn up at the gate of the Big Chill with your BGG ticket and your extra £20.

Link here

We're trying to get hold of somebody at the Big Chill to verify this. Will post as soon as I know something.

 

[paolo]

Graun has run the story: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/jul/27/big-green-gathering-climate-camp

 

[laptop]

Graun has run the story: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/jul/27/big-green-gathering-climate-camp

Well done Brig for getting the political angle out there on his own say-so alone

 

[paolo]

Well done Brig for getting the political angle out there on his own say-so alone

Yes. It does seem that there might be more to this than meets the eye, judging by comments elsewhere.

 

[Jonti]

I don't know too much about the legal side of bankruptcy, to be honest, but one suspects that those who are owed most are more likely to get their money back first. That may mean that the businesses and people who had paid for concessions such as food stalls, marquee hire and so on will be paid out first and then smaller creditors such as those people who actually paid for tickets.

The taxman will get his first; then business creditors like banks; then ordinary traders; and last of all you, the festival goer, upon whose shoulders the whole edifice was posed

Not sure where BGG shareholders fit into the picture

 

[laptop]

Not sure where BGG shareholders fit into the picture

Last. After the creditors (down to wristband-makers and ticket-holders) have been paid in full, were that to happen, which it won't.

I'm concerned for the organisers that the bank loan they took to pay the new security outfit may have been personally guaranteed, rather than through the limited company...

 

[bendeus]

BGG organisers are pleading with punters not to demand a refund for their tickets,,

Meanwhile we have big bills to pay. Infrastructure costs that must be met. And now, no income to cover this.
If you’ve paid for a ticket for this year’s gathering, PLEASE could you consider NOT asking for the refund that you are entitled to by law?

All very well if the fault lies entirely with 'the man', but a bit rich if it's more down to shoddy organisation.

 

[Flounder]

Endorse-It In-Dorset has stepped in to offer those who had bought tickets to Big Green Gathering an alternative at a special discounted rate.



In support of the ticket holders of The Big Green Gathering, who have lost out on this week's festivities, The Endorse-It In-Dorset Festival has developed a package to try to help.

Both festivals share a lot of the same attendees, both coming from a none corporate, old school festival ideal, and so the Dorset festival has come up with the following offer:

BGG Ticket holders can turn up on the Friday and purchase tickets on the gate, at a reduced price of:

£50 for an adult weekend ticket
£15 for a 10-15 yr old
£5 for under 10's

Ticket holders MUST bring their BGG wristband to the gate as these are the only accepted proof of purchase. The exchange will be issued at the box office on a first come, first served basis.

Please ring 0792 0843448 for updates on ticket availability if you are travelling a long way on the day. The phone number given will only be available from 06/08/09 the day before the festival, to give up dates on ticket availability.

 

[bendeus]

Any knowledge of the thus far unsubstantiated claims on the BGG website regarding Big Chill?

 

[rover07]

Its better that a festival ends this way than ending up being the Big Green Nike Festival in 10 years time.

 

[laptop]

Any knowledge of the thus far unsubstantiated claims on the BGG website regarding Big Chill?

I find nothing on the Big Chill forums - you could look further...

 

[paolo]

Its better that a festival ends this way than ending up being the Big Green Nike Festival in 10 years time.

No reason to say that it has to be one or the other though.

 

[shaneC]

Having been at the BGG site today and involved with an area of the BGG and just read the thread, a few comments,

The SCHNEWS article on indymedia is well informed and detailed. http://www.euskalinfo.org.uk/article/690737

The guardian i/v with Brig is shorter and political. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/jul/27/big-green-gathering

Ticket refunds. If you got BGG tickets via a web bookings credit card you can normally get it back. The ebanks hold the money for a month so you can get a refund.
BGG directors mess ups. referred to in a few emails.
BGG is a big company, 1200 shareholders and around 6-8,000 crew, 5 directors, and a lot of different approaches and internal politics. This should not overshadow what seems to be a planned maneuver to stop the BGG and groups coming to the gathering. It's probably true that if the licencening and cash flow was via a huge corporate events company it might have been presented sooner by more expensive lawyers, but the paperwork presented was the same as in the past, by very over worked, expenses owed, directors and area co-ords, a licence was granted and the loophole was made. Lots of companies and agencies were leaned on by plod, their power under the licencing act is out of proportion.
To cap it all the police, who demanded around £47k or so upfront for their services (or no licence) have now got the event cancelled won't give the money back.
A lot of people pissed off, crew kids who have not seen each other for 2 years won't see each other again, lots of traders, cafes etc etc have lost money and unless a lot of people don't claim their ticket back it's hard to see how the BGG can survive. A grim day indeed for green licenced festivals.
These stifling licence requirements are what we are trying to avoid with the Urban Green Fair which is unlicenced, keeps it cheaper to put on, is free and a clear focus on green/social justice information and education in the context of a day in Brockwell Park.

 

[Jonti]

I think that Guardian link is broken. This might be the piece mentioned ...

Here's an interesting quote from that. To me, it looks like a deliberate attempt to deceive the public about the cancellation ...

A spokesman for Avon and Somerset police said: "The event was not cancelled by the police or Mendip district council. The organisers voluntarily surrendered their licence yesterday; therefore it was their decision to cancel, not ours..."

 

[wayward bob]

if you got your ticket through seetickets, ring them up and they'll refund, we just did. frankly i think it stinks for the directors to guilt trip people into not reclaiming their ticket money.

 

[William of Walworth]

Just back from WOMAD and I've just belatedly caught up with all this

What a thoroughly depressing and disgraceful bummer. At the last and most damaging minute too!

Many sympathies to Ground Elder, aurura, and all others who were planning to go.

I've yet to catch up with every link, but I've read several (including Schnews's) and on early impressions it seems like the cancellation is down to a combination of many factors ....

But Mendip and the Avon and Somerset Police should bear the brunt of peoples pissedoffness. Especially when you read this from Shane ...

To cap it all the police, who demanded around £47k or so upfront for their services (or no licence) have now got the event cancelled won't give the money back

which no doubt is not quite legally/technically theft by the Police. But (if true) by any real standard that looks a damned sight close to theft

unless a lot of people don't claim their ticket back it's hard to see how the BGG can survive. A grim day indeed for green licenced festivals.

The above said, I'm VERY dubious??? about the BGG putting moral pressure on ticket holders not to reclaim. They feel they have no choice I guess, but many would be attenders, including folks I know, haven't much money and they will find it really hard indeed not to reclaim their ticket refund.

if you got your ticket through seetickets, ring them up and they'll refund, we just did. frankly i think it stinks for the directors to guilt trip people into not reclaiming their ticket money.

Spot on bob.

At another level I sort of agree with bendeus to an extent, and GE hinted at this too -- it's likely isn't it that BGG organisers' own financial problems in advance of the festival and also -- very likely this from what I can gather -- their own less than stellar organising skills?? made it easier for Mendip and the CopForce to have their slice of vindictive revenge.

If BGG as an event and any successor-body of organisers ever do recover, then they will surely have to relocate geographically to somewhere with less unsympathetic, more flexible powers that be.

Not very far away near Bruton, under South Somerset DC (but with the same Police!), Sunrise Celebration, equally hippy and equally alternative, etc.**, managed to break even this year after lots of previous financial and organisational and flood caused problems last year and before.

**But perhaps?? considered less 'dangerous' politically?

I hope the BGG does regroup and survive in the longer term without leaving people seriously out of pocket like with other remodelled events and that the whole shebang somehow recovers. Maybe on a smaller scale?

We have never been, and we were already seriously thinking about it for 2010.

Could be back to WOMAD again next year for us after all .....

 

[bendeus]

Just to let everyone know that I've had confirmation from the Big Chill info line that they will honour Big Green tickets at the gates plus a cash payment to make it up to the Big Chill ticket cover price (adult: £20, 13-17 y.o.: £10). They have stated that there is no quota on the amount of people who can make use of this, and have the capacity to admit all BGG ticket holders if they show up. Kudos to them for this - it'll cost us a bit extra, but at least we'll end up at a festival.

 

[bendeus]

At another level I sort of agree with bendeus to an extent, and GE hinted at this too -- it's likely isn't it that BGG organisers' own financial problems in advance of the festival and also -- very likely this from what I can gather -- their own less than stellar organising skills?? made it easier for Mendip and the CopForce to have their slice of vindictive revenge.

God knows where the truth lies. I think the ticket fiasco hinted at how badly run it has been this year. The stuff coming from the organisers states that they've 'got away with things' in previous years, and that Mendip council have turned a blind eye to shortcomings in their planning and licensing obligations. That they haven't this year says more about the fact that the BGG organisers have repeatedly failed to get things right year-after-year, and have to a degree been indulged up to the point where the powers that be can no longer be arsed. They've given them an excuse, and for that they need to shoulder a degree of blame.

That said, I feel desparately sorry for them, and will be taking the option of going to another festival rather than demanding my money back.

 

[El Jefe]

<swallows tongue re: Endorse It! being swamped by bile chanters>

 

[William of Walworth]

I suspect more?? of the BGG exiles will head to Big Chill ....