Bristol's Ashton Court Festival has called in the administrators, and has "no realistic prospect of continuing".
After overcoming the financial difficulties caused by last year's festival, which enabled them to stage this year's event, the festival has been beaten by the weather.
The second day of this year's festival was cancelled last Sunday due to the site being unsafe for the public due to the treacherous ground conditions after heavy rain during Saturday night, which made it impossible to guarantee emergency services on-site. This in turn resulted in financial losses which the not-for-profit organisation that runs the event cannot sustain. They've issued the following statement:-
Bristol Community Festival, the not-for-profit company which organises the annual Ashton Court Festival has today announced that it has started the process of winding up the company. The directors have been in dicussions with insolvency practitioners with a view to appointing them to liquidate the company.
Heavy rain over the weekend of the 2007 event forced the cancellation of the second day's entertainment resulting in financial losses which the organisation cannot sustain.
The directors met on the 19th July and concluded that there was no realistic prospect of continuing and reluctantly took the decision to fold the company. "It's a real tragedy that after 33 years we've been beaten by events beyond our control" said festival chairman Kevin Rooney. "After last year's difficulties we moved heaven and earth to save the festival and by Saturday night it looked like we'd succeeded. Being dealt this severe blow at the last minute is absolutely devastating." from http://www.efestivals.co.uk/news/070720a.shtml
Sad but inevitable after the last few years I think, the end of a decline which probably started with the foot & mouth enforced move to Hengrove.
I'm sure it will be replaced in a year or two by something else on the site, but it will probably have to be a festival charging the going rate for that sort of event, which seems to be at least £90. But in turn probably with better acts - relying on the Fall to save the festival possibly wasn't the greatest idea, although I guess that was all they could afford.
The whole idea of Ashton Court was it was for local artists and local people to attend as and when they felt like it (at a minimal cost). I think the idea was great but obviously economically unviable.
The festival may be gone but the memory of those woods will last forever!
Also an article on the front page of today's evening post about it (www.thisisbristol.co.uk)
Interesting to see what they come up with. Maybe they should take it to the Dragon's Den - someone got funding for a festival in Cornwall on there last week!
End of Ashton Court
Posted - 20/07/2007 : 17:13:00
