HAVING read your article regarding the recent Boomtown Festival I became somewhat confused. Having attended the festival I noticed that there were a number of discrepancies within the article itself. Overlooking the obvious spelling mistake of 'Commission' at the very beginning of said article (an amateur mistake on your part) the article seemed to become increasingly inaccurate from there on.
Chief among these reasons was the so called 'lack of security'. If having police at the gate (who I hasten to add play a major roll in the actual licencing of these events) was not enough, then I am sure the very apparent army of private security teams were. Furthermore there were no signs that any unrest was caused. Please bear in mind that this particular event was family friendly and there were many children present. I also deem it unwise to take the opinion of 'one onlooker' when formulating a front page article regarding security issues.
Another point is your caption which makes the point of clear-ups still taking place on Tuesday. To be honest, I am not suprised considering the event didn't end until Monday evening. Organisers also had the go-ahead from Speech House to use the following week to take down the stages and tidy up.
Regarding the issue of cars blocking areas of the forest, the event's website urged people to take advantage of the communal bus system they had provided from set areas in order to reduce the number of people taking their cars. They also ensured that cars were parked away from the event and a free bus was provided to take festival-goers to the gate. What more could the organisers do?
As for your headline itself I would hardly compare this small musical gathering to Hitler's advance across Europe, perhaps this was just used for alliterative technique? Surely accurate content should be favoured over poetic devices, but even I could think of a few more accurate examples where this technique could be used: 'Boomtown Bonanza' is just one. But that would not have been congruous with the fallacies and mistruths in your article.
In essence the festival was very well organised. A number of performers whom I spoke to claimed to be more than happy with how they were treated and how the event went. Not only this but a number of attendees who I also spoke to made it clear that they enjoyed themselves. Then of course there are the traders who also did very well and last but not least Speech House itself who enjoyed a weekend of full room bookings. I am sure that this helped them no-end in our time of economic struggle.
What I am trying to establish is why you seem to have such a big issue with a licenced and organised event that hundreds of people enjoyed? You have never looked at the Coleford Music Festival in this light, so what is different about this?
To summarise, I found your article disappointing and highly false and a total misrepresentation of the festival. The argument portrayed in your article was one-sided and the information contained was inadequately sourced.
I suggest that in future that you speak to more of the attendees and performers at these types of events before making broad, sweeping statements that lack truth.
You should be disappointed in yourselves as a newspaper and as people of the Forest, who should be working to help sustain the economy of the area, rather than slating events that would otherwise strengthen the economy. – Jacob Powell.