THIS is the first time I have felt compelled to write a letter to a paper but I could not let this go without airing my views.
During the week prior to the festival at Speech House Hotel, I noticed the preparations going on and was curious as to what was to be held there as I had seen nothing advertised locally. I found the information on the 'Boom Town Fair' website which stated they had found a beautiful secluded location in the grounds of a hotel.
Within the information section on the website it gave many rules about camping, litter and other general common sense rules which are followed when one visits beautiful locations such as the Forest of Dean.
All those rules seemed to have gone out of the window within the first day of the festival. There were cars parked on verges, on junctions, visitors had set up camp in the woods, festival goers were strewn, along with their rubbish, on the roadside, urinating in broad daylight against the trees – need I go on!
I am all for bringing tourists and business into the area but along with it should come the respect for the local area, its residents and other visitors. This was clearly not the case during the weekend of the festival.
Two days after the festival had finished, the Speech House field was still strewn with rubbish – okay I understand that it is their property but it's hardly a good advert for what is classed as the centre of the Forest of Dean and looked something akin to a local tip!
I know the majority of visitors to the area, who we welcome with open arms, respect the countryside and its residents and it is the small minority that give others a bad name.
I hope we continue to encourage such events in the future but please have some regard to your surroundings! – Kerris Merkitt, Parkend