I agree that the display was up to it's usual high quality, and there's no doubting all the effort & hard work put in by the Round Table (& other volunteers) but I'd appreciate it if anyone could help answer a few questions, as last night I heard several "half explanations"
1) What was the actual reason that we didn't have a bonfire? I heard "Health & Safety issues", lack of volunteers, not enough space due to Children's firework display & that the fire brigade would have to put out the fire BEFORE any firework display could be started???
2) Why was there a 30 minute delay between the end of the children's display & the start of the main display (and I'm not referring to the technical delay, and these things can't be helped) On a cold evening I don't see the reasoning in keeping everyone waiting around for so long?
3) What happened to the catering van(s) we've had in previous years? Again, several rumours flying around, but a definite explanation answer would be great

To Mr Summers,

I have been passed the text below by the organiser on the night. I am the person described in the text as being away:

1. Reason for no bonfire – Goyt Valley Round Table consists of 4 members. There are just not enough people who can assist in the building and cleaning up of a bonfire any more. While we are able to call on a few volunteers to assist for 3-4 hours in the evening, the actual creation of a bonfire (with its associated risks and requirements and liability if it goes wrong) is a massive headache. The 4 members of GVRT all do this in the very little spare time that they have, alongside their family responsibilities. As it happens one of the team was abroad on the night as well. It was nothing to do with the fire brigade (who have always been very helpful and need to be there to extinguish the embers) – its really down to a lack of people who can commit to quite a lot of time and responsibility, not only on the night but in the weeks running up to it. If you’d like to become a member of GVRT and help next year (assuming there is an event next year) then look at the website www.goytvalleyroundtable.org.uk

2. The 30 minute delay allowed the band to play again (and what a great job they did); allowed the display team to clear the site of the children’s display debris and allow the children to leave before the main display fired. Having seen the exodus on the bottom gate we certainly needed the full 30 minutes. Hopefully it wasn’t that cold and the main display was advertised as starting at 1930.

3. I’d like to know what happened to the catering van too. Having received a firm commitment that there would be one there from the owner/operator there wasn’t much we could do at 1815 when he didn’t turn up – the show must go on (even if it was with interruptions).

All in all people were very generous in their donations, although the income did not cover the costs of the event by some margin.

GVRT

Many thanks GVRT, a very good evening. 

Lucky the technical hitch was not like this one in Oban.

Edited by user 23 November 2011 11:11:14(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified