Morning all

I am the new secretary of the Water Weekend, which this year will take place on June 11, 12 and 13th.

A new commitee has been formed and we are looking for the following:

Commitee members or volunteers to assist with the planning or to help on the day

Sponsorship from local business-this is an excellent chance to showcase your business to visitors and residents who don't normally shop local.  Some of which should see a healthy increase in turnover that weekend.

And last but not least, ideas.  It's your event, we are just managing it.  So any suggestions would be welcome (even from old ladies who want to sell home made sarsaparilla).  One idea being floated is the revival of the pram race.

We can be contacted and you will be kept up to date here and via the following:

Facebook.  Whaley Bridge Water Weekend

Twitter. W3whaleybridge

or W3@mobelec.co.uk

Please try to keep this thread relevant

Thanks for your support in advance

Edited by user 31 January 2010 10:51:40(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Welcome to the Whaley forum Barry, Nice to see you on here at last! Good luck with the W3 weekend and lets hope it is secure now for many years to come and indeed moves on to become an event that Whaley can be proud of. (sorry can't help that weekend as I'll be away in deepest shropshire - working.)

I would like to add my good wishes to the new committee taking W3 forward in the next couple of years. Already there are some new ideas and the increased publicity (Facebook; Twitter and a dedicated email address) will hopefully be helpful.

BUT as you all know, they [best wishes] don't 'do it' on the day and after almost a full years planning, selecting, booking and confirming involving, in the past, as many as an unbelievable six or seven HUNDRED emails it does require stewards, certainly on the day, but all around that weekend to ensure the 100% safety record is maintained and the dare I say 100% enjoyment record also. So! Get your offers of help in to Barry, the sooner the better.

I was a little concerned that 'tyke', an unknown gentleman to me, wrote "indeed moves on to become an event that Whaley can be proud of".

I had hoped that after several years of very hard work by secretary Jim Middleton and myself, last year very nearly alone, the Event already had that status and the new committee's challenge is to build on so that the words "even more proud of" might ring truer.

However I am sure that was just a slip of the pen and I look forward to W3/2010 when I shall still be involved by continuing to run the boats and hopefully they will be free again (depending on cash flow into the coffers) and we can once again proudly boast that a family can spend several hours of their enjoyable weekend without the need to spend anything.

best wishes from Barrie Walker, chairman 2005-2009

Hi Barrie

Yes, it is dissapointing.  Only this very morning our treasurer told me that the Town Councils grant was as good as promised.  But we will soldier on.  The new committee is made of stern stuff and will rise to the challenge.  I see no reason why this years event will not take place.  (2011 is another matter, and will need reviewing and will depend on the support of the community). 

But of course we can not continue without the boats! and that is where you come in Barrie, if you are prepared to carry on regardless, then so shall we.

Barry

Yes Bev

I can understand your anger and frustration. 

OK so the town council has had to make budget cuts-but what is the saving now being used for.  It would be useful if our representative would help us out by explaining why and how the decision had been made to cut the budget on community projects.  W3 is certainly the biggest annual event in Whaley Bridge and I hope will still get the "lions share" of this years budget along with full council support and an all hands on deck approach

Thanks for showing your concern

Edited by user 05 February 2010 00:21:34(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

I have been reliably informed that the figure of £1600 is the amount available for grants to organisations.

This is in addition to the amount which will be allocated for W3 at next thursday's meeting of the town council.

I hope that has lowered the temperature under some collars

Regards to all

There are many festivals around the country that are not supported by their councils at all, though iin our case a free festival has to receive funding from somewhere. That leaves the stallholder, food concession, (bar), sponsorship, programme advertising, grants etc. Or possibly if the group sold something as a souvenir for example. Its all about making money and in order to do that you have to get people through the door so to speak!

That is about giving people what they want to see....thats easy, boats, stalls, fairgound, punch & Judy, attractions such as the steam engine etc. As has happened in previous successful years. Another way is to keep the event going for a longer period. Its not very good for such a prestigious event as W3 for everything to stop at 4pm. Keep the event going into the evening. That would please the stallholders (I know, I as I know many festival traders) Then their rent could justifiably rise a bit. What about an illuminated boat competition? They have them at IWA rallies.

Music is the obvious attraction, Perhaps Folk goes better with the water/canal scene, but it needs a core event around the stage area in the canal basin rather than in a local pub. perhaps other bands, groups or genre could also play in the pubs both friday and saturday nights.

What about advertising camping? There are a couple of camping sites in the area who I'm sure could accommodate any visitors. Ok maybe now I'm perhaps getting carried away here but that IS what goes on at other town festivals around the country. I think the key for us here is to run events into the evening and see how that goes. That will become more important particularly if the council grant does gets cut.

Edited by user 08 February 2010 08:06:25(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Well said Jill. That's what we need - people to come forward with pragmatic ideas. Go to our website -www.whaleywaterweekend.co.uk and pick up the link to our new secretary. There may be a Friday evening slot for a relevant young persons drama presentation by locals.

There have been no shortage of ideas for some years e.g. Classic cars, Friday night Heritage talks, steam engines etc. Even the fairground is something that has not happened in W.B. for some years before W3 took up the idea. By the way, the neighbours will not tolerate a late fairground and maybe even not a late music session on the Wharf. We even had a complaint about the fairground during the daytime!

I would like to see a Beer and Music Festival over the whole of the weekend but that needs the pubs to step up to the line and get together. It would be just great. We would get some good beer, they woluld get some sales and the chippy and food outlets would also benefit. This idea is somewhat watered down at the meeting last September as there was no one to pick it up and get on with it and others with no direct interest all had their say.

W3 is about bringing prosperity into W.B. but, to take on board the good ideas put forward by Tyke we need MANY more hands. How about it Tyke? We already have " stallholder, food concession, sponsorship, programme advertising, grants". They are are VERY necessary addition to the Town Council grant and far exceed it. With respect to a W3 bar there are many considerations such as who will run it? Who will take responsibility for control? Who will profit? and N.B. licence costs rise from £21 to over £400. That takes a lot of 'getting back'.

The idea of selling ?something? sounds OK but -  What is the something that will sell? Who will sell it? Where does the capital outlay come from?

Keep the ideas flowing please. W3 MUST survive! It gives such a lot to our Town.

Barrie Walker recent ex-chairman

Edited by user 08 February 2010 14:41:27(UTC)  | Reason: typos

I totally agree with the many comments made here. I think it would be an excellent idea to try and prolong the event past 4 o clock. From a music point of view I know most of the bands plus players from the area having contributed, (all be it in a good or bad way, depending on your opinions) to the music fraternity.

I would certainly be willing to lend a hand to get the musos of Whaley and the surrounding area spurred into action to sort out ongoing music from 4 o clock onwards if the majority think this is worthwhile. In my opinion it would attract a great deal more people and revenue into the whole place. It would add another dimension. What do you think folks?

Well, we have agreed to exending the event into the early evening of Saturday 12th June.  The boat rides and some stalls will close at 16.00ish and the fairground and stage will continue until the start of the England V USA world cup game.

We are delivering the event that we have been asked for, what we still need is assistance.  This subject was discussed last year and people expressed an interest in getting involved.  We now need them to come forward.  If you can spare a day, a half or the whole weekend then please contact us.

If you are a business and you have not been contacted but wish to sponsor us or have an advert in our Leaflet-don't be left out. 

If you are a local organisation or craftsperson and are interested in having a stall.... contact us at

w3@mobelec.co.uk

Thanks

Edited by user 17 February 2010 22:16:25(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified