Battle future brightens
Friday 26th August 2011, 11:00AM BST.
Video report by Nicola Gibbons
Battle of Flowers Prix d'Honneur winner Romany Days. (Picture by Brian Green, 1173989)
THE future of Guernsey’s embattled North Show looked more certain yesterday as organisers welcomed back the crowds.
First-day attendance was more than last year’s rain-soaked two-day total. And yesterday the sun shone on the Battle to swell the coffers still further.
Show president Simon Marquis was delighted with the support for 2011. ‘People came in waves yesterday,’ he said about Wednesday’s show. ‘A lot of people came in the afternoon then thinned out, but then it filled up again for the evening as people finished work. We even ran out of cider.’
He said he had hopes that this year’s show would make a profit. The future of the North Show was placed in doubt last year when rain kept the crowds away, which ravaged its finances.
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How much does the fireworks alone cost? and does the entry monies from the evening cover the costs?
This show has been in trouble for a few years would cutting out the fireworks help keep costs down and perhaps they could reduce the entry fees or let children under 11 in for free.
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I think a really good way to save money would be to have all 3 shows combined over a period of 2 days at Sausmarez Park. This would get over the dwindling numbers, give more competition to the produce growers and craft exhibitors as more people would attend. If it was held in the 2nd week of August the weather would probably be better encouraging bumper crowds. The floats this year were the smallest I have ever seen them. Why can’t the States subsidise the shows. I have been told they do in Jersey and look how good theres is every year. Surely we can learn something from that. Tourists from all over attend tohe Jersey show, so why could it not happen here ?
Oh I know let’s have the States have a 2 week debate on it !!
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The events should be held at the weekend (like what I and many others been saying for the last ten years), but will the stubborn old donkey’s who organise it listen?
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I presume this means they won’t be needing that £1 donation now? Splendid – now I can donate it to people in real need.
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…..did I give you my PO Box number Paul?
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No Vic – but I presumed you wanted me to save it for that pint we talked about?
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Surely the time has come to end ‘The Battle of the Flowers’. Some entries, although commendable by effort, were lacking in artistic value eg the Castel Douzaine float which was an old glasshouse frame, minus the window panes, with a few buckets of yellow flowers inside!
The Island has a significant number of talented artists. Couldn’t the ‘Battle’ be extended to include some groups from the performing Arts Centre or the crew who put on the excellent arts shows in Mill Street?
C’mon, lets modernise the Battle and keep it alive with some ‘performing arts floats’ for future generations to enjoy.
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