Parties in style cancelled (From Witney Gazette)
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Parties in style cancelled
3:23pm Tuesday 5th December 2006 in Witney By Rosalind Miles
A CHRISTMAS party company has cancelled all its parties in December letting hundreds of people down.
The Venue Experience, a Banbury-based entertainment company, was to host Christmas parties in a 1,000-person capacity marquee in the grounds of Eynsham Hall, North Leigh.
The marquee was to be used to hold Christmas parties for numerous local companies, which the company has cancelled citing difficulties with licensing.
But staff at West Oxfordshire District Council say they are not aware of any licensing problems.
Cooper Construction, of Witney, had booked for 50 people to attend, at £50 per head, but just over a week before the company were told their party was cancelled.
Sally Cooper, of the company, said: "I had sent them a £750 deposit cheque. Then I had a letter telling me it was cancelled, and I had the aggro of having to find a new venue at the last minute.
"It's tainted it - when you think something is going to happen and everyone knows about it then it's cancelled at the last minute. It's horrible."
A spokesman for The Venue Experience said: "We have worked tirelessly trying to resolve the problems and licensing issues associated with trying to relocate the party to a new site and save the project. We have explored and exhausted every possible avenue, but regrettably, we have run out of time and this decision has had to be made. All clients have received a letter informing them of the decision and full reimbursement of any deposits. Wherever possible, we have also assisted in finding alternative venues for clients."
The Venue Experience would not say how many parties it has cancelled, or how many people have been let down.
Staff at Eynsham Hall refused to comment.
Bill Oddy, head of West Oxfordshire District Council community services, said: "I have spoken with Eynsham Hall about the parties organised by the Venture Experience, and we are not aware that this is a licensing issue."
