Charlbury Riverside Festival in the balance (From Witney Gazette)

Charlbury Riverside Festival in the balance

9:00am Wednesday 29th March 2006 in Witney By Rosalind Miles

ORGANISERS of the threatened Charlbury Riverside Festival have spoken out to reassure people the free music event will go ahead this summer.

The future of the festival has been in doubt following trouble at last year's event, when a man claiming to be an undercover police officer attacked two men with a baton near the festival site in Mill Field.

Rumours that the town council had denied the permission for this year's festival have been circulating, and a 'Save the Riverside Festival' petition has been been started.

Organiser, Chris Wray, said: "One way or the other, it will go ahead, whether it's on that site, or somewhere else in Charlbury.

"We are working on towards that end, and trying to keep the Riverside going.

"Nothing is definite, as we are still in discussions.

"Even Glastonbury has a year off now and again to recover and get every things together, so it could be a good thing if it doesn't happen for one year."

Chairman of Charlbury Town Council Nick Potter

"Last year, after the trouble, which actually happened outside the festival, we got a real telling off from the police, and they are going to be much stricter this year.

"The licensing law has changed, and so we will need to employ a security firm, instead of just using stewards, and we have to pay for police to stay for a certain amount of time. But we are determined it will be free.

"It's a great community event, with 40 bands, mostly local, and mainly local people attend. It's a real family festival, very friendly, with a lovely atmosphere. It's like going back to the 50s.

"Considering there are more than a thousand people together, it's pretty good. With that many people, there will always be the odd flare-up."

The festival has been held on Mill Field for the past ten years.

Mr Wray added: "With all the work we have done running the festival, it has to carry on, and we have to keep people happy.

"The town council have been very supportive from the beginning, and have always given us a whack of money.

"They have asked us not to use the Mill Field site, which is our spiritual home, so we may find another site. There has been a real swell of feeling from Charlbury people for the festival. I would like to reassure them we are doing all we can to get it on track.

"We still might use Mill Field. We would like to, it's our spiritual home."

Chairman of Charlbury Town Council, Nick Potter, said £3,000 had been set aside by the council, as usual, for the festival, but no application for the money, or the use of the land, had come through.

He said: "The situation is nobody has applied to us. With the new licensing laws, getting a licence will be a complex and expensive process, as proper security is required.

"It would be a huge shame if the festival cannot be staged because of it. I personally have been involved with it since it started as the jazz picnic. I am a musician, and have played there myself.

"But even Glastonbury has a year off now and again to recover and get every things together, so it could be a good thing if it doesn't happen for one year."

Richmond Averill, 29, of Eady Road, Upper Heyford, was convicted of two counts of assault, occasioning actual bodily harm, and one of possession of an offensive weapon, on June 19, last year, close to the Riverside Festival.

He was given a two-year suspended jail sentence at Oxford Crown Court last December.

The two-day music festival, which includes camping, attracts about 1,500 people every year.

More information about the festival will be posted on www.riversidefestival.charlbury.com