Rush to book the Blues (Oct 5-7)

Early rush for Blues festival hotel rooms - from Daily Echo

SWANAGE'S hotels are already starting to fill up for the eighth Swanage Blues Festival - an amazing seven months before the first note is played. Thousands of music lovers flock to Purbeck for the free festival each March, with enthusiasts attracted from around the world.
Due to overwhelming demand, organiser Steve Darrington recently announced a new Swanage blues and roots event for October.
Now, people booking up accommodation for October are also rushing to reserve their rooms for the March festival to avoid disappointment. "It's pretty huge stuff," said Steve.
"Because everyone is so keen to book for October, they are booking for March already.
"We've had 15,000 cards printed, like mini-flyers, that are going all around the country and the result of these is even more people are booking."
With the festival falling in March, the advanced out-of-season bookings come as a major boost to Swanage's economy. The town's tourist information centre confirmed they had already been dealing with enquiries for next year's festival. Alison Holmes, manager of the centre, said: "It generates plenty of interest and enquiries, and it's great for the town."Steve does a fantastic job and has been building momentum year after year. "At that time of year, it stretches out our season and fills accommodation."
The remarkable reach of the festival has even seen acts from as far away as Austin, Texas, ringing to offer their services for the weekend. Steve, who relies totally on donations and goodwill to organise the festival, even plans to return to the stage for the forthcoming events, after learning to walk again after three years in a wheelchair.
The Swanage Blues and Roots Festival takes place on October 5-7, with the eighth Swanage Blues Festival running from March 7-9 next year.

As seen at:
http://www.thisisdorset.net/news/tidnews/display.var.1584361.0.early_rush_for_blues_festival_hotel_rooms.php
Posted by Anonymous to swanage view at 11:44 AM

Rubbish

It does seem such a shame that this local council has dragged us back to a byegone age, by not clearing the rubbish from households.

They will not take this, or that, only if it fits inside the bin.

What have we here, is there a little man somewhere jumping up and down squealing "They must take their own rubbish...So there"

Who voted these people in that refuse to carry out their municiple duties..That of clearing the rubbish and keeping our town clean.
While I am at it...who was it that coated our roads with tar and chippings. I would like to know, I have a heavy bill for his attention, for the damage he caused.

What is even worse is that no sooner were the chippings down than they had vanished leaving stretches ungritted.
Dancing Ledge

Posted by Anonymous to swanage view at 6:49 PM

Sun? In Swanage? Maybe

A&E consultation (on 12 Sept & 13 Sept)

Regarding proposed cuts to the Swanage MIU there is a second public consultation meeting being held at

The Methodist Church Hall, High Street, Swanage

on

12th Sept and again on 13th Sept, from 6.30 — 8.30pm.

Council funds shortfall?

There's an interesting letter on behalf of the local Liberal democrats in the latest edition of the Purbeck gazette on the subject of the town hall finances and a £6 million shortfall for a list of necessary works for which a partial solution might be the selling off of allotments. Is there more information available on that.


Posted by Anonymous to swanage view at 3:22 PM

ENGLISH WEATHER

January’s grey and slushy,
February’s chill and drear,
March is wild, wet and windy,
April brings no cheer,
In May a day or two of sunshine,
Three or four in June.
July is usually filthy, and in
August comes the monsoon.
In September things start dying,
Then comes cold October mist.
November we make plans to spend December pissed.

RobO



Posted by Anonymous to swanage view at 12:45 PM

Business ad opportunity

TO ALL BUSINESSES

We've just had the Jazz Festival and I know you're very busy anyway this time of year, but don't forget that my Swanage Blues Festivals are at the beginning of March and October to increase business in the town at the quiet times.

Would you like to give out some business card size flyers advertising the October and the March Blues Festivals? They're only 3½ x 2 inches small and are going down a treat! People are putting them away in their purses or wallets to pass on to other people as well.

How about an A4 festival poster for your window and/or notice board? It's only 11¾ x 8¼ inches and very pretty too, based around a lovely photo of Swanage Bay.

Have you taken out a £12 advert on the website yet? Only £12 for a year and you'll be helping to extend the festival season in Swanage from March to October!

Best Wishes,
Steve Darrington
http://www.bluesroots.org
PS You can always call me for a chat or further info on 01929 422338

Canoe/Kayak Club?

I would be interested in joining or setting up a Swanage Canoe/Kayak Club, for two main reasons. Firstly, canoeing is more safely done (perhaps should only be done) in company; and secondly, with the state of my knees, it seems an ejoyable way of getting some exercise.
Several questions arise:
1. Is there such a club already?
2. Is there any support for such a club?
3. Has it been tried before? If it has, and it failed, what were the reasons for its failure?
4. Would the Town Council provide some secure storage space for the canoes, perhaps by erecting a cage in one or two of the spaces in the boat yard?
5. Are there any qualified canoeists out there who would be interested in providing training?
6. I'm aiming at people aged 16 to 100 - so no excuses!
7. Any other comments?

Posted by SK to swanage view at 3:16 PM

NEW SUBJECT

If you want to raise a new topic, post your comment in this section — just click first on Comments (bottom right), then on Post a comment (bottom left of the next window), and a new heading will soon be set up, allowing others to see and add their own comments. It seems it's sometimes easier to click on 'Post anonymously' than to open an account in your name - you can always add your name to your message. We try to keep posts civilized.

Seafront closure

Someone please pursue the seafront closure too. I'm sure the wishes of disabled people etc can be accommodated. Perhaps a half way house would be in order with people discouraged from using Shore Road with a 10 mile an hour speed limit, or perhaps a one way system with Shore Road for incoming and De Moulham Road out? Safety issues aside, it's the parked cars on Shore Road which I feel are most aesthetically unpleasant.Well-designed streets can boost rental values and property prices by 5 per cent, new CABE research has found. The streets really are paved with gold! see: http://www.cabe.org.uk/default.aspx?contentitemid=1956

nickstorer

Alternative routes?

It takes ages getting around Town now in a car, and pedestrians run a traffic gauntlet. In the long term it still remains unsafe to me to have all traffic for Durlston, the Pier and Hospital to be dependant on Institute Road. Some incident could grid lock the Town. If just half of the traffic had an alternative route then walking in the Town centre would be much more pleasant. Bring on the café culture DCC. Have some courage to initiate this STC.

nick storer

Alternative routes?

It takes ages getting around Town now in a car, and pedestrians run a traffic gauntlet. In the long term it still remains unsafe to me to have all traffic for Durlston, the Pier and Hospital to be dependant on Institute Road. Some incident could grid lock the Town. If just half of the traffic had an alternative route then walking in the Town centre would be much more pleasant. Bring on the café culture DCC. Have some courage to initiate this STC.

shh

Has the gaurdian gone out of print? seems a lot of people are very quite? no opinions on anything interesting.



Posted by Anonymous to swanage view at 9:02 AM