Wickham 2020

[giottoscircle (Robert)]

It is a very different atmosphere, as has been said.

We went last year. We aren't this year.

Is it more of a Latitude type of event? More people
“Going to a festival for the vibe” rather than the music?

[blagden]

It is a very different atmosphere, as has been said.

We went last year. We aren't this year.

Is it more of a Latitude type of event? More people
“Going to a festival for the vibe” rather than the music?

I went the year it was held on the coast at Stokes Bay and enjoyed it immensely.

Apart camping in the incessant wind, couldn't fault the set up and running. The only gripe appeared to be that they used professional security instead of stewards and they "over-policed" the no alcohol in the arena rule which lead to some ill feeling.

[GubGub (Al)]

It is a very different atmosphere, as has been said.

We went last year. We aren't this year.

Is it more of a Latitude type of event? More people
“Going to a festival for the vibe” rather than the music?

No I wouldn't say so. There are inevitably some people who are there just for a day out, particularly on the Saturday but audiences I have been part of over the years for the likes of Roger Chapman or The Young Uns or Tom Robinson or Dreadzone to name but four diverse examples have always been very into the music and hugely appreciative. I have seen a lot of terrific stuff there from Steve Earle to Gilmore & Roberts to Edward II and discovered a lot of new favourites too, most notably Tankus The Henge on their debut appearance who were jaw dropping and totally took the audience with them. Because of the multiple stages there is sometimes even too much to choose from.

My only criticism is that there is always a bar next to the Village Stage that plays its own (recorded) music rather loud and there can be some annoying sound bleed, especially if it is an acoustic act on stage.

[giottoscircle (Robert)]

Thanks for all your advice and knowledge. I have taken the plunge and booked.

[issy]

I have just booked to go this year..  its a fabulous line up and they say they can run it under the current guidelines even if the restrictions are not relaxed.  They also say they are unaffected by insurance issues.

I went in 2019 for 2 days and really enjoyed it.  I badly need some festival magic and I hope this will provide it  

Anyone else got tickets?

[Amethyst (Jenny)]

I can’t understand why they aren’t affected by insurance issues…??

[Poor Will (Bill)]

I have just booked to go this year..  its a fabulous line up and they say they can run it under the current guidelines even if the restrictions are not relaxed.  They also say they are unaffected by insurance issues.

I went in 2019 for 2 days and really enjoyed it.  I badly need some festival magic and I hope this will provide it  

Anyone else got tickets?

We will be there, look forward to seeing you!

[giottoscircle (Robert)]

I can’t understand why they aren’t affected by insurance issues…??

I wondered (perhaps too cynically) that they feel that if they have to cancel they can go bust and avoid too much liability as they don’t have to maintain the long term relationships with locals and suppliers like Fairport have to?

[Poor Will (Bill)]

I can’t understand why they aren’t affected by insurance issues…??

I wondered (perhaps too cynically) that they feel that if they have to cancel they can go bust and avoid too much liability as they don’t have to maintain the long term relationships with locals and suppliers like Fairport have to?

I think that Peter, the organiser of the festival, would be rightly appalled that such cynicism was aimed at him!
He works extremely hard to put on this festival and is an absolute gent!

[issy]

Peter is absolutely adamant that they will not be cancelling and can go ahead on the current regulations if needed.  

He works very hard to run the festival and absolutely values the continuing support of locals and suppliers.

[giottoscircle (Robert)]

I am very pleased to stand corrected.

[Paul]

I can’t understand why they aren’t affected by insurance issues…??

I think Peter is probably in a position to "insure it" himself. IE he will take the hit personally.

Paul

[Paul]

Fairport have announced that they are appearing at Wickham this year.

Paul

[Poor Will (Bill)]

Deacon Blue announced as the remaining headliner.
Happy with that!

[giottoscircle (Robert)]

Does anyone know what the camping is like? Website says it’s the same as previous years but no more detail than that. I normally camp 8n Field 2 at Cropredy; is there anything similar?

[Paul]

Does anyone know what the camping is like? Website says it’s the same as previous years but no more detail than that. I normally camp 8n Field 2 at Cropredy; is there anything similar?

It has improved greatly in recent years. It used to be straw fields, and sometimes muddy and sloped. The field they used two years ago was much more level, and grass. The downside was it was a fair bit further to walk, however there is a minibus.

No guarantee they will use that one, but we are hopeful.

Paul

[PhilipK]

Wickham has just made me realise how professionally and brilliantly organised Cropredy is!

We pitched our tent there yesterday (Wednesday), but we live nearby so drove home to sleep in our own beds. Headed over there today at around 5pm (music was due to start at 6pm and the first act we wanted to see was at 7pm). Weather was wet - this has been forecast for at least a week - and traffic was reasonably heavy, as you'd expect at the beginning of a festival.

First problem was that the entrance to the area where we had camped (and had planned to park our car) was blocked off. No information and no stewards to ask. Nothing. We were in a long queue of traffic so carried on and eventually came to the "Day Parking" field. Drove in there and our car got bogged down in the mud before we had even found  a parking space. Had to wait 2.5 hours before the single tractor - who was constantly pulling other cars out - could get to us. He towed us to the car park entrance ... where we found that they were still letting cars into the field! They hadn't even put down any straw, so goodness knows how they will get out.

While waiting for the tractor, we had plenty of time to read Facebook and Twitter, only to find a litany of problems - the main stage couldn't be used because of the weather, so the whole schedule was rejigged; all Covid precautions seemed to have gone out the window; there weren't nearly enough toilets in any of the fields, and the ones that were provided did not have toilet paper, hand sanitiser or lighting; the mud in the arena (again, no straw) had got dangerous and many people were falling; the shuttle bus was ending early; disabled people were having real issues negotiating the site; the bars, which had been advertised as cashless, would ONLY take cash; there weren't nearly enough stewards, and the ones there didn't seem to know what was going on, etc, etc.

The official festival accounts were blaming the weather, but the simple fact is that the rain had been forecast for some time and they just didn't have any plans in place to deal with it.

After getting towed out of the mud, we decided to quit and came home. We've paid a lot of money to sit in a muddy field for 2.5 hours and not hear any music :-( Let's hope that the rest of the weekend is a bit better.

[JeremyRS]

As a steward at Wickham I’d agree with 99% of the above sadly. There were also a host of other problems ,  some behind the scenes, some visible to attendees. What they have in common is that none were COVID-related, all were foreseeable and avoidable and other festivals, not just Cropredy, manage them perfectly well.  More rain is forecast for today and tomorrow so I fear ground issues aren’t going to get any better. The rest, who knows?

[GubGub (Al)]

I love Wickham (not there this year) but rain has always been their Achilles heel. It always causes chaos and they never seem prepared for it. What a shame.

[Poor Will (Bill)]

Some of these comments are a bit unfair considering the efforts they have gone through to keep the festival going in spite of massive obstacles.
To say that they should have planned ahead more is simply ridiculous.
I don’t know about you, but I haven’t yet found the tap that turns off torrential rain.
Also, the incompetence of the contractors responsible for the main stage could not have been foreseen.
For God’s sake give them a break and be thankful to be at one of the few festivals which were brave enough to take the risk!

This morning’s statement gives some idea of what they are up against.

We're very sorry about the rain and mud last night but pleased that so many of you still enjoyed some fantastic live music.  We're working our socks off to improve the ground conditions for the rest of the weekend.  We do have a problem with the main stage though as we have been badly let-down by the supplier who has failed to deliver the right size stage within the agreed timescale and who has also failed to deliver a safe and structurally sound stage as yesterday's weather showed.  We will let you know this morning whether the stage can be made safe to use - we have an independent engineer attending to assess it.  Please be assured the Festival will continue - the Big Top Stage is absolutely fine and we are installing big TV screens so people outside the tent can see the stage clearly.  Festivals do suffer from bad weather - look at Glastonbury - but after 18 months of almost no live music we are determined to give you the best weekend possible even if it is not quite what you and we would like.  Please bear with us.  We're doing our best and will keep you informed of developments.