Organisers of Brentford Festival have decided to keep the event in Ealing after last year’s success story.
The popular festival will be held in Blondin Park this summer after it moved there for the first time last year following disagreements between the organising committee and Hounslow Council’s events and parks contractor , John Laing Integrated Services.
It will still be called Brentford Festival as organisers are hopeful it will one day return to the town where it was originally held and is named after.
Thousands of revellers flocked to the new venue last September to enjoy a day of music, dance and fun after the festival was cancelled in 2012 when John Laing refused to drop a last minute £6,000 fee to use Boston Manor Park in Hounslow, where it was held for seven years. They also redacted their provision of gratis staff to help run the festival, despite this being enjoyed in previous years.
Hounslow Council attempted to quell the dispute by getting John Laing and the Brentford Festival committee to meet and come to an agreement, but nine months of fruitless negotiations resulted in organisers deciding to leave Hounslow.
At the end of last year’s festival in Ealing, the team told the Chronicle they did not know where the event would be held this September, as both Ealing and Hounslow Council had expressed an interest in having it in their borough.
But, at a meeting last night (March 26), the committee decided on Blondin Park as Ealing Council had been more accommodating than Hounslow. Most of the stall holders had said they would support whatever decision was made but all of the caterers had expressed a preference for Blondin Park.
Linda Massey, who heads up the festival team and Friends of Boston Manor Park, said: “We felt we would be more comfortable in Ealing, we wanted to try and improve on last year and we still felt uncomfortable that the circumstances in Hounslow wouldn’t have changed. We’re not changing the name, even though it’s not in Brentford, because we’re hopeful circumstances will change.
“I’m personally involved with Boston Manor Park so I can hopefully develop the relationship with John Laing over the next year. It was actually easier for us to put the festival on in Blondin Park as Ealing Council are much more helpful than Hounslow, both the councillors and the council are. To get a thank you from them just days after the event was great, we’ve never had that from Hounslow.”
Despite the issues the committee has had with venues, Mrs Massey added that she did not want the festival to be overshadowed as in the end it is all about people having a great day out and enjoying all the fantastic music, shows and food with their families and friends.
