The Brentford Festival will be held this year on the September 4 from 12 noon - 5.30 pm in Boston Manor Park which is on the Ealing/Brentford Borders.

Always held on the first Sunday in September there is no doubt that the festival has become increasingly popular each year judging by the number of people who flock there.

From an estimated 3,000 visitors in the first year in 2005 to around 12,000 people last year it is certainly an event to be reckoned with.

I am always surprised when I meet people on my travels who say that they have not heard of the Brentford Festival. Imagine my surprise when I heard that the London Mela, held in Gunnersbury Park which is also on the Ealing Brentford borders, announced that they have pushed back their event from August to the same date as the Brentford Festival.

I had been determined not to start any of the planning of the festival this year until March but this news certainly jolted me into action. Contact with the Mela organisers identified the reason for their change. Yes they did know of the Brentford Festival but Ramadan takes place this year throughout the whole of August so they had no choice but to change their date as the Mela is billed as an Asian Festival.

The organisers had politely asked if we could change the date of our festival! Have you ever tried finding a date for an event that does not clash with another - all those school fetes and fundraisers that run throughout June and July and then trying to avoid the dates when everyone is away on holiday?

From the beginning WE the organisers, (no it’s not just me, I have a dynamic team behind me) decided that the way around it was to always have it on a date that everyone can remember i.e. the first Sunday in September because this is generally the last weekend before children go back to school and the Brentford Festival is after all an event for all the family.

Frantic calls to the police with regard to traffic management and to the support team including St John’s Ambulance put my mind at rest so as we were the first Sunday in September it is.

Even though I say so myself, the festival organising has become pretty slick with all those years under our belt. Not bad for an event that is organised and led by volunteers. There is always, however the need for new blood, new ideas and new enthusiasm to help us deliver a good quality festival for all the family. DO YOU FANCY GIVING IT A GO? It is not just the planning but support and help on the day. If you are interested contact ,org.uk or to the event mobile 07913 79 19 23.

The festival website www.brentfordfestival.org.uk will be updated regularly to enable you to plot our progress and applications for exhibitors and bands will be open very soon.

So, this is my warm up – articles will start in May so do not miss Diary of a Festival Organiser .