The art of a good festival

Attended the launch of the 2010 Bury St Edmunds Festival the other evening . . . a small, friendly get-together at the town's Angel Hotel. Before I went, a colleague on the East Anglian Daily Times suggested arts promoters in Ipswich could learn from their counterparts in west Suffolk about staging such events.

I don't know whether that is the case but I do know that Bury's Maytime extravaganza (about to celebrate 25 years) has taken the softly-softly approach to its current standing as one of the best small festivals in the country.

It's more about small delights than eye-catching “gosh, I never thought they would come to Bury” headline acts. The latter has never been its style but flick through their latest brochure, or go on online at www.buryfestival.co.uk and you will find this year's rolling event includes a real beer and food festival, sonnet walks, street theatre, a kite festival and tribute bands, as well as Al Murray (The Pub Landlord) Adrian Edmondson, John Hegley, Clare Teal and Natalie Clein.

Oh, and this year a deal has been struck to offer under 17s, or full-time students, the chance to see many of the acts and performances for just £5.

If the weather is as kind and spring-like as last year it should help make the festival another success.





Watch out for further information on our 2010 Food and Drink Awards being flagged up on this website and in the magazine over the coming months. If you can have a word with your local butcher, baker, farm shop or deli owner and encourage him or her to enter so much the better. They may say they are too busy or don't want a fuss made - a not unattractive character trait in us Suffolk types. But it will highlight their work and maybe win them award.





In March I hope to be interviewing a former Sun editor about a new book he has just written. Perhaps we can touch on some tabloid tales and scandals too.

It will all be in our April issue.





Now for what could become my regular Victor Meldrew sign-off …

Caught a little of the Brit Awards (time and events of real public importance may have moved on by the time your read this) and couldn't help noticing that, rather tediously, it's still deemed very “rock and roll” to swear and behave boorishly during an acceptance speech. I realise that when given an award, the euphoria may only allow the winner to articulate a few words of appreciation, and I have sympathy for sportsmen and women who have a microphone thrust under their noses and asked for an opinion after a sustained period of all out action. But if several f-words constitutes part of a thank you (and I don't include the exotically-coiffured Lady Gaga, who held it together and uttered some considered words of gratitude) at these kind of high profile events it is rather sad.