Been cancelled for good.What a strange decision by Colne Council cancelling an event now known worldwide and bringing mucho dinero into the coffers of Colne businesses as well as having some great musical acts..
Can't really understand the logic in the councils decision made there is some ulterior motive behind it.

https://www.burnleyexpress.net/whats-on ... ed-3392599

it's the main reason anyone's ever heard of colne.

mental decision.

conyoviejo wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 24, 2021 11:08 am

Been cancelled for good.What a strange decision by Colne Council cancelling an event now known worldwide and bringing mucho dinero into the coffers of Colne businesses as well as having some great musical acts..
Can't really understand the logic in the councils decision made there is some ulterior motive behind it.

https://www.burnleyexpress.net/whats-on ... ed-3392599

You see your basic error there is trying to apply logic to a decision made by a council.

Never been myself. But having been to many gigs over the past few months in Preston/Manchester this area is crying out for something. There’s an huge opportunity to do something.

It is with great regret that we announce the end, as we know it, of the legendary Great British Rhythm &
Blues Festival in Colne, Lancashire.

The Great British Rhythm & Blues Festival has been bringing wonderful blues music – in its myriad of forms – to Colne for over 30 years. The event was not only one of Europe’s ultimate contemporary blues festivals, but also a one-of-a-kind and much-loved festival for people of the local area.

The 2019 festival, which attracted over 25,000 people to Colne, won the UK Blues Festival of The Year Award and will now be the final festival under the guise of the Great British Rhythm & Blues Festival. The 2020 and 2021 events were cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Naomi Crewe, Colne Town Council’s Town Clerk (Colne Town Council has organised and managed the event since 2017): “This is a very sad day for the lovers of ‘The Blues’ in Colne, and for all those involved in the event. Deciding to make the 2019 event the finale of the Great British Rhythm & Blues Festival was an extremely difficult and heart wrenching one to make. During these unprecedented times a decision has been made to create a summer music festival for the town of Colne, which will hopefully have the town as busy as ever, just as it was during the blues weekend in 2019. Lots of decisions still need to be made and we will be inviting local Colners to a meeting in the near future to offer their ideas and opinions as to what people would like the Council to provide. This will be in addition to the events the council currently provides for the town and its residents, including Christmas in Colne, Halloween in Colne, Easter in Colne, along with numerous other services.”

The town council now plans to organise a summer music festival for Colne. Although it’s very early in the planning stages, the event will hopefully take place in Colne in August 2022 and feature bands and musicians from Colne and beyond, supporting the local arts and live music scene and much more.

Councillor Mary Thomas, the Chairman of Colne Town Council adds, “The Council no longer has the resources to run the Colne Blues event in its current format. However, we are going to manage a summer music festival in Colne next August, alongside our other provisions for local residents.”

Let’s keep the award-winning Great British Rhythm & Blues Festival in the hearts and minds of everyone who enjoyed ‘The Blues’ in Colne and look forward to this exciting new music-based festival in the town.

Do keep an eye on our website and social media for further updates.
https://www.facebook.com/colnetowncouncil

There is an online petition to try and change this ridiculous decision. Hopefully below..
https://www.change.org/p/colnetown-lanc ... s-festival

The council didn't invite local people to the Council meeting to discuss cancel the festival though.

"The festival is run at a loss, but local bars and other businesses the festival is a huge money-maker."

This quote probably sums up the situation. It needed more locals to support the festival itself, not just the local bars. If it had been a privately run festival not a public one then I can't see it running at a loss for many years.

Getting interesting now ..

BLUES FESTIVAL UPDATE – CONSERVATIVES WORKING TO SAVE THE BLUES

Following the shocking announcement that the Liberal Democrats running Colne Town Council have axed the Blues Festival without consulting the public, the Conservative leader of Pendle Council, Cllr Nadeem Ahmed, has issued the following statement.

“For over 30 years, The Blues Festival has arguably been the most iconic event held in Pendle, with people coming from across the country and even further afield, to visit our corner of the world. It undoubtedly boosts local businesses, helping to protect jobs, and is enjoyed by thousands. At a time where businesses are recovering from the pandemic and getting back on their feet, it is unforgivable that the Lib Dems would hamper that by cancelling the Blues.

“The economic shock of this is could be too much for businesses to bear. They need support from local Councils more than ever and I won’t sit by and let local businesses suffer because of this short sighted decision. The outcry from local businesses, visitors and residents has been testament to how popular the Blues remains.

“I will be looking to ensure this Festival continues to run, by working with residents and local businesses. It’s up to the Town Council how that happens. I am giving the Lib Dem run Colne Town Council until Monday to come to their senses and do the right thing. If they do not, I will bring an emergency motion to Pendle Borough Council this month to try to secure the future of the Festival.

“This is not the Town Council’s, or any Council’s event. This event belongs to the people of Pendle, its pub trade, and its businesses. We would look to help establish an independent, Charitable Trust, free from politics, to run the event. It would be made up of representatives from the music, pub, voluntary and public sectors.

"To be clear, this would be a last resort option and would take time to establish to get a reinvigorated Festival up and running. Therefore I call on Colne Town Council to make a U-turn and commit to securing the Festival's long term-future.

“To local people, fighting to save the Blues, I say thank you and keep pushing Colne Town Council to do the right thing. You’re doing a great job!”

well said mr. ahmed.

Get Pace to look into it, the Burnley FC blues festival.

Colne

Great opportunity for Burnley to step in.

Come on Burnley Borough Council pull yer finger out!

If it’s so popular why doesn’t a private promoter take over then the Council won’t need to be involved.

I wonder how much all those successful businesses that rely on the Festival, contribute to the running costs? If they chipped in a bit more, it should be do-able.

Since the Borough council is run by the Conservatives and the Town Council is only marginally Liberal dominated 9-8, it seems a bit dramatic and final to call it off just like that. A wafer-thin majority shouldn't make more-or-less irreversible decisions without consent, or at least without detailed consideration of the views of, dissenting parties.

Cricket team getting beat every week and now no Blues. Does any good news ever come out of Colne these days?

Local cricketer wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 24, 2021 8:06 pm

Cricket team getting beat every week and now no Blues. Does any good news ever come out of Colne these days?

Cricket team shouldn't get beat for a while now.

Should be ok at least till April up the colne

Move it to Burnley and just call it the Clarets home blues festival.

RingoMcCartney wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 24, 2021 3:07 pm

Great opportunity for Burnley to step in.

Come on Burnley Borough Council pull yer finger out!

Burnley Borough Council did indeed run its own blues festival for a number of years the focal point being the Mechanics and with other local venues offering stages to smaller acts.

Like all Councils , both Burnley and Pendle are increasingly under resourced, their 'wings' being clipped by central government. Pendle will have given an annual budget to Colne Town Council to run its affairs, including the Blues Festival.

It's looking like, while the Town Council may have sunk budget into organising the Blues Festival, it was the pubs and clubs hosting events that took the profits without giving back. Most unfortunate.

It's looking like the various parties need to get together and negotiate a festival which is sustainable.

Billyblah wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 24, 2021 10:33 pm

Burnley Borough Council did indeed run its own blues festival for a number of years the focal point being the Mechanics and with other local venues offering stages to smaller acts.

Like all Councils , both Burnley and Pendle are increasingly under resourced, their 'wings' being clipped by central government. Pendle will have given an annual budget to Colne Town Council to run its affairs, including the Blues Festival.

It's looking like, while the Town Council may have sunk budget into organising the Blues Festival, it was the pubs and clubs hosting events that took the profits without giving back. Most unfortunate.

It's looking like the various parties need to get together and negotiate a festival which is sustainable.

Agree 100 %

TheFamilyCat wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 24, 2021 8:13 pm

Cricket team shouldn't get beat for a while now.

I wouldn’t bank on it, they’ll probably still find a way to loose over winter.

bfcjg wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 24, 2021 9:07 pm

Move it to Burnley and just call it the Clarets home blues festival.

Or just Clarets and Blues.

Billyblah wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 24, 2021 10:33 pm

Burnley Borough Council did indeed run its own blues festival for a number of years the focal point being the Mechanics and with other local venues offering stages to smaller acts.

Like all Councils , both Burnley and Pendle are increasingly under resourced, their 'wings' being clipped by central government. Pendle will have given an annual budget to Colne Town Council to run its affairs, including the Blues Festival.

It's looking like, while the Town Council may have sunk budget into organising the Blues Festival, it was the pubs and clubs hosting events that took the profits without giving back. Most unfortunate.

It's looking like the various parties need to get together and negotiate a festival which is sustainable.

It’s arguably Pendle’s fault as much as Colne’s.

Pendle transferring all their services to town and parish council’s including parks and things like that.

If the residents of Colne are happy with the precept being raised for the Town Council contribution they might get it back on.

Local cricketer wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 24, 2021 8:06 pm

Cricket team getting beat every week and now no Blues. Does any good news ever come out of Colne these days?

Colne Dynamoes!!

Billyblah wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 24, 2021 10:33 pm

Burnley Borough Council did indeed run its own blues festival for a number of years the focal point being the Mechanics and with other local venues offering stages to smaller acts.

Like all Councils , both Burnley and Pendle are increasingly under resourced, their 'wings' being clipped by central government. Pendle will have given an annual budget to Colne Town Council to run its affairs, including the Blues Festival.

It's looking like, while the Town Council may have sunk budget into organising the Blues Festival, it was the pubs and clubs hosting events that took the profits without giving back. Most unfortunate.

It's looking like the various parties need to get together and negotiate a festival which is sustainable.

The majority of pubs and clubs weren't official venues so presumably were free to book their own acts, have plenty of punters, make a fair bit of brass but contribute nothing to the running costs. I would suspect the majority of visitors to the Blues didn't buy a ticket for any of the official venues either, so little of the money they spent would have been recouped by the organisers.

RingoMcCartney wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 24, 2021 3:07 pm

Great opportunity for Burnley to step in.

Come on Burnley Borough Council pull yer finger out!

Is this the same Burnley borough council that can’t/won’t organise a statue in the borough depicting and celebrating the worlds greatest ever sportsman who comes form the borough?

I wish you all the best in your wish Ringo ….

Anyway, this whole thing seems utterly bizarre to me…. Fair play to the Pendle councillor who’s fighting it.

bobinho wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 26, 2021 6:19 pm

Anyway, this whole thing seems utterly bizarre to me…. Fair play to the Pendle councillor who’s fighting it.

For me it's the wrong decision, and I think a solution should be found. They should be looking at some kind of partnership with private businesses in order to ensure that costs are covered.
However, in tough financial times it's not bizarre to cancel something that costs Council Tax payers money, even if it benefits businesses.
There will be many low income households in Colne who have no interest in this festival whatsoever. All councils are facing tough challenges. The Ace Centre in Nelson is not reopening, so it's not just Colne.
(And I speak as someone who supports council / govt. subsidies for arts etc.)

bobinho wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 26, 2021 6:19 pm

Is this the same Burnley borough council that can’t/won’t organise a statue in the borough depicting and celebrating the worlds greatest ever sportsman who comes form the borough?

I wish you all the best in your wish Ringo ….

Anyway, this whole thing seems utterly bizarre to me…. Fair play to the Pendle councillor who’s fighting it.

And fair play to you for giving me a cheeky reality check as to the capabilities, and desire , to actually please the majority of Burnley folk, of Burnley Council.

Once Someone like Rossendale (Rawtenstall), Craven (Skipton), Clalderdale (Hebden Bridgde would love it!) gets wind of it, they'll be all over it like a tramp on a bag o' chips.

diamondpocket wrote: ↑

Sat Sep 25, 2021 6:02 pm

Colne Dynamoes!!

These days !!!!!!!!!!!!!

bobinho wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 26, 2021 6:19 pm

Is this the same Burnley borough council that can’t/won’t organise a statue in the borough depicting and celebrating the worlds greatest ever sportsman who comes form the borough?

I wish you all the best in your wish Ringo ….

Anyway, this whole thing seems utterly bizarre to me…. Fair play to the Pendle councillor who’s fighting it.

If he wants a statue of himself then perhaps he can pay for it?