Giddings: I'll foot the bill for Isle of Wight mudfest (From Daily Echo)
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Festival organiser says sorry for travel chaos and plans to foot the bill
1:10pm Tuesday 26th June 2012 in News
By Jenny Makin, Crime Reporter
Festival organiser John Giddings.
IT'S all my fault and I will be picking up the bill.
They are the words of Isle of Wight Festival boss John Giddings today as he begins to count the cost of the biggest clean-up operation in the history of the event.
The music promoter said only he was to blame for the traffic chaos that left hundreds of festival goers trapped in cars through the night and brought gridlock to the Island.
And now he is preparing himself for the mammoth financial impact of trying to get 55,000 people safely on and off the festival site over the past four days.
As reported, torrential rain last Thursday turned car parks and campsites into a mudbath, with vehicles stuck in boggy fields unable to move unless they were towed.
Dozens of extra police had to be drafted in to help execute an emergency plan and control the traffic while tractors and 4x4 vehicles were used to haul vehicles.
Mr Giddings told the Daily Echo: “I’m responsible and I have to take the criticism. I am really sorry that there were some people who were inconvenienced.
“The thing is that nobody expects that at the Isle of Wight – the sun always shines here, that’s what they think.”
Mr Giddings added: “I know what happened, what went wrong. I placed a lot of cars on a car park that was waterlogged, it couldn’t cope and whatever I chucked at it just didn’t work.
“The result was that I created the biggest traffic jams on the Island since 1970 and I am really sorry that it happened.
“Everybody was coming to help and I am so grateful. I rented over 100 4x4s and 100 tractors to tow people out and it has been incredible. It has cost me a fortune. Firstly I wanted people out and on their way home safely and the next thing is to repair the fields to the same state I found them in.”
Asked who will pick up the tab for the extra policing resources, Mr Giddings said: “I will. I just agreed to everything that was needed without looking at the cost. I had to do whatever it took because it was my responsibility.
“I am sure there will now be an inquest into what happened, but I need to decide what to do.”
He added: “Everyone I spoke to in the campsites yesterday who was waiting to get helped out was telling me it was one of the most incredible things they have ever been to. I must say Bruce Springsteen was absolutely beyond incredible. He asked if he could play on later so he sang during the fireworks. People said it was one of the most incredible things they have ever been to.”
But asked what the future holds for the festival at Seaclose Park, he said: “I will continue doing the Isle of Wight Festival as long as people want to come to it.”
Isle of Wight Council boss, Stuart Love, director of economy and environment, said the additional policing costs would be a matter to be resolved between the police and John Giddings.
He said: “The event is of tremendous cultural and economic benefit to the Island and is enjoyed by many thousands of local people.
“Though the difficulties experienced this year are obviously regrettable and unacceptable, I am sure new plans can be put in place to prevent such issues occurring at future events.”
Comments(21)
dopplershift
says...
1:20pm Tue 26 Jun 12
Barney123
says...
1:31pm Tue 26 Jun 12
George4th
says...
2:12pm Tue 26 Jun 12
dopplershift wrote:I agree with you.
Well done John. I think people understand the situation and even though it was hard for the festival goers and locals it won't have an impact on future events. You learn from mistakes and next time you will make provisions for worst case scenarios in terms of weather and get contingency in place. I think considering it's on the island it could have been worse. All my friends who attended had a great weekend and although wet and muddy just got on with it. The headliners were a great coup so here's to next year!!!
Not once did John Giddings try to hide - he simply got on with solving the problems. Well done!
>
Everyone who went will be telling the story around the dinner table for years to come!!
georgetheseventh
says...
2:14pm Tue 26 Jun 12
georgetheseventh
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2:16pm Tue 26 Jun 12
George4th wrote:I am going to write a book on it..so my grandchildren will never forget..I may even put my wellies on Ebay.
dopplershift wrote:I agree with you.
Well done John. I think people understand the situation and even though it was hard for the festival goers and locals it won't have an impact on future events. You learn from mistakes and next time you will make provisions for worst case scenarios in terms of weather and get contingency in place. I think considering it's on the island it could have been worse. All my friends who attended had a great weekend and although wet and muddy just got on with it. The headliners were a great coup so here's to next year!!!
Not once did John Giddings try to hide - he simply got on with solving the problems. Well done!
>
Everyone who went will be telling the story around the dinner table for years to come!!
Shoong
says...
2:57pm Tue 26 Jun 12
“The thing is that nobody expects that at the Isle of Wight – the sun always shines here, that’s what they think.”
Difficult to tell just from reading it what tone Mr Giddings was mean to be using, that might not endear you to the local populace mate!
ottred
says...
3:26pm Tue 26 Jun 12
I remember when camping for a few days meant a gaz stove, bit of grub, weed, tins of ale & a tent & sleeping bag. Why they feel the need to take their cars right up to the gate & unload the contents of their house is beyond me. Pampered..
mikey48
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4:53pm Tue 26 Jun 12
ottred
says...
5:15pm Tue 26 Jun 12
OSPREYSAINT
says...
5:15pm Tue 26 Jun 12
OSPREYSAINT
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5:17pm Tue 26 Jun 12
ottred wrote:Why?
They should be made to park on the mainland & walk/bus to the festival.
999medic
says...
5:31pm Tue 26 Jun 12
Northamboy
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7:36pm Tue 26 Jun 12
cantthinkofone
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7:42pm Tue 26 Jun 12
kathpike2003
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8:04pm Tue 26 Jun 12
Vix1
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8:52pm Tue 26 Jun 12
kathpike2003
says...
9:59pm Tue 26 Jun 12
com/groups/241443149
058/ Mr Giddings should check out this local site ..... not enough thanks have gone to the unsung heroes (yes I mean that, not being dramatic!) TAKE A PEEP AT WHAT WENT ON BEHIND THE SCENES ... Huge thanks to the lovely Islanders x
Tracylou
says...
10:04pm Tue 26 Jun 12
cantthinkofone wrote:I did think my daughter had an allergic reaction to something as her forehead swelled and was very red.to be honest it was very windy at times, i think it was windburn along with sunburn
More concerning than the mud is the number of people that had to seek treatment after having what sounds like some sort of allergic reaction. Faces swelling up to the point where they can't see, that kind of thing. Insects? Chemical ground contamination? Something else?
andysaints007
says...
11:02pm Tue 26 Jun 12
OSPREYSAINT wrote:Not 'made' but anyone with half a brain would !!
ottred wrote:Why?
They should be made to park on the mainland & walk/bus to the festival.
elvisimo
says...
8:57am Wed 27 Jun 12
ottred wrote:You obviously don't have much of an idea as to who attends these events or how far away the camping is actually located from the campsite.
All the timmys & gemima's are bogged down on the iow for the festival, 4x4 rescue teams, traffic right back to the ferry port.
I remember when camping for a few days meant a gaz stove, bit of grub, weed, tins of ale & a tent & sleeping bag. Why they feel the need to take their cars right up to the gate & unload the contents of their house is beyond me. Pampered..
The majority take tent deck chair something to sleep in and some beer. You can be 45 minutes from where you camp depending on how lucky you are. The festival has been problem free for the ten previous years. One day of problems should not result in 55,000 people having to swim to the island and then walk to the even in sack cloth.
pod says...
1:18pm Tue 26 Jun 12
A man of honour.