NEWS of another massive event planned for Southampton Common is a step in the right direction as the city attempts to pull itself up by its bootstraps.

Once the city was renowned for its major events, the Balloon and Flower Festival along with its carnival pulling in the crowds.

Over the years, thanks to budget cuts and other distractions, such events have faded and withered away.

This has saved precious resources but even the Romans knew that people cannot live on bread alone, they need circuses.

This summer saw the first major music event return to the city’s Common in several years. It proved a success and now there are plans to not only repeat that one-day extravaganza but add to it and now include a separate festival in the warmer months. A new halfmarathon is also to take place in 2015.

These events alone will not be sufficient to place Southampton on the map.

We look to near neighbours in Portsmouth and Bournemouth to see how they have steadily increased their offerings and their profiles.

Time will tell if we also are on the road to success in this field.