Lowestoft Seafront Air Festival to end

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138EAW
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Lowestoft Seafront Air Festival to end

Post by 138EAW »


BREAKING NEWS: Lowestoft Seafront Air Festival to end

By MARK BOGGIS Wednesday, July 25, 2012
11:30 AM

POOR weather is being blamed for a drastic loss of income at this year’s Lowestoft Airshow, organisers making the shock announcement that it will almost certainly be the last.

A meeting of the organising committee last week was told the sad news that the first-ever weekend event had failed to raise the sums necessary to make it a viable proposition to go ahead with an airshow next year.

In fact it was only because the organisers had a small wet weather contingency reserve fund that all the costs for the event could just be met at all – leaving the reserves at rock bottom.

The popular event, which attracts hundreds of thousands of people, has been running for 16 years - but today, organisers have confirmed that the show will not go-ahead next year.

Managing Director Paul Bayfield said: “It is with much regret and a lot of sadness that I have to report that we do not have sufficient funds to go ahead with an Air Show next year.

“The event has been running for 16 years and has only survived that long because of the wonderful support that has been forthcoming. Unfortunately this year we have become another victim of the vagaries of the British weather.”

This year’s show took place on June 23/24 and was considered the best show ever by many in terms of the flying displays.


Info from Eastern Daily Press

Sad news :sad: would also affect Marham Families day's :sad:
Gary

DeanW
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Re: Lowestoft Seafront Air Festival to end

Post by DeanW »

That's a great shame. Lowestoft always seemed to have a strong line-up for a seaside show, it's just a shame the weather didn't play ball in recent years.

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SuffolkBlue
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Re: Lowestoft Seafront Air Festival to end

Post by SuffolkBlue »

Really is a great shame to be losing the Air Festival. Bit of a double blow for us East Anglian folk, with the lose of the Rougham show too.

Wonder if the people I've seen dodging the donation buckets at Lowestoft over the years will be surprised by this news??........

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Re: Lowestoft Seafront Air Festival to end

Post by Southendnick »

They might be able to find a sponsor, hopefully this will not start a domino effect with the loss of more seaside shows.
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stonojnr
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Re: Lowestoft Seafront Air Festival to end

Post by stonojnr »

SuffolkBlue wrote:Really is a great shame to be losing the Air Festival. Bit of a double blow for us East Anglian folk, with the lose of the Rougham show too.

Wonder if the people I've seen dodging the donation buckets at Lowestoft over the years will be surprised by this news??........


maybe they are pondering if the air festival didnt donate so much of the money they raised directly to charity, theyd have more left to run the air festival with instead :whistle:

strange that Paul Bayfield said the day after the show this year
“With 140,000 people turning out today (Sunday), to have a combined 340,000 people attend for the two days, which given the weather is pretty excellent."

which for some reason I thought was supposed to be a record attendance so I guess the weather was to blame for all these people keeping their hands in the pockets to keep warm instead as they certainly didnt keep away, and Im convinced it rained virtually all one day of the show in 2010, you know when it was a thunderstorm and one of the alpha jets aborted its display for fear of being struck,and that took me about a week to dry all my camera gear out from. must have imagined that bad weather

then again maybe it was the rather antsy attidude of the shows organisers wanting to "squeeze this money out of visitors" and advising people who didnt want to donate to stay away as we dont want your kind which Im sure went down a storm with the local tourism board

everyone I spoke to about the show this year were convinced you had to pay to attend, you had to negotiate a fairly aggressive bunch of bucket shakers to get anywhere along the seafront if you didnt have your sticker prominently displayed, hell the stickers were even different for each day so you werent going to blag your way through both days and they were still shaking buckets at you when you left.

if you didnt pay your £3 this year, it wasnt for the lack of them trying, which rather suggests as I say every year about the show and its threatened/promised cancellation they need to think harder about how much money they are actually raising, the attendances they claim, and why the amount they raise from their escalating donation scheme isnt enough or working for them. Perhaps looking at how other seaside shows are run and stop pretending they are a mini Duxford or RIAT and that people will pour their wallets into the buckets for them.

the amount of people I hear every year who say they put in £5 or £10...work it out if thats happening on a large scale, lots of people arent donating anything at all.

stonojnr (and for the avoidance of doubt, Ive donated every year Ive attended)

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SuffolkBlue
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Re: Lowestoft Seafront Air Festival to end

Post by SuffolkBlue »

Some of the points you've made do seem rather "over the top" in my opinion.

The bucket collectors are as aggressive as members of the Over 80's Lowestoft Sunday Afternoon Driving Association and did the organisers really state that "people who don't want to donate should stay away as we don't want your kind"??

From the way I see it (and correct me if I'm wrong), it just seems you have an axe to grind against the show? :dunno:

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Re: Lowestoft Seafront Air Festival to end

Post by Buzz »

Gutted! I've been doing my yearly pilgrimage to this show for about 10 years now.

The average British seaside holiday maker is unbelievably tight fisted and it has nothing to do with a recession. It's only £3 for gods sake!! I generally put in at least double what is asked and I stay in a local hotel and use the local restaurants etc. This will be felt by a lot of the local business. I absolutely hate hearing the excuse of "I would be coming here anyway, without the show, so why should I pay". There's not a fraction of the people in Lowestoft on a non show day. I'm the opposite. Without the show the local economy will be losing my custom. If you don't want to pay then there is plenty of beach up at pakefield or further up the lowestoft end of the beach, but lets face it the moaners want to see something for nothing and no doubt they'll be the most vocal moaners now its not going to be on anymore. I often felt the money collectors weren't pro active enough.

I just hope hope some sponser will come forward or the local business' chip in.

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twirl2688
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Re: Lowestoft Seafront Air Festival to end

Post by twirl2688 »

great shame to be losing this airshow, was one of the highlights of the year. on the issue funds i suppose the handing out of the free programme didnt help matters as i wouldnt think the £3 donation would have covered the cost of getting them put together. i wouldnt have minded paying another few quid for a programme aswell, it would still be great value when considered what you pay at some other airshows £20 - 30 entry, then £ 8 - 10 for the programme. for what you get at lowestoft its exceptional value and a fantastic day out with the family :win: . All i say to the bucket dodgers shame on YOU ! :butt:
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gooner
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Re: Lowestoft Seafront Air Festival to end

Post by gooner »

There has been a save the lowestoft air show fund put into place people can donate at barclays banks or via the beach radio website already people are coming forward so the show could once again be saved if you would like to donate you can go the the beach website which has the details. They are looking for the £60.000 but already businesses are donating which is good. If the money is not fully raised then any money thats been donated will go to the local help an east coast child charity and there will be no airshow next year. Personally if there is a show it should go back to thurs and fri and be back to late july or august as it seems much more busy than when it was held this year.

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lettingitout
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Re: Lowestoft Seafront Air Festival to end

Post by lettingitout »

Airshow could still take off once more
By Mark Boggis
Friday, August 10, 2012
9:17 AM

A glimmer of hope has been offered to organisers of the Lowestoft Seafront Air Festival.

Just a fortnight ago organisers announced the feast of flying acts would not be taking place next year, but hopes have been raised as offers to underwrite the event have come in.

Two separate offers have been made to underwrite part of the £60,000 needed to build up the event’s wet weather contingency fund.

One came from a community group and the other from a businessman – with their offers totalling about £5,500.

However, as organisers admitted they could press ahead with plans provided they found enough people to underwrite the event, they fell short of confirming that the 2013 show would go-ahead.

Paul Bayfield, managing director of Lowestoft Seafront Air Festival, said: “This was a spontaneous and generous offer and it was typical of the support that we have from this wonderful group of people.

“If we could have at least another 11 similar offers, then there was a very strong possibility that the airshow could be saved. Underwriting may be a more attractive option to businesses or supporters who want to save the airshow – as their funds would only be needed if the income from a future airshow failed to reach the break-even point.”

This year’s show was the first over a weekend. Despite attracting 300,000 people only £85,000 was collected in programme fees and donations.

Offers to underwrite the event can be made to Mr Bayfield via e-mail mail@lowestoftairfestival.co.uk or write to Lowestoft Seafront Air Festival Ltd, 41, Tennyson Road, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR32 1PS.

http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/airshow_could_still_take_off_once_more_1_1477490

I have been a FOLSAF for at least 10 out of the 16 years it's been running. It's a great value day out - I hope it can be saved :clap:

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Re: Lowestoft Seafront Air Festival to end

Post by davew55 »

BBC are reporting definitely cancelled for 2013.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-19678938

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stonojnr
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Re: Lowestoft Seafront Air Festival to end

Post by stonojnr »

SuffolkBlue wrote:Some of the points you've made do seem rather "over the top" in my opinion.

The bucket collectors are as aggressive as members of the Over 80's Lowestoft Sunday Afternoon Driving Association and did the organisers really state that "people who don't want to donate should stay away as we don't want your kind"??

From the way I see it (and correct me if I'm wrong), it just seems you have an axe to grind against the show? :dunno:


no axe to grind the organisers did unfortunately say that in an interview on BBC Look East they wanted to squeeze money out of visitors.and repeatedly stated people who didnt want to donate should stay away, check their facebook page its full of that sentiment.

and that was repeated in the Eastern Daily Press and East Anglian Daily Times, so you know sorry but I report what was said and published widely locally, I live locally its my neareast airshow why would I have an axe to grind against it, without it I have to travel 3-4hrs to my nearest airshow so its in my interest to keep it going, but I dont see why I should ignore quite obvious failings or not point out and challenge where I think things are being done to the detriment of running something that actually worked for a number of years but has been ultimately killed by the same reasons I think I pointed out several years ago on this forum ( go check the archive) , and thats always been the number of people they count and the amount the charge doesnt add up and thats a really big problem if your relying on donations to cover the costs and you end up short because youve given it all to charity, and thats something Eastbourne, Bournemouth etc etc worked out and realised its not a charity money maker anymore if it ever was

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Re: Lowestoft Seafront Air Festival to end

Post by Buzz »

Anyone in the know heard if there are plans for a return on the festival next year??? I'm sure the local economy will feel the loss of business this year. They're not getting my money for starters!!!

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gary1701
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Re: Lowestoft Seafront Air Festival to end

Post by gary1701 »

Gents,

It is being reported in the East Anglian press today that the Lowestoft Show will probably be back for 2014. Enough sponsorship appears to have been pledged to allow an event next year. We just have to hope that the support is genuine and that a decent return is made during the actual event.

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gooner
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Re: Lowestoft Seafront Air Festival to end

Post by gooner »

Sadly thats not the case. They need to find another £20,000 from sponsors by the end of this month for the show to go ahead and im afraid to say its not looking good at this time but we should know by the end of this month. Several have already pledged but unless they get more from local businesses then its a no go sadly. :mad:

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Danny
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Re: Lowestoft Seafront Air Festival to end

Post by Danny »

The fat lady is singing. :sad:

Lowestoft Air Festival will "definitely" not take place again

Organisers of the Lowestoft Seafront Air Festival say they will "definitely" not stage the event again and they have begun selling off its assets.

The two-day event last took place in 2012, but bad weather meant they had to spend their contingency fund.

Organisers have not been able to raise the £60,000 contingency fund needed to stage the show this year.

Paul Bayfield, from the organisers, said: "It feels like a bereavement as we think it was very, very special."

The event cost about £300,000 in total to stage and it attracted up to 240,000 people when the weather was favourable.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-26576410
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Re: Lowestoft Seafront Air Festival to end

Post by MRTT »

Danny wrote:The fat lady is singing. :sad:

Lowestoft Air Festival will "definitely" not take place again

Organisers of the Lowestoft Seafront Air Festival say they will "definitely" not stage the event again and they have begun selling off its assets.

The two-day event last took place in 2012, but bad weather meant they had to spend their contingency fund.

Organisers have not been able to raise the £60,000 contingency fund needed to stage the show this year.

Paul Bayfield, from the organisers, said: "It feels like a bereavement as we think it was very, very special."

The event cost about £300,000 in total to stage and it attracted up to 240,000 people when the weather was favourable.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-26576410


Have always wanted to go to this show :sad:
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Milguy22
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Re: Lowestoft Seafront Air Festival to end

Post by Milguy22 »

Sad news indeed.. Another airshow lost on the circuit. My home airshow and I had never missed one. Let's hope Clacton and Southend can match the line up that lowestoft has had in the past. Some fond memories I've had of this seafront airshow.

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