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mathew street festival

Posted by Catherine Jones on August 3, 2007 9:42 PM | 

A lot of column inches have been filled chronicling the cancellation of the Mathew Street Festival over the last 24 hours.
I should know - I've written many of them.
In fact, my head is still spinning from the information, accusations, demands for answers, criticisms, condemnations and explanations.
One thing is certain - it's a cock-up of epic proportions and has done the city real and lasting damage.

That was no more evident than when BBC Breakfast Time, reporting live in Mathew Street this morning, kept repeating at half-hour intervals the drip, drip, drip damning comment which amounted to "if they can't organise this, how can they hope to organise Capital of Culture year."
No one could deny that's a fair point.
And anyone down at Culture Co central who thought it would be any different (if there IS anyone down there surprised by the furore - surely not?) is sorely deluded.
Mind you, it's difficult to know what they WERE thinking.
It may not have been "let's take the most successful event in Liverpool's calendar and ruin it", but it may has well have been.
One thing is certain.
With Warren Bradley and MP Louise Ellman, let alone the good people of Liverpool, among those on the warpath there will be no hiding behind the infamous Capita health and safety report.
It's a depressing fact that health and safety has become a cover all nail in the coffin for everything from school trips to the beach to plain walking along the street these days.
The Mathew Street Festival has existed perfectly happily for the past 15 years with large crowds crammed into city streets and the beer flowing on every corner.
Last week the ECHO revealed Culture Co plans to drain Salthouse Dock and build a stage and seating for the Liverpool Sound concert next year.
Let's hope there isn't a health and safety 'expert' around to pull the plug on that.
Anyway, first we have to get the Mathew Street Festival back on track.
That has been the ECHO's priority today which is why we joined the Mathew Street founders in a rescue bid.
But even if, by some miracle, some semblance of the outdoor festival is saved, it won't save Liverpool's reputation.


 

Comments (3)

Geoffrey Crayon wrote...

The Post and Echo did a great job today.

Well done and keep it up!

Posted by: Geoffrey Crayon  | August 3, 2007 11:53 PM

Dennis G. Blair wrote...

To be sure, Capita has an office in Liverpool, but their HQ- and probably their mindset - are pure London. I wonder if any of these Experts have actually seen a Mathew Street Festival? With or without all the safety plans, procedures, access and evacuation routes or gallant Culture Company gurus to lord over it all, this festival could quite easily go on without a trace of any of them - and none of them would be missed! It was never their festival, it was the Cavern's and the fan's festival. The only thing LCC, CC and Capita have contributed is obstruction and destruction.

But, tell me folks, just how big a safety issue can you generate by inviting 300,000 people to a party and then cancelling it after all the people have made their mostly irrevocable plans to attend? The words "malfeasance", "misfeasance" and "incompetance" come to mind as does the word "sabotage".

This cancellation is as impracical as trying to recall a solid-fueled rocket after ignition. Buddy, it just ain't gonna happen. God help Liverpool.

Yes, I'll be there; but I'll be worried.

Posted by: Dennis G. Blair  | August 5, 2007 8:29 PM

Fred Brown wrote...

Just a quick point regarding the much maligned health and safety. It's interesteing to note, (and a trip to the website will enlighten)that the Health and Safety Executive, and they are the ones that know, are continually saying that 'Health and Safety' is actually about making things happen as opposed to stopping them, but making sure everyone is alright. If people are aware of where things are that might do them damage, they tend to do something to ensure they're not hurt. We've all fallen over things when there's been little or nothing to fall over.

Yes, having many thousands of people (and the spurious assumption is that they're all going to be drunk) on the streets of Liverpool City Centre would probably throw up a number of things that need to be looked at. Falling over a bollard, or a crack in the road (surely part of the Liverpool counter-culture) is expected. Tripping over the Pier Head or the Liverpool 1 site surely has to be a lack of personal concern and care of the greatest proportion. Most people tend to look after themseslves. If all the bases (and holes, and cracks and lumps and bumps) have ben covered, literally as well as metaphorically, then there can be little or no risk or hazard that can not be seen as a real accident, probably at the fault of the individual.

I understand the caution that members of the Culture Company might be operating under, but if they are feeling like that, then there are going to be more cancellations and delays.

If we think (know) people are laughing at us now......

Posted by: Fred Brown  | August 15, 2007 1:12 PM

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