Where is Councillor Gibb-Gray?
He is certainly not in Emsworth or even this Planet if he believes in his 'open letter'
Who was pretending to be him at the Washdown Meeting because he certainly did not hear the same as most of us that were there.
Is this some way of helping the Food Festival Directors overcome having to answer the questions put to them by the Public in the Petition which The News also tried to hide?
Wake up Brendan, this is not the way to help the community.

Once again the “axing” of the Emsworth Food Festival has been reported by The News in such away which only serves to perpetuate the divisive opinions and misconceptions held in the town.

The facts are as follows;

1. The suggestion that “last year's festival came close to being cancelled because the noise and disruption for those living close by was almost overwhelming” is simply untrue. This suggestion was never discussed by the organising committee and has only appeared in your article some twelve months after the 2007 event and has no foundation in fact.

2. Following a highly supportive public wash-up up meeting held on 3rd October 2007 the directors announced their decision to defer the next festival to 2009 and were reported as having “pledged that the event will return in 2009 “ (Chichester Observer 3rd December 2007)

3. The 2007 festival was no larger in terms of estimated attendance than in 2006.

4. The Festival was axed without proper deference to or discussion by the organising committee as is required by the festival’s constitution.

5. There have been no “'Letters, petitions and unfounded personal abuse ….. unfairly aimed at the Emsworth Food Festival director.” There has, however, been an open letter to the festival’s chairman asking for answers to and clarification of matters relating to the festival and its axing which to date have been unanswered.


6. The entirely separate event “A Thought for Food” held at Stansted early in September was not organised by the “team behind the original (Emsworth) festival”. It was, in fact, an entirely separate event with which some of the Emsworth Food Festival organisers and directors were involved. This event was never intended as “on an alternative” to the Emsworth Food Festival and was a separate and innovative commercial venture.


It has been most unfortunate that the directors of the festival, who alone, are entirely responsible for the axing of this event chose to ignore the positive

Once again the “axing” of the Emsworth Food Festival has been reported by The News in such away which only serves to perpetuate the divisive opinions and misconceptions held in the town.

The facts are as follows;

1. The suggestion that “last year's festival came close to being cancelled because the noise and disruption for those living close by was almost overwhelming” is simply untrue. This suggestion was never discussed by the organising committee and has only appeared in your article some twelve months after the 2007 event and has no foundation in fact.

2. Following a highly supportive public wash-up up meeting held on 3rd October 2007 the directors announced their decision to defer the next festival to 2009 and were reported as having “pledged that the event will return in 2009 “ (Chichester Observer 3rd December 2007)

3. The 2007 festival was no larger in terms of estimated attendance than in 2006.

4. The Festival was axed without proper deference to or discussion by the organising committee as is required by the festival’s constitution.

5. There have been no “'Letters, petitions and unfounded personal abuse ….. unfairly aimed at the Emsworth Food Festival director.” There has, however, been an open letter to the festival’s chairman asking for answers to and clarification of matters relating to the festival and its axing which to date have been unanswered.


6. The entirely separate event “A Thought for Food” held at Stansted early in September was not organised by the “team behind the original (Emsworth) festival”. It was, in fact, an entirely separate event with which some of the Emsworth Food Festival organisers and directors were involved. This event was never intended as “on an alternative” to the Emsworth Food Festival and was a separate and innovative commercial venture.


It has been most unfortunate that the directors of the festival, who alone, are entirely responsible for the axing of this event chose to ignore the positive