A GROUP of the original Village Pump Festival team are getting ready for a fundraising event next month to help continue and support the annual tradition of good music and entertainment in the area.
It was announced last year that the Village Pump Festival that moved to Westbury in 2012 would not be returning due to poor ticket sales. In its place there will be a fundraising event held at the White Horse Country Park called Priming the Pump, with the aim of rasing money to kick-start a new festival for next year.
The group of volunteers met at the site of the event last week to finalise plans for the big weekend. With strong connections to the original festival, the team spoke passionately about why they wanted to organise this event. Company secretary Jean Chatfield said, “My husband Keith actually started the original Village Pump Festival back in 1974 in Trowbridge. So myself and my daughter Charlotte, we have a very personal reason to see this continue.”
Site director Jerry Gale added, “We did not want to lose the event, we wanted it to carry on in some form.”
All money raised for the weekend will go towards covering any costs incurred and any money leftover will go towards next year’s event. Artist liaison manager, Rosemary Waters said, “We have no money. We are literally starting from scratch.”
The weekend boasts a strong line-up of music including The Roving Crows, Ben Maggs and Edwina Hayes. There will also be band workshops, an open mic and sessions tent and a scratch band contest.
The group promise that there will be fun for all the family with the return of children’s favourite Cookie the Clown.
Priming the Pump runs from Friday 21st July until Sunday 23rd July at the White Horse Country Park. Tickets for the whole weekend cost £40, with day tickets priced at £25. Camping on the site is free. For more information and to find out where to buy tickets please visit www primingthepump.co.uk
