LETTERS From Alan Burch, St Lawrence:
I HAVE just returned from three days at the IW Festival and would like to thank John Giddings for organising a superb event despite the uncharacteristic weather before the event.
Everyone at the festival seemed very happy, friendly and better behaved than ever, even if a bit muddy, the bands were fantastic (especially Noel Gallagher and Bruce Springsteen on a sunny Sunday evening).
Mr Giddings has consistently apologised for the traffic problems and the inconvenience caused to locals and visitors, he has also promised to spend as much as necessary to return the site to its previous state and to learn lessons from this year’s mistakes.
He seems to be a no-nonsense person, who says it like it is, which is very refreshing in this day and age of political correctness.
Who would have thought 11 years ago, when the festival was revived, we would have seen such internationally famous bands as The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Pink, Coldplay, Muse, REM, Foo Fighters and The Who, helping put the IW back on the radar of a new generation. Along with Rob Da Bank’s Bestival, the festival has helped make the Island a cool place to come for younger people.
We can’t rely on the coach parties and bucket-and-spade type visitors any more. I can’t wait to see who is on the bill next year.
• A page of letters on this topic in the Friday, June 29, County Press.