VOTE: Do you agree Arundel Festival was ‘best ever’?

MONTHS of hard work and sleepless nights, by dozens of volunteers, has certainly paid off, as organisers announced that this year’s Arundel Festival was the best one ever.

As the event drew to a close on Monday evening, with a spellbinding fireworks display in the centre of the historic town, festival bosses, alongside Arundel and South Downs MP, Nick Herbert, were hailing the 10-day revelry as a stunning success.

Co-chairmen of the festival committee, Andy Heggadon and Ash Kent both agreed the countless hours, slaving in front of a computer screens, e-mailing or calling people, was worth all the effort.

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Speaking hours before the close of play on Monday, Andy said: “Going on comments that we have been getting from people coming up to me in the street, I have no doubt in my mind that this festival is, by far, the best one the town has ever seen.

“We have put a tremendous amount of work in this year and it’s been a relief that we have had the weather on our side for the most of it.”

Community

Mr Herbert congratulated all the volunteers for their efforts and praised the festival committee for its tireless, round-the-clock work.

“There are plenty of brilliant festivals in the area but Arundel has something truly special to it,” he said. “There is something for everyone.

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“The community spirit is so powerful here, it’s not only benefiting the town but the whole of West Sussex, too.”

Andy said that the town saw an influx of visitors during the festivities – easily running into the thousands – all of which helped to bolster local economy and support businesses in and around Arundel.

“I haven’t got any figures to hand but I know from talking to businesses owners, and seeing what has happened in my own store, that trade is up – dramatically,” he said.

“Footfall through the whole town has risen incredibly and it just proves what I have been saying all along – the more support we can get from the local people, the more support there will be for local business.”

Noise

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Andy admitted that, towards the end of the revelry, there had been a few complaints by locals living near to the Jubilee Gardens’ music stage.

But he added that he had anticipated this to happen and that it would be something that he would work on for next year’s event.

Have your say

Do you agree Arundel Festival 2012 was the ‘best ever’?

You can cast your vote by clicking on the poll at the top right of this story.

Alternatively, you can share your views by commenting below or emailing [email protected].

For more on this year’s festival, check out our 12 pages of coverage in today’s Littlehampton Gazette (Thursday, August 30, edition).

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