To thrive in these tough times, people need a reason to spend their money. Constantly (and disproportionately) being town how hard life is by negative media and press, consumers are holding on the pennies tighter- and finding it difficult to let them go.
What folk need is a reason- a reason to speed. Once given that reason, the pennies will start to flow. We dont mind spending, if the perceived value is there; we could spend until we can’t spend no more if we think we are gaining, through tangible or emotional benefits.
Events tick these boxes. A joining together, something which people do not want to miss, and motivates them to attend, will let people, and their money, come to town and increase the local economy.
The great news is that Barnstaple is building it’s reputation as a place to go, and more importantly, why it is a place to go.
Our fair and carnival has for a long time has been a great reason to come to the town. It’s a great time of year where we all come together as a community, and basically, party. The streets are closed for the carnival, and the atmosphere is jovial. It’s the best day of the year in town, and is the biggest reason that I am proud to live here. The fair links to this, and lets grown men eat toffee apples and candy floss in the street.
Top it off with a fireworks display, then we have a sound reason to travel to our town, make a day of it, and spend.
Our reputation is also growing on New Year’s eve. Despite a couple false starts, the evening is getting a great party atmopsphre- hey, it’s always great when we shut the bridge and have some Fireworks. A crowd of a few hundred people going ‘oohhhh’ and ‘arhhhhh’ in the dark can not be anything other than cool.New years eve is always going to be a hard one- with Bideford, and it’s world-wide reputation just 10 miles down the road, it will be hard for us to be anything other than ‘people who could not be arsed to go to Bideford’. But, it is there, and growing.
The recent Food festival has brought hundreds of people to the town, doing what we all like to do- that is, eat. It’s something which we are inheritantaly good at, and to come together, have opinions and scoff of faces, is a winner.
So let’s have another reason to join together. Lets bring back an old friend. Lets celebrate our lunacy, our individuality.
Yes folks, lets bring back the Raft Race.
Throughout the 70′s and 80′s the Barnstaple raft race was a cornerstone of our social year- and everyone came out to celebrate the people who decided to swim with the fish. Starting at Umberleigh, teams, communities, raft down the Taw and finish at the Rock Park, where there is a family fun day. Throw in some Round Table raffle stalls (to win some cuddlies with a ticket as long as it ends in either ’5′ or ’0′), and then you have a great day. Hey,we could even have (another) firework display at the end.
Whilst we are there- why not bring back the Fun Run as well?
Bideford to Barnstaple, along the pre Tarka trail Tarka trail, it was seen as a bench mark challenge in locals endurance and fitness. It’s demise has a left a hole in the calendar. This challenge has been gladly (and superbly) taken over by the Devon coast to Coast Challenge, but this is not Barnstaple centric. What we need is a physical challenge, where there are teams and communities join together to see who is the best, the strongest, the loudest.
Then we will have a year round appeal, to bring people to us and spend, spend, spend.
Obviously, as long as I dont have to take part. I’m too full on noodles and burgers from the fair.
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To thrive in these tough times, people need a reason to spend their money. Constantly (and disproportionately) being town how hard life is by negative media and press, consumers are holding on the pennies tighter- and finding it difficult to let them go.
What folk need is a reason- a reason to speed. Once given that reason, the pennies will start to flow. We dont mind spending, if the perceived value is there; we could spend until we can’t spend no more if we think we are gaining, through tangible or emotional benefits.
Events tick these boxes. A joining together, something which people do not want to miss, and motivates them to attend, will let people, and their money, come to town and increase the local economy.
The great news is that Barnstaple is building it’s reputation as a place to go, and more importantly, why it is a place to go.
Our fair and carnival has for a long time has been a great reason to come to the town. It’s a great time of year where we all come together as a community, and basically, party. The streets are closed for the carnival, and the atmosphere is jovial. It’s the best day of the year in town, and is the biggest reason that I am proud to live here. The fair links to this, and lets grown men eat toffee apples and candy floss in the street.
Top it off with a fireworks display, then we have a sound reason to travel to our town, make a day of it, and spend.
Our reputation is also growing on New Year’s eve. Despite a couple false starts, the evening is getting a great party atmopsphre- hey, it’s always great when we shut the bridge and have some Fireworks. A crowd of a few hundred people going ‘oohhhh’ and ‘arhhhhh’ in the dark can not be anything other than cool.New years eve is always going to be a hard one- with Bideford, and it’s world-wide reputation just 10 miles down the road, it will be hard for us to be anything other than ‘people who could not be arsed to go to Bideford’. But, it is there, and growing.
The recent Food festival has brought hundreds of people to the town, doing what we all like to do- that is, eat. It’s something which we are inheritantaly good at, and to come together, have opinions and scoff of faces, is a winner.
So let’s have another reason to join together. Lets bring back an old friend. Lets celebrate our lunacy, our individuality.
Yes folks, lets bring back the Raft Race.
Throughout the 70′s and 80′s the Barnstaple raft race was a cornerstone of our social year- and everyone came out to celebrate the people who decided to swim with the fish. Starting at Umberleigh, teams, communities, raft down the Taw and finish at the Rock Park, where there is a family fun day. Throw in some Round Table raffle stalls (to win some cuddlies with a ticket as long as it ends in either ’5′ or ’0′), and then you have a great day. Hey,we could even have (another) firework display at the end.
Whilst we are there- why not bring back the Fun Run as well?
Bideford to Barnstaple, along the pre Tarka trail Tarka trail, it was seen as a bench mark challenge in locals endurance and fitness. It’s demise has a left a hole in the calendar. This challenge has been gladly (and superbly) taken over by the Devon coast to Coast Challenge, but this is not Barnstaple centric. What we need is a physical challenge, where there are teams and communities join together to see who is the best, the strongest, the loudest.
Then we will have a year round appeal, to bring people to us and spend, spend, spend.
Obviously, as long as I dont have to take part. I’m too full on noodles and burgers from the fair.
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