Crikey, just when you thought all hope was lost, our cool Cadstock rises like Lazaraus from the dead – and is back on for one of the biggest weekends of the Barry calendar.
What a difference a couple of weeks, and a very generous timely ten grand from Barry Town Council, can make.
Massive credit to our lovely, little, local BTC for stepping in so swiftly to save the day, while the Vale Council just carried on counting the coffers.
Its official. Cadstock 2023, our free, fully inclusive, for all, music festival will now grace the valiant Victoria Park on Saturday July 22nd and Sunday July 23rd.
Truth be told that when the announcement was made, I reckon you could hear the collective sigh of relief from the Cwm Ciddy to Cadoxton.
For those not in the know the event was cancelled due to the catastrophic cash cuts to the Vale Glamorgan Council community events budget.
And our favourite festival has was hit hard by the local authority’s latest decision not to help fund the ever-popular two-day weekender in the east end of town.
This threw the event into disarray leaving the purely voluntary organising committee with a couple of thousand fund-raising cash, the promise of a small sponsorship, and a little grant from a local Supermarket.
There was absolutely no way to keep Cadstock free, fully inclusive, and for all, leaving them with no option but to cancel the iconic event.
For the record, and the swirls of rumours on social media, the Vale Council pulled the cash this year, leaving no time to make the difference up.
Our clever Committee, who are purely voluntary, then tried absolutely everything to keep Cadstock Alive – if there was a way to keep the cash coming in, we tried it.
All was lost…then Barry Town Council stepped in.
Cadstock, which has trebled in size since it began fourteen years ago, continues.
I am really looking forward to this year’s too which I reckon will be bigger and better than ever.
We thought we’d peaked when 2019’s decade celebration was one of the biggest and best events the town has ever seen, and when it came back with a bang last year following the long, lingering, lonely Lockdown.
But you ain’t seen nothing yet!
Dust off your Barrybados bucket hats, stockpile the Home Bargains sun cream, and keep that Cadstock Tee crisp.
Come on Community. It’s going to be a goodie!
Find our Cadstock Go Fund Me Page here.
Please follow the Cadstock Facebook Page for all the latest updates.
Speak soon.
Mrs SVJ
(c) mrssvj.co.uk
Sue Vincent-Jones, blogging as Mrs SVJ, is a Barry born journalist, editor, and activist. She writes about Barry – and her life in the wider world, through the eyes of a, quirky and queer, local girl done good.
Written exclusively for the Vale’s newest newspaper, and digital platform, The Glamorgan Star, her latest ‘Passing Comment’ column, an addition to the infamous Sue’s Views collection, can be found here.
Mrs SVJ, Barry’s Boldest Blogger, can be contacted here.