I have a very ambivalent view towards the much hyped Eclipse fiasco. The positive first: Fair play to Messrs. Rundell and Earle, the main men behind the Moonshadow festival at Trethill, Crafthole, for having the guts to try their hand at first time festival organisation.
I'm afraid I might slip into the negative soon. As a Rame Peninsula man, living only three miles away from the event, I only heard about it two weeks before it happened, as did most local people. I was overwhelmed to find out Mr Lonnie Donegan was there (great personal performer) and Van Morrison (great but impersonal surly performer).
So as an unemployed man I scrimped to save the £35 to see them. A fee which for some late-comers was slashed to £5 during the evening. I'd just like to say how pleased and proud I was to think this festival was being held in our much maligned, forgotten, piece or Cornwall and to think, people of the stature of the aforementioned performers would come here to entertain.
\How embarrassing that the capacity was abysmal, I'd imagine less than 500 people were there. I felt, as a local Cornishman, embarrassed for the performers and the non-Cornish festival goers. One important point to the 'organisers"- advertise at least six months before the event. Apparently they did on the Internet, but not to us mere locals, the very people, who if informed, would have had time to save and populate that desolate Trethill field.
As usual the local populace are overlooked, even though, as anywhere, they are the bread and butter of any local business venture. As the saying goes: It pays to advertise, especially to people in the local vicinity.
I hope Messrs. Rundell and Earle try their hand again, because I for one would go along. I think it's great for our area of Cornwall, but just do the obvious and advertise to us. I thank you both for trying.
MR JACK CRABB
Rame Peninsula