On the Festival of Discovery, other political discoveries, and is the Crammer full yet?! No to the latter, but local Facebook groups are full ….of negativity!
I’m in no place to review the Festival of Discovery which happened last weekend in Devizes, being Devizine was asked to contribute, and because of that contribution, I didn’t catch the amazing variety of goings on, being sentry at my post, save for a pasty break. But I think there’s positive and negative things to be said about it, plus a few points which require a degree of balanced clarification.…
Oh, for the forked tongues of keyboard warriors; those vocal minorities disgruntled by attempts to bring free community-driven festivities to town, when a majority braved the minor drop in temperature, just as everyone does for the far more inclement Christmas festival. While we still live in a democracy, sorry killjoys, but we’re duty bound to go with those who made the effort and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Starter for ten thousand, let’s clear this one up immediately. Yeah, you’re bang on the money, it would’ve been lovely to have had this happen during summer. One comment read, “Why have it in October with all the beautiful weather we have had this summer!!” I’ll take it as a question easily answered, even if there was no question mark.
For those stating the bleeding obvious, in order to slam DOCA, and largely from a Conservative twonktank, please note, it is all about the money. The Street Festival doesn’t come cheap, and was cancelled in May 2024, during the final and brutal Conservative cut of Arts Council funding, on which DOCA relied on.
Fortunately, since the political party which, let’s not forget, were hosting cocaine orgies at 10 Downing Street, and fornicating like Emperor Caligula on a stag do in Thailand, while forty thousand of our most vulnerable perished in care homes, was obliterated, Labour has been a smidgen more generous towards the arts. Creative director Loz made a triumphant return to Devizes, got me on the blower only a month ago, to ask if I’d like to host an area dedicated to young talented musicians, for this festival she was rushing to announce.
Naturally, despite not being able to tick neither “young” nor “talented” boxes, I jumped at the opportunity. It took a lot of last minute organisation, as it did for the other dedicated volunteers of DOCA, who worked tirelessly to put this event on; shame on you if you favoured nitpicking on Facebook instead of attending it.
I wasn’t on traffic duty. I did my bit, with Simon, the best grand prix pit stop sound engineer, and Mr Ian James powering us up, and it was flipping amazing! Every singer-songwriter I could think of in the right age bracket turned up, seemingly not stuck in traffic neither flown in by helicopter Shirley Bassey style, gave it their 120%, and showed the few who bothered to turn out that local music is safe in gen z hands.
Having already lavished on the popular Confetti Battle and Colour Rush, I reasoned with Loz that what’s left in the kitty could’ve been put into bringing a spectacular Winter Festival and Lantern Parade. To which Loz shrugged and replied, “yeah, you’d think so, wouldn’t you?” Such it was revealed to me, the grant given has an expiry date prior to Christmas, and if it wasn’t spent it would be lost. So, it really was a case of, does DOCA put in the overtime and seriously get on the case of a celebration with an extremely short window of organisation schedule, or would Devizes have an ordinary weekend of shopping and dog walking?
So, rather than sitting picking their noses, we had the Festival of Discovery, and what did we discover?! Who’d have flunked bringing such a wonderful festival to Devizes would result in a plethora of harsh online criticism?! Did we even know of their existence before this weekend, or were they discouraging “bots?” Devizes used to be such a…Matter of factually, Mr Grumpy lived in Crosspatch Cottage, actually located in Happyland, and I’ll leave this there.
Could’ve caused less of a stir if traffic was delayed due to a woman-beating Reform conference. The result of a family of ducks crossing a road in Devizes is traffic chaos; do we shoot the duck?! Actually, with the bitterness posted on the usual suspect Facebook groups, don’t answer that.
Congestion was a suggestion, and a valid point, it was slightly more chaotic than normal and that was unfortunate, for which DOCA apologised and took action, reopening the Market Place on Sunday. There may have been overlookings in signage of road closures, if so it could’ve been because of the lack of time to get this festival organised; a lesson learned, but which didn’t deserve the verbal punishment it received, from those unwilling to volunteer their help, I should add.
But, please save me the spiel about not knowing this well-advertised event was occurring, for I’ll only retort like a Specsavers advert and say, “you should’ve gone to Devizine!” I wouldn’t rely on the Gazelle & Herod telling you about an event, unless Martin Kemp, the Queen Consort, or Nigel Farage is attending it.
Oh, and by the way, it was DOCA who addressed the traffic issue and acted accordingly, not councillors, despite what one certain Mr Wallis might tell you. Though the same Conservative councillor waffled on his Facebook page speaking highly of the event for the illusion of balanced popular opinion, but trundled past the festival looking like his shoes were more important. This was the very same killjoy Devizes Conservative town councillor who once suggested the street festival wasn’t “diverse” enough, despite it was so obviously the most diverse event Devizes has ever seen!
Whereas two councillors, one independent and another a Guardian, stopped by to praise my attempt to engage and stage young people. A third was the hopeful and right choice, Guardian candidate for Devizes East, Rosemary McDonald, who did likewise, and when she did, those Masters of the Tory Universe shamefully laid in waiting for her, like snipers at the gate.
Today the same councillor, Wallis, one which others earmark as some kind of arch- nemesis of Devizine, whereas I’d rather it be simply that whenever there’s trouble at mill, he’s grinding it, is showcasing their Devizes East candidate for the by-election, Laura Ayling. Apparently Laura is single handedly going to tackle antisocial behaviour in the Market Place, and is seen shaking the firm militant hand of none other than Dirty Harry PCC Wilko, right there, on the spot.
You have to chuckle if this is the spinning point for the desperate Conservatives, being the Devizes Guardians have already written to Wilko on the subject, requesting a larger police presence. Odd how, hey presto, as soon as the prospective Conservative candidate steps in, the apparently apolitical PCC too busy to reply to Guardians, who boasts of shooting people on his Faceache page, around the same time Wallis tried to encourage me to interview him because I’d find he’s actually a ‘reasonable guy,’ manages to suddenly find the time to majestically ride into town like Clint Eastwood for a photo opportunity.
The antisocial behaviour in the Market Place isn’t a political matter, it’s as it says, a social one, directed at Devizes police to keep the peace. It is unfortunately going to occur whoever sits in the seats, and however many officers they can throw at it. Therefore no political party is to blame, and no party can resolve it any better than another, in my honest opinion. But, it’s clear from this outrageous Facebook post, those trusty Tories will make it a core of their battleground, and play is going to get dirty. Their hypocrisy reaches its peak today, when I will thoughtfully let you in on a secret; Mr Wallis made an official complaint to the town council, because Rosemary was photographed in Sidmouth Street! Oh the outrage!!
Rosemary came to Sidmouth Street partially because I invited her to, begging your pardon sir, being that rightfully addressing youth issues in Devizes is part of her campaign, and core to one of our objectives, of which you saw the results of in the very street this weekend; thank you for coming, and I hope you missed the part where I sang with the legend who is Ruby! Devizes Market Place, Devizes in general, isn’t a battleground, and Sidmouth Street isn’t the trenchline, Rosemary does, surprisingly, have a right to walk down it, just as we have the right to throw a party there.
Ha! And others even rallied in the comments sections to try and blame DOCA for this rise in anti-social behaviour, without any reason or logic, because once you publish your rant, no matter how valid your point, these threads of negativity spiral out of control. Here’s two classic quotes, for example: “And a woman outside Boots openly peed on the pavement!!!” And “Trump could of organised better and it would of been the best best ever event!”
It’s a shame the original comments made from traders who directly benefited from the Festival of Discovery at the weekend were overshadowed by those who claimed they unfortunately didn’t, but it is the negative which pushes the circus into the big-top. The ignoramus absurdity that Trump should work for DOCA, and then he’d put a stop to people peeing outside Boots, is why we’re in the shit we are in, surely?! Brittox of Trump, let’s rename it now, save him the bother when he arrives.
Yes, there were huge gaps in happenings in the Market Place, space is required for safety of some of those acrobatic and circus shows, but the remaining gaps were supposed to be filled…. by you! You! The ones, it seems, who opted to cry on Facebook instead. Is this the way of things now, or was this just an unfortunate isolated incident? Because I’m concerned.
This event was so well-organised and staged so many amazing features it should have attracted thousands. The fact it didn’t left me wondering why, and wobbled my head with many thoughts.
I thought about the Reclaim The Streets parties in the nineties, where anarchist eco campaigners took dumpsters and blocked streets, resulting in one giant rave, and no disgruntled whingers. I tried to imagine it happening in Devizes, and what the result would have been. We had no Facebook to bark at then, but even if Devizes was a Conservative safe-seat, still, I refuse to believe its population were ever party poopers, before this terrible today where the flag flies half mast.
Even in this modern era of Trumpconomics, Bristol sound systems simply hang speakers out of a window, and the community outside gathers to party like there’s no tomorrow, likely because there isn’t. There’s often even an elderly lady rocking with her zimmer-frame. Why are we so stuck in mud here in Devizes? It’s a brilliant little town, where they ironically hashtag #nothingeverhappensindevizes – I hope the users of this gag-tag aren’t the same ones crying like spoiled babies, because some people here thought it’d be nice to throw a random bash in October. Oktoberfest, anyone? It’s a thing elsewhere!
Then I gave consideration to Street Festivals of yore, how we all gathered to enjoy ourselves, and worry last weekend illustrates how times are unfortunately changing; you can’t give away a festival in Devizes. I remember with fondness how I got up on stage at the last one, to introduce Nothing Rythmes with Orange, to a sea of people covering the entire Market Place and cramming down the Little Brittox to get in; what an incredible effort from the good people of Devizes. There’s a photo I’ll drop below; ask yourself, are you there, and if so, did you attend this weekend, and if not, why not? Genuine inquiry.
I’m aware and appreciate the sterling efforts made by so many, including Councillor Ian Hopkins, who freely created the Street Festival, and remember what Loz brought to the table. A blaze of colour and curiosity, a natural development of the unusual, especially here in Devizes. I gave consideration to the Ceres/Ruth Pierce display, her parting gift to Devizes, which held everyone spellbound, even the drinkers who took the day as the piss-up they dubbed Black Rat Monday, stopped and watched in awe! Where was Lucy and Wilko to save us from those black rats back then, eh?! Back then, we coped with the extra traffic, we didn’t require ten kazillion Facebook posts to remind us it was happening, we just made our way there, and celebrated all that is good about living and loving our town.
Loz and everyone contributing their time to DOCA, deserve the key to Devizes city, for the wonderful events they have driven, not the verbal criticism they so poorly often receive. It really makes me worry about the bigger picture, the terrifying thought that this rise of the far right will see the demonisation and degradation of arts throughout the country, not just Devizes. They seem to hate anything which challenges their regressive social restrictions or questions the insular society in which they wish to live under, and that just happens to be pretty much all interesting art and creativity.
Someone even had the audacity to redden about those brilliant Hydropunk neighbours of ours, pointing to the defunct hosepipe ban as a source of their anger, like a hundred litres of water is going impact the global water shortage; did they fail to observe the absolute thrills on the faces of our youngest residents as they flocked to play with the hydro apparatus, or did they simply not care for want of ranting?
Two other horrifying comments on the thread, abhorrent about this weekend’s festival, suggests the struggle is real: “Stop public funding for “Arts” there are much more important things to spend public money on!” where I wonder what else this person thinks the Arts Council funding should grant other than arts, or are they more simply seriously misinformed about how DOCA is funded, (through this grant and public donations,) and one other which puts an opinion quite bluntly; “This crap has to stop!” Find that guy sulking in the kitchen at parties!
But to assume misinformation is root to the outcry doesn’t excuse an ex-town-councillor exiled to Rowde Parish Council, Chris Greenwood, for he knows precisely what he means, and it was this monstrosity of evil: “I have always been concerned by the wholesale lack of transparency and accountability from DOCA. They appear to be the one organisation that has the ability to close down roads in the Town Centre almost at random. I’m led to believe that DOCA is considering a rebranding exercise, as the Arts Council have apparently indicated that Devizes doesn’t possess a broad enough spectrum, from which to extract an audience – either pedestrian or vehicular. One of the new names having been considered is “Raking In The Money” which does seem rather apt, as the Arts Council have stumped up a few hundred thousand over the years, until tightening the screws after the Flying Fiasco a few years ago! A significant chunk of the proceeds also have a history of being distributed well outside our Borough, rather than supporting local performers.”
Oh hi there Chris, your stab at humour is hardly on a Billy Connolly level. Did you come and see the eighteen local young performers I staged on behalf of DOCA this weekend? Because I certainly didn’t see you wobble past in your Crocs at all. Did you notice local musicians John E Wright, Del-Boy Jepson and Sarah Tarry in the Brittox? And given that, who made you Judge Judy on such matters?! You misinformed Professor of Penistry!
I trust I can go out on a limb here, as he’s unlikely to have read this far, and remind our readers that this is the despicable Mr Toad and Wallis bumchum who falsely claimed bird flu killed the freezing cold malnourished swan on the Crammer, so they could cull all the pigeons and gulls, and who banned me from his petty Facebook page for suggesting a police officer who was an active member of a hunting criminal ring who stupidly filmed themselves actually killing a fox, was a conflict of interest!
Are you therefore going to believe the absolute filthy pig swill which spews from these vermin’s mouths?! Or are you going to say, you know what, I might forget the petty nonsense from grandstanders and political pointscorers, and enjoy the time I have left on this godforsaken planet?! The Festival of Discovery was brilliant, with the potential to thrill the whole town, if they bothered to show their disgruntled mugs!
