Bands In The Park – Northampton
VENUE : Abington Park, Northampton.
LOCATION : On the A4500 road from Northampton to Wellingborough, East of the Town Centre.
TIME : 2pm to 5pm
TRANSPORT LINKS : Trains run from Euston to Northampton. Coaches run from Victoria, and it is possible to get there and back the same day.
If you have come to Northampton by coach or bus, you can get a No. 1 bus to the Abington Park Hotel, which is right opposite the bandstand. If you have come by rail, you will need a 9/9A into the bus station, and then the No. 1.
COMMENTS : No season has changed more dramatically in recent years than Northampton. During a decade of extreme decline from 1997 to 2007, the season went from Best in the World to completely non-existent. In 2007, three local bands came to play for what was thrown into a begging bucket because the Council would not even pay the pittance needed to fund them properly.
The following year, the season returned after much protesting. It was a shambles, but at least it was there.
Now, in 2009, Northampton Borough Council has pulled off one of the most amazing Lazarus acts ever seen. Only two years after being completely non-existent, Bands In The Park Northampton was the finest season in the Midlands. I heard eight brass or wind bands play in Northampton, and all eight performed superbly.
Now, in 2010, Northampton has decided that wasting public money on gimmicks is a better idea than paying proper community bands to play in the park.
The season is a shambles and a disgrace, and the organization is as pathetic as ever. We were in to the last week of May before anything was announced.
MARK : 3/10 – Down four points, as dross replaces band music on a bandstand which built to showcase the music of the brass band.
WHAT NORTHAMPTON COULD DO TO IMPROVE : Start booking some proper bloody bands like they did in 2009. Stop wasting money on crap.
The Council also needs to address the problem of ball and other dangerous games being played in the area next to the bandstand. At one event in 2008, three people were hit on the head by flying footballs in separate incidents while trying to listen to the band, and a hard frisbee went flying into the bandstand where it could have caused injury or damage. In the past, Northampton Borough Council used to display “NO BALL GAMES” signs, and these were effective in eliminating most of the problems.
Amazingly, there were no such incidents in 2009, despite the continued lack of the signs. I still believe they should return, as I don’t think we can ride our luck for ever.
The problem of chairs not being provided for the fans is still here, but if that is the policy it needs to be consistent. In 2008, chairs were provided for one event, and then removed again.
The one persistent problem which most needs to be addressed is the problem of rainouts. There are at least four possible solutions, and one needs to be implemented.
Firstly, there needs to be a provision for fabric sheets to keep out driving wind and rain. There are very few conditions in which a band cannot play if these are provided. Of course, the Council’s ill-thought-out creation of flower beds and an extra fence does not help with this, but it is too late now.
However well you try to protect a band, there will always be the odd day where there is no sensible option other than to play indoors. There are four possible answers here -
1) Mr. Ansell’s Cafe. This would, of course, require his permission, but there is enough room for a band to play in the Cafe if the seats and tables could be temporarily relocated.
2) The Christ Church. As services do not take place between 2pm and 5pm, this is a serious possibility if the Church were willing.
3) A local school hall. There are three local halls nearby, including the Cripps Hall. Maybe one of these could be used in exchange for publicity?
4) If all else fails, use the Guildhall. This is under Council control, so no permission would be needed. It has a fine acoustic for band music, and although it is not close to Abington Park the No. 1 bus is very frequent. Anything is better than a rained off event.
UPDATE – The Christ Church, which is only a very short walk from Abington Park, has now made an offer to act as the back-up venue for Northampton’s Bands In The Park season. This would make a wonderful back-up venue, and it is already used for brass band concerts at other times of the year. I have passed the message on, and sincerely hope that the Council will accept this wonderfully generous offer.
As of yet, there is no comment from the Council on this wonderful offer.
THE 2010 SEASON