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Kendal Mountain Festival

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Wiley Coyote2 23 Nov 2010
Just back from Kendal. Great programme but why can't they manage to start/finish anything on time? Who do they think they are? Virgin Trains? Hope they spend some of this year's takings on a good watch.
 imkevinmc 24 Nov 2010
In reply to Wiley Coyote: They keep mountain time. Doesn't require a timepiece
 sutty 24 Nov 2010
In reply to Wiley Coyote:

The sundial does not work too well so they guess at the time.

A good watch is no use, they seem to overrun on a lot of things then can't catch up. Best to leave plenty of time between films and lectures as it happens every year, probably by trying to squeeze in everything.

Maybe they should cut down the number of films, or you could go earlier in the week to see some instead of YOU trying to get everything in on one night when they are very busy.
 tony 24 Nov 2010
In reply to Wiley Coyote:

It's not just Kendal. Sessions at the Edinburgh MFF regularly start late - usually because elements of the audience can't get organised to arrive on time.
 sutty 24 Nov 2010
In reply to tony:

I thinkpart of it is getting some of the peoploe out of the theatre after events. They decide to hold conversations there instead of the area outside
Wiley Coyote2 24 Nov 2010
In reply to sutty:
> (In reply to Wiley Coyote)
>
> it happens every year,
>
I know, That's why it pisses me off so much. Do they never learn? The people next to me at one show had a real (whisspered) domestic. She wanted to leave early to catch a film she really wanted to see. He wanted to stop to the end because he was confident the other film would be late anyway).

> you could go earlier in the week to see some instead of YOU trying to get everything in on one night when they are very busy.

I was there all weekend (spending quite a bit of cash). It's now one of the top events in the world. They've plenty of experience and surely they ought to be able to get it right by now. Friday night was a classic. It started 20-30 mins late and still the guy introducing it insisted on giving a long rambling and largely pointless chat which delayed it further. He'd writen it and he was damned well going to deliver it. A quick "Sorry we've kept you waiting. Sorry Lucy can't make it. let's get on with it" would have helped the situation far more.

 Jim Lancs 24 Nov 2010
They're looking for volunteers to help next year.
Get stuck in and show them how to do it.
Wiley Coyote2 24 Nov 2010
In reply to Jim Lancs:
> They're looking for volunteers to help next year.
> Get stuck in and show them how to do it.

Doesn't that rather miss the point? If you were served cold food in a restaurant would you expect to be told to get a job in the kitchen if you wanted the problem rectified?
Also a) I suspect that the key to solving this is rather further up the food chain than volunteer level b) I want to see the films/talks I choose not be acting as an usher and c) having shelled out my hard earned cash and planned what I want to see should I not be entitled to rely on their timings rather than missng stuff because previous events start 30mins late?
 Mark Collins 24 Nov 2010
In reply to Wiley Coyote:
> I was there all weekend (spending quite a bit of cash). It's now one of the top events in the world. They've plenty of experience and surely they ought to be able to get it right by now. Friday night was a classic. It started 20-30 mins late and still the guy introducing it insisted on giving a long rambling and largely pointless chat which delayed it further. He'd writen it and he was damned well going to deliver it. A quick "Sorry we've kept you waiting. Sorry Lucy can't make it. let's get on with it" would have helped the situation far more.

I was at that event on Friday night as well, and totally agree with your point about the introduction. Just to add to this though, at no point before the event was I ever in possession of the end time (neither from the website nor the tickets). It was only when I picked up a programme the following day that I realised its scheduled finish was 10:45pm! Me and a mate bailed at the interval (around 9pm), which was plenty of time I thought for the entire event to take place. The guys on stage might have been in comfy seats, but us at the front of the audience certainly weren't. The entire performance lasted 3 and 3/4 hours if it didn't overrun, admittedly including a 20 minute interval. My problem is expectation, alright I get the Letterman reference for the format, but he has an hour long show at most. I think this was a definite case of less would have been more. Another issue I have with this idea is, when are people supposed to eat. We nipped into Whetherspoons beforehand being veterans of the festival and well aware that many local businesses run out of food during the weekend. The following nights top billing Timmy O'Neill completed in an hour and a quarter which is about right.

Having said all that though I totally love the Kendal Mountain Festival and wouldn't wish my comments to jeopardise its future, thank you to everyone involved for their hard work.
Wiley Coyote2 24 Nov 2010
In reply to Mark Collins:
> Having said all that though I totally love the Kendal Mountain Festival and wouldn't wish my comments to jeopardise its future, thank you to everyone involved for their hard work.

I agree. It's a brilliant event and I go every year. Just wish they'd tighten up on the organisational niggles.

 Offwidth 24 Nov 2010
In reply to Wiley Coyote:

Wouldn't give you anything to moan about then would it. There are far more serious issues with the festival: for instance I'd like to see better placed and more affordable fringe activities trying to encourage younger talented climbers to the event.
Wiley Coyote2 24 Nov 2010
In reply to Offwidth:
> (In reply to Wiley Coyote)
>
> Wouldn't give you anything to moan about then would it.

Don't under-estimate my talent for moaning. Nor the effort I've put into honing it.
 Andy S 24 Nov 2010
In reply to Offwidth: having lived in Kendal for 5 years within 5 minutes walk of the Brewery and attending 4 out of 5 of the festivals, I personally think the biggest improvement would be for more people to attend the party. It's always a struggle to get enough people on the dancefloor to get the place really going. If the party was rammed it would be awesome, not to say it hasn't been awesome most of the time anyway, but it would be even better with more...

PS please don't wear your fleece or down jacket on the dancefloor:

youtube.com/watch?v=cGmDHHryE4c&

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