Mayfest 2006 - your reviews please :)

I was going to go to Mayfest today. However having spoken to a couple of people who went yesterday I have decided not to bother. Their comments were thus:

"Expensive and very very commercial, not very many community styling stalls/activities and if you don't want to do hook a duck or ride the funfair there isn't much to do without paying out"

I reserve any opinion as I havn't attended so what do you think?

It costs £5 which seems a bit of a rip-off. I understand it's not cheap to run such an event but most fair grounds are free to enter and it sounds like that's all that is there.

Plus I am working!

But just like me neeeek you can only guess what its like as you are working I wanted to know from people who have been.

Well...... we were going to go, and I'm not working so we could do...but now I know it costs £5, we're not going. Paying £5 each for the privilige to be parted from yet more cash once inside? No thanks. For a fiver, I expect to get something back, so to speak. I can't remember how much the After Dark thingie is, but I reckon it's around a fiver. And you get fireworks!

So....not quite a review from someone who HAS gone, but from someone who has been put off going by the entrance fee. Which is, in itself, a review of sorts!

Well, I wish someone would have told me what a scandalous rip off it was going to be. 5 pounds each, no concessions, despite me being unemployed at the moment. What for? It was an absolute waste of time. The stalls were just ridiculously overpriced stuff that no one wanted. Hippy bags and jewellery on stall after stall. I almost felt sorry for the stall holders because obviously, it was just stall after stall of the same stuff, and organisers with more integrity, would not have allowed that. The rides also were over priced. Two pounds for three rides down a slide? 0ne pound fifty for disgustingly soggy chips - no thanks. The beach? what a laugh! A tent with a few deck chairs and damp sand chucked at one side. I honestly don't know how they've got the cheek. I am angry with the council, coz I saw this advertised on their website and the bumph they put in that magazine through the door and I am disgusted at them for promoting such a rubbish event. I definitely will not be returning and think that if this is the best that they can do, then they should throw in the towel. The toilet facilities were not only inadequate, they were also disgusting. Just what was that 5 pounds for? Where has it gone? Because with the fantastical amount that must have been made on the day, and the disgraceful entrance fee someone somewhere has made a hell of a lot of money. There should be an investigation into this. I trusted the council, as it was on their website, that it would be a decent event and worth five pounds. I've really enjoyed going to Fright Night, and Lights switch on, etc, run by them, and it's always great and it's FREE. Anyone know where I should contact for a refund?

Don't know about getting a refund? You'll be lucky.

I am guessing the entrance fee covered the cost of the fencing, security staff, first aiders, loos ect.

NOT that I'm defending the mayfest or justifying the cost but that must have cost a pretty penny.

I went yesterday with a friend and quite enjoyed it. Sure it was expensive, but this is what your gonna expect from something like this. £5 is a lot to pay just to get in, but you've got to think about all the costs that the council or whoever runs mayfest has to pay, like security (which won't be cheap), bands, rent etc.

Even though it was expensive I had fun just spending me money on a few rides, sweets and saw matt willis from busted for free. very funny to see. you should have seen the way the guitarist was shaking his head erratically and lampooning all over the stage. me and me friend were on the floor! hehe

One thing I will say is that half of the fair seemed to be taken up by the army so it just felt like a big recruiting exercise and I would have liked there to have been a few more arts and crafts stalls around, but never the less it was a good way to waste a few hours.

I doubt they had to pay rent as the park belongs to the council but they did hire professional event security, and I forgot the bands don't play for free

I'm looking forward to Sharrow fest. in the Park always a cracking day out and ofcourse that is also FREE

I doubt they had to pay rent as the park belongs to the council but they did hire professional event security, and I forgot the bands don't play for free

 

I'm looking forward to Sharrow fest. in the Park always a cracking day out and ofcourse that is also FREE

when is it?

I doubt they had to pay rent as the park belongs to the council but they did hire professional event security, and I forgot the bands don't play for free

 

I'm looking forward to Sharrow fest. in the Park always a cracking day out and ofcourse that is also FREE

well obviously i wasn't insinuating that the bands played for free now was i?

and I wasn't sure whether it was a council run event or not so how should I know about rent for goodness sake?

I was there with Sheffield Retired Greyhound Fund. Yes, I think £5 is quite steep, especially for families, but there were the bands and demonstrations in the showring. I didn't see much of them, as our stall was inside the Owlerton Stadium tent, but I know there was a falconry display at one point. I was there on both days, more or less all day, and found the toilet facilities adequate and still clean on my last visit at 4.45pm yesterday. I suppose,though, that it depends upon which bank of toilets you visited. I thought food prices were pretty good. I got a pork roll for £3.00 - masses of lean pork with stuffing and apple sauce. Yum.

well obviously i wasn't insinuating that the bands played for free now was i?

and I wasn't sure whether it was a council run event or not so how should I know about rent for goodness sake?

Don't spit your dummy out. My post wasn't aimed at you. My comment on the bands was genuinely because I hadn't considered that. I apologise that you were not aware it was a council event.