By Isle of Wight Observer
Robin Hill has a new owner, and, swiftly, the local rumour mill determined that, when it re-opens, admission would be completely free! It won’t be of course, but on-line gossips rarely pause to think how that might actually work!
These days, everyone’s an expert, so opining on what you think should be the correct price of anything is commonplace. Undoubtedly, money is tight, but why speculate when you haven’t got a clue how much things cost to run?
The chairman of Shanklin’s carnival says last year’s bad weather cost them £6,000 – ‘use it or lose it’ is the message. They are frantically rattling buckets at Newport Carnival buckets too.
Carnivals are a part of Island life; in my early teens, I spent a happy day in the cab of a lorry on a youth club float. I recall worrying whether my pals, and the bits of junk, precariously balanced on the back of the flatbed Ford, would survive the procession. Thankfully they did, and it didn’t rain. The highlight was passing Leslie Crowther, of ‘Crackerjack’ fame. I can still picture him smiling and waving back at us.
Event season is well underway now, and those of us involved in summer shows and events have been hard at work ensuring they’re as good as they can be. Next year’s success depends on your performance. If visitors liked what they got and how you made them feel, they’ll probably return next year. Most importantly, they’ll recommend your event to other people. Last week, despite some minor on-line negativity, the Chale show seemed a real hit.
My favourite showbiz anecdote involves the opening night of a Broadway musical which, sadly, closed before the second show. When asked if a notorious New York theatre critic had forced the sudden closure with a savage review, one wag replied, “No, it was word of mouth.” I saw a new play previewed in London once that was so awful, I was surprised the cast were willing to keep going after the interval. None of us on either side of the curtain had a clue what was going on; I suspect that included the writer.
When you create entertainment, it’s usually in the hope that people enjoy it. Good show producers try and ensure there’s something for everyone, and – naturally – that costs money. Post-Covid, the price of everything went up. Some increases are justified, others less so. When costs go up, you’ve got to pass them on, or you’ll lose money. This gave me an idea, next time you buy something, say, fish and chips, and you feel they’re a little pricey, when they ask for £10-11, tell them assertively, “No, I think they should only be a fiver.” I’ve been looking online for a front door, and they all seem to be around £1,000. There’s no way I’ll pay that much, but when I get to the basket/payment part, there never seems to be anywhere for me to tell them I’m only prepared to pay half the amount they want. Sometimes I go to ‘grab a few bits’ at the supermarket and stare at the till in disbelief when the total cost is revealed. Next time a supermarket cashier wants £100 for the tiny handful of goods in your basket, tell them, “No, I think it should be half that”. Actually, I forgot, most cashiers, including Boots, were replaced by self-scanners, so you’d probably be talking to yourself.
Our sense of what things should cost does get out of kilter as we age. Ice-cream cones shouldn’t be £3.50, but that’s the going rate now.
Whatever summer fun you’ve planned, including next weekend’s excellent-value Garlic Festival, please don’t grumble. Remember life is about making memories, so cough up and enjoy yourself.
Even if it rains, event organisers have got bills to pay.