World Cup theme kicks off East Preston festival

Football’s World Cup provides the Latin American theme for what is sure to be a colourful carnival on the second Saturday of the festival, June 8, while the week’s newest event, a Bollywood Night boasting the flavours and dance steps of the sub-continent, sold out almost as soon as the tickets were released.

It was a highly encouraging boost for the organisers in only their second year since taking over the cornucopia of events when the long-serving committee stood down after the 2012 festival.

There were genuine concerns the festivities might not survive.

But the new committee quickly dispelled them with a well-run programme last year.

Now for 2014 the committee has more than 100 events lined up from tomorrow night, right through to Sunday, June 8.

“We’re all enormously looking forward to it,” said festival chairman Ian Gordon. “The main thing people have appreciated is we have kept the festival going.

“It was in danger, with everyone resigning.

“But now we have a lovely bunch of people and it’s working well.

“For the first year, we didn’t want to be seen as mucking about with the format too much, but we are bringing new things in and resting events which have perhaps become a little tired.”

For the full story, see Thursday’s Gazette (May 29).