Oakham Festival 2014, Joy Everrit, Rutland Times, Oakham Town Council, Joyce Lucas

The Rutland Times have recycled a story from last year about the Oakham Festival.

This years Oakham Festival is cancelled.

Mrs Everitt told the Rutland Times


Joy Everritt left of the man with the Crutch then Tory Cllr Peter Jones

“It’s such a big music event and I feel it needs to be run by young blood with lots of energy who can take it forward. I’ve really enjoyed my time in organising it but I’ve decided I really need a bit of a break.”

It is a great shame the Festival organisers have not welcomed or held events for young people in recent years, one local volunteer ecpressed their frustration about this issue and claims any mention of youth was blocked by older committee members.

I am sure the exclusion of youth on the committee was fine when Oakham had a carnival.


Cllr Joyce Lucas The medievil look at Oakham Festival 2013

Oakham Town Councillor Joyce Lucas who sold her knitted dolls clothes from her OAP knit and gossip club at a historic themed festival day last year, became a committee member in the same year it is said she put the final nail in the coffin of the festival by causing friction amongst committee members.

Mrs Lucas was also responsible for the colaspe of the much enjoyed Oakham Carnival.

She attempted to organise a replacement fund raising concert in Cutts Close Oakham and this was cancelled because Councillors who voluntered to assist on the day "could not work under her dictatororial, egotistic leadership style"


Start of the last Oakham Carnival and Fun Day

Cllr Maureen Dodds went on to dispose of the carnival funds as she saw fit. Oakham Town Councils legal people said it could not claim back the public money lost, because they had handed it out with no conditions attached.


Cllr Maureen Dodds (left) lady in middle always receives
gifts and awards from Oakham Town Council despite the law
stating no single person can benefit from the precept, Cllr Joyce 
Lucas purchased her a £400 glass bowl when she was Oakham
Mayor

The Oakham Festival still hold a substantial fund, some of which is public money. Fortunatley Mrs Everitt is a good honest person and has not given away any of these funds to people or organisations she personally likes.

Mrs Everitt says: The accounts for the festival are being kept open and the committee is keen for the festival to run next year.


Joy Everritt (left)

I have been told the Oakham Festival will not return, so  maybe the committee should meet one last time to decided to wind up the festival and how to best spend the public money, possibly? supporting Arts projects in Oakham. I think money should only be returned to  Oakham Town Council as a last resort because they will only squander it on ugly hanging baskets.

Mrs Everritt has battled hard over many years for the arts in Oakham, there were a few awful costly events

The hideous costly, enviroment damaging Hippo's

The depressing Christmas Art Installation at Oakham Castle Titled a Winter Wonderland based on death at Christmas.

The 'costly short performance' of the Four Winds Festival. which attract critism from local letter writers.

3 terrible projects out of so many good ones throughout the last 14 years + is not so bad.

I am not sure how much is involved with the coslty performance to be held at St George's Barracks this summer, described as dubious by Oakham Town Councillor Alf Dewis. Not forgetting the Arts4Rutland Committees own minutes of which she is a member that stated it would exagerate expected attendance figure to obtain Arts Council Funding. Interestingly I sent a copy of those minutes to the regional Arts Council who ignored my letter and granted funding which included a copy of the minutes. The regional Chairman of the Arts Council is The Conservative Leader of Rutland County Council Roger Begy.


Roger Begy (right) with former LibDem Transport Minister Norman Baker

Work Starts On New Toddlers Play Area Royce Recreation Ground Princess Avenue Oakham Town Council £50k debt Good Publicity For Joyce says Cllr Lowe

Work Starts On New Toddlers Play Area Royce Recreation Ground 

Princess Avenue Oakham Town Council £50k debt Good Publicity 

For Cllr Joyce Lucas says Cllr Lowe

Oakham Town Council is borrowing £50,000 for a new toddlers play area in Oakham.

I raised the state of the play area in Willow Crescent with my ward Councillor who is Adam Lowe
I ask why hundreds of thousands of pounds had been spent on the two other parks but nothing more than
a bit of grease on the swings when a resident complained about the noise as they rust away.

He responded the other two parks were bigger which gives an opportunity for good  publicity for the council
when they spend thousand on them.

He went onto say we are doing the work at Royces so Cllr Joyce Lucas can gain a little more publicity as the ward councillor publicity she enjoys.

Cllr Adam Lowe is the Planning and Parks Committee Chairman and Deputy Mayor.

He complained to the police because I recorded his conversation he claims it is harassment.

I don't, I call it evidence.

It was not my intention to record Cllr Lowe I choose to record at certain public events due to past
threats received verbally by those connected to local governance. I felt if  I recorded them the police might
take action and if I tell them it  might just  act as deterrent.

Adam used to be a nice guy until he joined the mob.

He also told me being a Cllr was not what he expected.

At the funfair this week I witnessed they  old Adam enjoying himself with his family, he even smiled  at me.

Makes a change from snarls from other councillors like Lucas and Haworth to name just two.