It's a great day

Someone up there must like us. It's 0800 as I write this, and the sun is a brilliant ball of light in a cloudless sky. We must be doing something right...

It's at Extravaganza time that the urge to wax nostalgic becomes almost impossible to resist. Did you know for instance, that this is the 21st year of the event, started by Cllrs. Margaret Lyon and John Boyle, who actually had to put up their own houses against any potential loss made in the first event? It was originally intended to 'kick-start' the season for the town and - to be fair - the first couple of events were quite astonishing. Stilt walkers vied with fire eaters, Ladies' barber shop groups with the amazing Alexander's Victorian roadshow, and the fairground really was Victorian. The event was then taken over by the Llandudno Heritage Trust, an umbrella organisation formed to ensure the Extravaganza's future and to improve the town generally. That organisation did a lot of good, runing the event for six years under the presidency of the stalwart Frank Gorka, but the sheer time involved and the criticism from the bitter and uninvolved eventually ensured that others took the reins. During that time, the rugged, resourceful and relentless Ricketts started the Transport Festival, thus ensuring that the event became even bigger and appealed to a huge cross-section of visitors. Fortunately for Llandudno , there have always been others - others like Gareth, who are prepared to work twenty-five hours a day to ensure it takes place.

Of course, a lot's changed since then, but some of the criticism aimed at the organisers is unjust. Few realise the amount of time that goes into the event, and even fewer what it all costs. Extravaganza planning, for instance, starts roughly fourteen months before the event. There are showmen's guilds they have to negotiate with, coal dealers (the steam engines have to run on something:-) and all those great traction engines don't turn up out of the goodness of their hearts.

And then there's today. Saturday. Ask any member of the committee what day's the worse and it's Saturday. This is the time when the shopkeepers demand that the ride which was assembled overnight is too close to their shop and will lose them trade, so it's got to be moved, no matter that it took eight men six hours to erect. The steam organ is too loud, and it's stopping people coming into the shop. The road's closed two feet too far in the direction of their hamburger stall. And, of course, some of the issues which arise because stall owners, ride operators, performers et. al. have placed their stalls, rides and shows in the wrong place, despite pretty clear maps and instructions that they've been given at the outset. Well, they reason, once I've put me ride a bit nearer the people, they won't be able to move it, will they? Human greed and opportunism are not pleasant, and they appear in spades during the event as everyone and anyone tries to make a fast buck on the backs of the volunteers who mount the event.

Oh yes; they're all volunteers. Folk like you and me, who give of their time because they believe the event is important to Llandudno and that it matters. Perhaps the grasping, the greedy, a lot of the council and the bitter, twisted and selfish should take a break, leave Llandudno for the weekend and let those who come to enjoy the event and gain a great impression of a future holiday destination have a great time.

Good luck, everyone!