May I, as Leader of South Kesteven District Council use your columns to broadcast a massive thank you for all the support we had with the Gravity Fields Festival.
Yes, it was a success, and the many letters and e-mails of appreciation from individuals, schools - and performers - have made superb reading. But so much of that success is down to the incredible range of people and organisations who worked with us to make it such a triumph.
It is not possible to thank everyone by name, but my first thoughts go to all the procession participants (including parents) who beavered away making costumes and lanterns to entertain us all at our closing event.
The transformation of the town, which included a stunning aerial show by the theatre company involved in the opening of the sailing events at the Olympics, was attended by over 10,000 people, many saying they had never seen anything like it before. It was great to experience such a feeling of community pride and showed us what Grantham can achieve.
I am also grateful for the tremendous work of festival co-ordinator, Rosemary Richards and her team, the 100 SKDC staff who helped out and kept us safe, and the support shown by local businesses and those organisations who lent us premises, helped us promote events and hopefully felt a real part of this amazing event.
Our festival steering group had faith that SKDC could deliver and my thanks is also due to them, as well as to the Grantham Journal for such solid promotional backing.
But most of all I appreciate the action of all those local people who bought tickets, spread the word on what a great programme was available over those fabulous eight days of Gravity Fields, and whose comments I heard as I got to as many
events as I could during the week.
Thanks to one and all. It’s been fun, our aim of putting Grantham on the map has been well and truly achieved and Isaac Newton has taken on new significance for many, but we couldn’t have done it without you.
Coun Linda Neal
Leader, South Kesteven District Council