This year’s Frome Festival attracted more visitors than any previous festival, generating a real buzz of excitement around the town.
The colourful bunting in the town centre, bright orange festival flags fluttering in the breeze outside the Memorial Theatre, festival banners hung across the road in the town centre added to the festival atmosphere which was helped by 10 days of good weather.
Huge interest was created from outside Frome as the Heart of Wessex Rail Partnership featured Frome and the festival on their summer line guide and First Great Western displayed posters along the line from Bristol to Weymouth. The festival social media campaign orchestrated by one of the festival trustees Gail Norris, indicated interest and the introduction last year of online ticket sales also helped boost visitor numbers. Frome FM put on special Frome Festival breakfast shows each morning chatting to event organisers to help listeners decide which events to go to, and BBC Radio Bristol and BBC Somerset adopted the Frome Festival as their primary festival in the West Country.
Billy Bragg, The Ukulele Orchestra of GB, Reef and From the Jam at the Cheese and Grain were either sold out of near capacity at the Cheese and Grain, as were comedians Dr Phil Hammond, Viv Groskop and Ivor Dembina. The hot ticket this year was Michael Wood’s talk at Rook Lane, ‘In Search of Shakespeare’ which raised money for the Historic St John’s church restoration appeal. The Hidden Gardens were a huge success as always, as were the Open Studios. The Food Feast was so busy that stall holders ran out of food and beer, with Bill Smarme and the business closing the party at 10pm.
Although it wasn’t possible to get along to everything there was definitely something for every taste, age and budget this year.
The Frome Festival Team
