The woman who delivers the blues to Colne (From Lancashire Telegraph)

The woman who delivers the blues to Colne

4:17pm Wednesday 1st September 2010 in

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COLNE'S Great British R&B Festival has only just finished - but plans for next year’s big event are already in motion.

SIX hundred backstage passes, 250 staff T-shirts, several hundred meetings and more phone calls than you can imagine.

The Great British R&B Festival, which costs more than £100,000 to host, is an operation that takes over the working lives of everyone involved for most of the year.

From booking the acts to arranging door staff for the eight official venues, every task requires precise planning and on-the-button logistics, involving a total of 150 staff.

The 2010 festival celebrated the best ticket sales in the event’s history and has become the second biggest of its kind in Europe, thanks to organiser Alison Goode.

Pendle Leisure Trust’s executive manager for business development took over the reigns six years ago, but she has been involved in the team since the early days.

And Alison says the secret of the growing success of the Bank Holiday extravaganza is found in the detail.

In her office above The Muni box office in Colne, Alison has spreadsheet upon spreadsheet with dozens of tasks dated from as early as February.

They range from gaining permission for putting up signs across the town and organising the box office rota to making sure the toilets are in full working order.

Other jobs include arranging flights and hotels for international artists, implementing road closures and producing the all-important festival wristbands.

In fact Alison attended her first meeting for this year’s blues festival last September, and will attend another for next year’s event in just a few weeks — with one 2011 act already pencilled in.

She explained: “Our very first meeting is a de-brief in September with everybody involved. We discuss what went well and what can we improve on.

“Then in February our fortnightly meetings start bringing in both the technical and finance teams, working to a strict timeline, and during the festival everyone from pool attendants to Ace Centre staff take on new temporary roles,” said Alison, who has worked for Pendle Borough Council for 26 years.

“We do a lot of research with festival-goers and already we have some feedback, such as including a map on the website.

"It’s these little details that help us improve each year.”

CDs from budding blues artists are piled high at Alison’s base in Bank House, and the smooth sounds fill the iPods of the team responsible for selecting the bands that try out for the prestigious festival.

Past and present festival posters fill the office walls and the in-house graphics team (who double up as brochure models) produce the hundreds of posters and banners for all venues inside and out.

But what has become the second largest event of its kind in Europe started out life as a much smaller affair with just one stage at Colne Muni in 1989.

By the 10th year it had begun making a name for itself with blues fans and musicians alike.

And now people travel from far and wide, with 60 per cent of the tickets sold out of the area.

This year groups are travelling over from Greece, France and Spain, as well as all corners of the UK.

But decisions on how to keep it a successful and viable enterprise haven’t always been easy, or popular, as Alison explained.

“When I came into the role in 2005 I felt the sales were static and it needed new life. We started to look at people who were a bit more mainstream for the Monday, traditionally a quieter day.

"The first year we did it the ticket sales soared and we thought, this is what it’s about — it’s the fourth day, we’re shattered but the place is banging. The stalwart blues fans didn’t appreciate what we did, but we try to provide something for everyone.”

She added: “Some people also complained when the outdoor stage was removed, but it got too big and problems arose with drunks.

"Now we’re trying to get the balance. I think we have something for all now and this year we were trying to get that family feel back with more street entertainment.”

It’s clear to see that Alison lives and breathes the festival.

Her annual highlight is nearly in sight.

She said: “My favourite moment is on the Monday night. I look around and think, ‘Excellent, we’ve done it again'.

“I can’t imagine a day when the blues festival isn’t here. I just love it.”