Budstock to take the gloom out of winter

BUDLEIGH Salterton's very own seaside rock festival -Budstock - has proved so popular, with record numbers attending, that organiser Joe Holroyd is planning a winter event.

BUDLEIGH Salterton's very own seaside rock festival -Budstock - has proved so popular, with record numbers attending, that organiser Joe Holroyd is planning a winter event.

The sheer number of people attending this year's free outdoor event - around 2000 - means future events could cost more to organise.

Mr Holroyd said an indoor winter paid-for live music event could help fund the free summer festival.

Plans are already in the pipeline to hold an indoor music event early next year.

Mr Holroyd said this year's bucket collection had raised a record breaking �350, which would cover the full cost of this year's event.

He said future events could cost more to stage as interest increased - and the paid-for concert would go some way to funding the security, toilets and insurance required to hold the summer festival.

Mr Holroyd said: "I didn't sleep for three nights, worrying about the weather and then thought 'I am never doing this again'. But now I am thinking about doing something else, probably early in the spring.

"In the past we used to do another one and used to charge on the door."

Mr Holroyd thanked everyone who gave up their time to help at the festival.

Budstock brought a close to the town's annual festival of music and the arts, which proved such a success people are already keen to know the dates for next year's event.

Festival chairman Roger Bowen said: "People already want to book their hotel room for next year and are already onto me to know when the festival is.