Streat. East Sussex.
6th-9th Aug 1970.
The Archive.
updated June 2021
|
|
Streat. East Sussex. 6th-9th Aug 1970. |
Best viewed at 1280 x 1020 - at any lower resolution there will be formatting
problems
Local
press accounts.
Big thanks goes to Kieran McCann for the donation of his collection of cuttings from the local press. Unfortunately in 1970 ( this being the second year that the festival was held in Plumpton ) some of the novelty had worn off for the local press. Although there is the usual litany of complaints , fears by locals that they will be murdered in their beds and Tory MP's complaining about the noise and drug taking carried on from the previous year- there are less details about the bands and festival logistics .
Day one reports -6th August 1970.
Plumpton
Simmers.
A
backlash of complaints from irate villagers is expected during the four day
pop extravaganza which starts tonight at Plumpton Racecourse. This is the likely
result of a high court decision last week not to grant an injunction , which
could have cancelled the festival.
The order had
been sought by Mr Martin Madden, M . P. for Hove, his wife and five other people
living near the festival site.
It would have stopped the racecourse company from using
the site to " cause a nuisance, damage, annoyance or disturbance to the plaintiffs.
"
A festival official said today" it is certainly possible
that we will get many more complaints than ever before. Although the great majority
of residents seem to be behind us, there are still a hard core who are bitter
about the High Court decision.
COMPLAINTS.
The
official added " We
are doing everything possible this year to avoid complaints. And those we do
get will probably be completely unjustified. "
|
The security force
hired to keep order at the festival has been doubled this year to more than
200 and a large fresh water main has been laid to the festival site. Large
numbers of additional toilets have also been provided. Thousands more are
expected by tomorrow night , when the main festival begins. "
This
has all the makings of a big one " a spokesman from the organisers said
hopefully. Several Sussex bands, including Jellybread , are featured tonight in the "South Of England Showcase " concert opener. Tomorrow Family and The Groundhogs top the bill and on Saturday Cat Stevens and Peter Green , late of Fleetwood Mac , are the big attractions. The festival ends on Sunday, with the Incredible String Band , Colosseum , Yes and Deep Purple. |
 |
Pictured above sheltering from the mornings downpour are pop fans from all over Sussex who arrived to get a good position for tonight's start to the festival.
The early festivals.
You can find out the complete
line ups of the first festivals if you follow the links below.
|
|
|
|
|
Festivals 65-83
Most of these have fairly complete documentation .
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|