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Sidmouth Website
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Subject: Sidmouth Website From: GUEST,Peter Stockport Date: 06 May 07 - 02:22 PM I'm trying to make sense of the Sidmouth website. It tells you that Barbara might like a gold ticket but if your names Bill then you might prefer a lead one. But it doesn't actually say what they do. Like, Platinum gets you into everything, Gold gets you into what? Also it doesn't really say whats on. How many events etc. Is everything in the two marquees? It suggests that there are other events but doesn't say which ticket gets you where. Anyone know how it works? I can't even find an Email address to ask them myself. Peter |
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Subject: RE: Sidmouth Website From: Herga Kitty Date: 06 May 07 - 02:35 PM My understanding is that Gold gets you into everything except evening concerts in the Ham marquee. The festival happens all over Sidmouth, not just in 2 marquees. Take a look at the "Is Sidmouth empty?" thread from last month, and the Sidmouth newsletter for more info - can someone else do a clicky? Kitty |
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Subject: RE: Sidmouth Website From: Surreysinger Date: 06 May 07 - 02:45 PM Peter - if you scroll down the Home Page for the festival you will find details of the newsletter - you can download the latest one, and also sign up for emails for updates there. Try this link here |
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Subject: RE: Sidmouth Website From: GUEST Date: 06 May 07 - 03:03 PM The newsletter gives a bit more info but it's still a bit vague. I guess all the platinum does is get entry to the Ham in the evening, plus everything else. Gold gets everything else. Does Gold get the afternoon concert in the Ham? They sold out of Platinum tickets so it would be nice to know what the Gold actually got you. Peter |
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Subject: RE: Sidmouth Website From: Dave Earl Date: 06 May 07 - 03:11 PM Er but they've sold out of Platinum tix. However somewhere round 'ere sumwun sed "Stewards Tickets count as Platinum" so you may wish to click on the link on the site wot takes you to the stewards sign-up page. dave |
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Subject: RE: Sidmouth Website From: GUEST,Peter Stockport Date: 06 May 07 - 03:13 PM The all-inclusive PLATINUM SEASON ticket gives access to all events, including the sixteen headline evening acts at the Ham and the Bulverton – fantastic value! The GOLD SEASON ticket gives access to all events, (including Late Night Extra) but not the major headline evening events at the Ham and Bulverton. Took me a while to find it though.... Thanks Peter |
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Subject: RE: Sidmouth Website From: GUEST,Josie Date: 07 May 07 - 10:22 AM It's all too confusing for me. I've decided to go to the Wickham and Broadstairs Festivals instead this August. May return to Sidmouth in 2008 though if someone can sort their ticketting out. |
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Subject: RE: Sidmouth Website From: GUEST,Sidmouth Regular Date: 07 May 07 - 01:48 PM In my view there's nothing wrong with the website. It's the tickets policy that is causing all the problems. Not only are the tickets getting extremely expensive but most categories don't get you admission to very much at all. I know it's been difficult to keep the festival going and I really appreciate the work that's been done. The website is terrific. The line-up is pretty good. Sidmouth the place is the same as ever. Sort out the tickets and everything will be hunky dory. |
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Subject: RE: Sidmouth Website From: bubblyrat Date: 08 May 07 - 08:07 AM I worked in the box-office last year, and it was a real PAIN trying to explain to people about the change in the ticketting structure, and what they could expect to gain admission to, and why there wasn"t just a "season ticket" as in previous years, and how the festival was being run now, and by whom, and why !!! But I have had it all explained to ME and it DOES make sense, once you realise that the Sidmouth of last year, and the years to come, is NOT, and can never be, quite the same as it was up until 2004.Please try to remember that without the help and support of several individuals, some of whom we like , and some we don"t,(!) there probably wouldn"t be any kind of Sidmouth Festival AT ALL, so please try and be patient,and give the new administration A CHANCE, and make everyone"s job ( including mine !) a bit less stressful this year ! We"re supposed to be enjoying ourselves, not fighting a war !! If you want to moan about the tickets, do it to each other, NOT to the Staff and Stewards !! ( Please !! ) |
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Subject: RE: Sidmouth Website From: Richard Bridge Date: 08 May 07 - 09:47 AM It is usually regarded as good business to ask punters to complain to the organisers rather than to generate bad publicity by complaining to others. |
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Subject: RE: Sidmouth Website From: fiddler Date: 09 May 07 - 04:10 AM Sorry Bubblyrat, Not quite right. I took loads of complaints on about tickets last year and would expect to take complaints on again this year. As a manager I expect to get this and expect my staff to refer such folk to me as soon as it is apparent there is a complaint, or as we did get some, a compliment. I will be there in the Ham again this year and I hope you will be working too. The paying public are our life blood and we must respect and be nice to them, but refer them up the line every time, the 'standard stewards deal' as it were is not enough to include taking flack of our customers. Whatever management decide to do we must fulfill their promises to the best of our ability and if it gets difficult then pass it up the line. I am sure you, as with all the staff I had, do or did their level best and go well beyond the call of duty - thankyou for that. I will not express a public view on ticketing but I beleive the top management have tried to make it easier and fairer than last year, they have listened. Have they got it right? - only time will tell - Please come to the party and lets all have a good time. This is only the third year since Mrs Casey, and the second year of this management we should be glad that this 'grand old lady of festivals' still exisits and do our best to ensure it remains that way. As to the web site could be better but also could be a lot worse! Andy |
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Subject: RE: Sidmouth Website From: Steve in Sidmouth Date: 09 May 07 - 08:11 PM Amongst the major comments locally is not the difference between Platinum and Gold (which could have been made somewhat clearer earlier on) but the lack of information until very recently on day and event tickets, so you could not compare options with the value offered by (say) the Gold season. Also, the Social Dance will be mainly or wholly in town this year (the organisers have listened and acted on that one!) but local dancing folkies are still in the dark as to whether some or many Church or other halls will be used in addition to the Church House Lawn marquee (this is making a welcome re-appearance in 2007). Not having all the information available at the time you have to choose your ticket (or lose the early-buy discounts) is not helpful but may be inevitable as the festival is evolving so fast year by year and so much is simply not known until later in the day. That having been said, the Janet and John "Which ticket do I buy" webpage smacks of headless chicken management. Actually it is sensible to do a Q&A of ticket holders except for the fact that punter behaviour during the week may be heavily influenced by the weather! Numbers doing the Long March to Bulverton could be influenced - but hey - at last - some details on the website about (free???) LNE parking arrangements!! But do they mean Park and Ride or Park and Walk? The other comment I have picked up is that this year - for the first time in decades - several loyal local folkies are NOT buying a season ticket of any description because it has just got too expensive for what is on offer (no Arena, and it is more expensive than in the Steve Heap days). They are waiting to see what (if anything) is available by way of day or event tickets. And we have event tickets from £12 to £25. TWENTY FIVE QUID? ******** hell. Who has been booked? Joan Baez, Kate Rusby and maybe Bob Dylan too? The ticket structure is maybe getting too complicated in an attempt to please most of the people all of the time and maximise income. The official website might be glossy and technically accomplished but it has been sadly lacking in terms of information on logistics - pretty much nothing on car parking until recently, nothing on wet weather arrangements including for parking (it might happen), nothing on the (different?) bus arrangements this year now that the Social Dance may have shifted location(s) - this might be relevant for people who stay in some B&Bs - and so on. As for trying to get an answer to emailed questions - just forget it. The website is stuffed with details on the artists - just the details people don't need who might be coming for the first time - it seems to be assumed that everyone who comes knows all the in and outs of the town and the festival and even if they don't they will be prepared to put up with anything when they get here - all because it is Sidmouth. How about a webpage for first timers? Useful maps, background info, campsite pictures (mud and all) etc. Sidmouth seems to need a full time Q&A person - someone able to field all the questions that get asked and calm the frustrations that may arise with all this added complexity. It already has a Marketing and Communications Executive (whatever that means when it is translated into English) and a publicity chick in London but how about someone to answer questions? Maybe even a telephone line with a person at the end? The local TIC do their best, no doubt, but the festival is surely big enough to justify better dedicated communications direct with punters. Finally, (well almost finally....) the website should have a FAQ link on the home page leading DIRECTLY to a sensibly collated list of FAQs on tickets, parking, and other topics without the need to wade through pages of newsletters to collect snippets of information from amongst the hype. And there should be a Q&A email link and phone number on that page too. From top of official webpage, 9 May 2007: We will continue to sell all other tickets but will not be issuing any more Platinum Seasons. From bottom of the same webpage on 9 May (advising you which ticket to buy): We strongly recommend that anyone who wants to see more than 3 out of the 16 programmed evening events buys a Platinum season ticket. I think it is called joined-up government........ And finally: The youth season is the same price as the Bulverton season, but allows access to all events. It is only discounted until 15 th April! (and this is on a webpage viewed on 9 May). Any chance of keeping the website up to date folks? And as for providing the requested feedback on the ticket selection page: You are welcome to contact us via the website and we would really appreciate your feedback. I can find NO EMAIL LINK OR TELEPHONE NUMBER on this or any other webpage. |
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Subject: RE: Sidmouth Website From: Steve in Sidmouth Date: 10 May 07 - 08:35 AM Discussion of tickets and underlying problems here - comments welcome Sidmouth tickets and complexity 2007 |
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Subject: RE: Sidmouth Website From: Dave Earl Date: 10 May 07 - 10:35 AM Oh Gawd !! He's back !! Dave |
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Subject: RE: Sidmouth Website From: SussexCarole Date: 10 May 07 - 06:11 PM Sidmouth tickets & 'COMPLEXITY' - wow..is that an understatement! |
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Subject: RE: Sidmouth Website From: Steve in Sidmouth Date: 10 May 07 - 06:21 PM I live here. People talk to me. I never went away. |
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Subject: RE: Sidmouth Website From: Dave Earl Date: 10 May 07 - 06:33 PM Will you and Andrew be at Sidmouth Folk Week Carole? Dave |
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Subject: RE: Sidmouth Website From: SussexCarole Date: 10 May 07 - 06:37 PM No Dave, we won't be there. I've never been to Sidmouth but I think Andrew was there once. It all looks far too expensive & complicated for me. |
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