Vale da Telha’s annual Music Festival, scheduled for Saturday August 25th, has been cancelled.
Amovate’s committee has decided to take this step with extreme reluctance to avoid the risk of heavy financial losses on the event.
It was felt that many people would not wish to travel, or be able to travel, to the Old School House, whose somewhat remote location from the main residential areas makes it pretty much impossible to get there for such a social event other than by car.
As most residents are aware there has been an increase recently in the block stopping of drivers at GNR checkpoints in the area to combat instances of drink-driving , with heavy fines and instructions to present themselves at court as a direct consequence.
Our feedback suggests that many people who would normally attend the Festival feel they would rather not risk driving there—and those who would will not be using the bar facilities. Also, a fair proportion of people attending past Music Festivals have travelled by car from the far edges of Aljezur or even from outside the municipality’s boundaries.
Clearly, as we make no admission charge to the Music Festival, we try and make up our outgoings from bar takings, which would need to be in excess of €1,800 to cover the €1,200 costs incurred to stage the event, with fees for the musicians etc., even with a donation from the Câmara.
Amovate fully accepts that the GNR are doing their job and we are not attaching any blame to them for the action we have taken.
But as there is no other transport available to VDT, taxis are few and far between and, with no verges or footpaths on the road from VdT to Vales—and no street lighting—it is too dangerous to walk to Amovate (in the unlikely event that anyone should wish to travel that distance on foot) we think this is the best course of action.
Movement to another venue would not help either as these people still need to travel by road.
We will be meeting in the next week or so to discuss the issue and, hopefully we can arrange events in the future that are more central to VDT, as with the Summer Ball.