Comment: Intervention gives carnival stability (From The Oxford Times)

Comment: Intervention gives carnival stability

9:00am Thursday 7th March 2013 in News

FOR far too long the future of the Cowley Road has been up in the air. It has felt, at times, like Groundhog Day: The carnival is on... the carnival is threatened... the carnival is saved... etc, etc, etc.

There has always been good intent from the organisers and good will from the thousands of punters desperate to see it run each year for a good knees-up, but it was in danger of dying a death by a thousand cuts.

There was the looming danger that both revellers and partner organisations would become permanently disenchanted by the regular uncertainty.

The decision by Oxford City Council to come on board in a formal manner should hopefully be the anchor that secures what was a drifting ship.

While the money is obviously vitally important, it is the infrastructure and expertise the council can provide that is many ways is more crucial.

It allows the organisers to provide the enthusiasm while the council machine could work in the background providing practical guidance.

Grouping it to Alice’s Day is also a smart move, creating a destination weekend that means the sum of the two events is greater than the individual parts.