2016 will be the 10th Anniversary of the new Knebworth Village Festival – if it happens. I say “new” because there have been Knebworth Village events as long as there has been a Knebworth Village. I say “if it happens”, because the lack of volunteers this year means that it may not.
The Knebworth Village Festival we currently enjoy was revived in 2006, as a result of meetings of the Knebworth Parish Plan Team, which took place between 2004 and 2007. The Team was asked to report on “Community Spirit” – and the Community Survey undertaken, not surprisingly, showed 92% agreeing that a sense of community is important, and 84% feeling that community events are an essential part of village life. Team member Robin Wordsworth then cajoled Brian Worthington, who had been involved in successful village events in the early 1990s, to spearhead a revival of the Knebworth Village Festival.
Brian, brilliantly, with a small team of volunteers, built up the Festival over the subsequent nine summers – and his hard work contributed to a well-deserved MBE at the end of 2014. In 2015 the indefatigable Ruth Burr took over, and this June saw one of the sunniest, happiest Village Fun Days ever. For 2016, one or two of the old team – including our priceless treasurer, John Warner-Smith – having volunteered for 10 festivals, are stepping down, and volunteer numbers have become unsustainably low. If you are one of that 84% mentioned above, how about contacting Ruth (knebworthvillagefestival@hotmail.com) with a New Year’s resolution to make the 10th Anniversary of the Knebworth Village Festival the very best yet!
Henry Lytton Cobbold
www.knebworthhouse.com