On 15 May 2013 at 6:49pm Castle Gate wrote:
WHOLE TOWN EXPERIENCE PROMISED BY GENTLEMEN OF THE ROAD STOPOVER
It is great to hear that people will be able to come and go from the Gentlemen Of The Road festival site during Mumford and Sons' Lewes Stopover on July 19-20.
Lewes District Council is working with Lewes Town Council and local businesses to lay on a great welcome to visitors and fantastic activities across the town throughout the weekend.
The town will buzz with activity on the Friday afternoon before the first gig, on the Saturday, and for the wind down on the Sunday.
Lewes District Council Leader, Cllr James Page, said, "The council, organisers and local businesses are pulling out all the stops to give visitors a great welcome and a wonderful experience of Lewes throughout the weekend. It'll be a real boost to business in the town and promises great fun for locals too."
Activities lined up include:
Friday 19 July:
* A charity 5-a-side tournament with Mumford & Sons and other bands on at Lewes FC's ground, the Dripping Pan.
Saturday 20 July:
* A free Street Party in Cliffe Precinct including street theatre and a busking stage from 9am â?? 1pm
* a youth stage in Harvey's Yard from 10am â?? 1pm
* a tea dance in Harvey's Yard from 3 â?? 5pm
* a locally-sourced breakfast picnic and ambient and acoustic music in Grange Gardens from 8pm â?? 2pm
Sunday 21 July:
* A gig by home-grown local talent at the Tourist Information Centre, Lewes High Street, in the morning
All weekend:
* Sussex Guild open weekend and other local art and craft stalls at Southover Grange
* Free Stopover town guides produced jointly by Lewes District Council and Lewes Town Council
* Tourist Information Centre staff and volunteers will be around town all weekend to guide visitors.
The two-day festival â?? one of only four UK appearances by Mumford & Sons this year â?? promises to be a boon to local businesses.
* The district's 1,000 hotel and B&B beds and camping pitches for 15,000 people are already fully booked for the weekend.
* Stopover organisers have released some extra pitches at the site; and Spring Barn Farm, five minutes away, has extended its campsite.
* Stopover organisers want local caterers and traders to take as many of the on-site pitches as possible. More than 100 local businesses have already been put in touch with them.
* Southover Bonfire Society has been asked by the organisers to jointly organise local traders in the Priory Village Marketplace on site.
On-site performances run from 5pm to 11pm on Friday 19th July and from 3pm to midnight on Saturday 20th July.
Charles Dobres, Marketing Manager of Lewes Town Football Club, said "We were aware that Mumford & Sons are football fans and we were delighted when they agreed to play a match, which we anticipate will raise a lot of money for the club. They are genuinely as excited as we are about the match at the Dripping Pan!" In addition to the match, Lewes Town Football Club supporters' club are organising volunteers to clear up after the festival on Convent Field in return for tickets to the event.
Both LDC and Gentlemen Of The Road encourage people to walk, cycle or take public transport to the event where possible. However, there is weekend and day car parking in Malling Fields, organised by LDC, and at Spring Barn Farm. Revenue made from Malling Fields will be used to benefit the local community.
On 15 May 2013 at 8:52pm Dave wrote:
Well done to LDC and all the others Stevie Freeman, Nick Luthier Viv etc who helped turn this round.
A great result
On 15 May 2013 at 9:55pm Zzz... wrote:
So funny:
Lewes District Council Leader, Cllr James Page, said, "The council, organisers and local businesses are pulling out all the stops to give visitors a great welcome and a wonderful experience of Lewes throughout the weekend. It'll be a real boost to business in the town and promises great fun for locals too."
Right, now we need people on stilts, gold cowboys, buskers, performance artists, clowns, face painting, open houses, art exhibitions, story telling, bouncy castles, go kart racing and and street theatre.... and all local business open. Make a weekend of it Lewes town!
I'm sure LDC can see the opportunity and would be eager to organise it... perhaps It could be called Lewes Festival.
On 15 May 2013 at 11:23pm kate wrote:
Are you taking the pi$$?
On 16 May 2013 at 12:37am Nick Luthi wrote:
Should be on FB tomorrow, that we are still having a celebration next Tuesday 8 pm in the Lansdown.
Viv and Ben English, Nicky Bryant, Stevie at Union, Samantha, Tanya, 2500 Facebook followers and the Councillors that have tried to be human, local and helpful- Merlin, Donna, Ruth, Catlin, John definitely.
This forum was just one tactic out of many approaches and fronts.
Who cares? Something worked.
And I can't stop grinning.
July is looking pretty f'ing good again 
On 16 May 2013 at 1:51am Fan wrote:
Lewes Town FC? Shurely shome mistake...
On 16 May 2013 at 8:02am Yet another local wrote:
Fantastic news! Although I don't have tickets for the event I do want it to be a success for those who have spent their hard earned cash on tickets.
Just one question will those members who support Lewes FC all year round get first refusal for ticket for the charity 5 aside match or........
On 16 May 2013 at 10:45am rookie wrote:
Who are Lewes TOWN fc? 
On 16 May 2013 at 11:01am Rods Tiger wrote:
Just wondering if anyone has bothered to tell Tourist Information Centre staff about their involvement. . . . . . . .
On 17 May 2013 at 1:42am Nick wrote:
OMG. How funny!! I've just seen "Lewes Town FC". Wow. They really do manage to get stuff wrong, don't they. Makes me just want to tickle their loveable District tummies