up in smoke.....

hi there

well, let me be honest with you up front. this is possibly going to be one of those "whine" posts, and further one on quite dodgy ground. if you want to read and tut tut, express support or turn the virtual page then fine, but let it not be said that there was no warning!

you can imagine my excitement and enthusiasm when it was announced that the Rewind festival was making its way down here. this enthusiasm was not even dampened when it was clear that the mega, major star of the UK version, Mr Holly Johnson, was not going to be part of the tour. i mean, just have a look at the legends on offer!

wow! class! that's seven excellent acts all on one bill! well, six excellent acts and him out of Spandau Ballet if you want to be pedantic.still, not even that or the matter of the web page for the event, which is quite possibly the worst web page design on the internet, could put me off going. it just sounds all too good to be true.

oh, hang on, what's this in big letters at the bottom of the ticket page?

"new law prohibits smoking within the venue". oh. erm, does it now?

there are, rightly, some strict rules and regulations in regards of smoking in place here. fair enough. there is not, however, any such law that says "total ban". no government would ever do that, so fond are they of the high tax revenue.

just about everywhere you go has specified smoking areas. they are sealed off, ventilated and protect the non-smokers from any possible damage. it seems, however, that they cannot find the space to do one in a stadium. strange, as i would suggest that the chemicals, fumes and smells from those portable toilets that shall be at this concert will be far worse than anything from a cigarette.

a "total ban" at an outside event also seems peculiar, does it not? i mean, if this was at an indoor venue, you would be inclined to say "fair enough, no problem", but outdoors? smoke generally rises, does it not?

interestingly, the organizers go to great lengths to point out that they will sell you lots and lots of alcohol inside the venue. nice one. alcohol of course does no damage whatsoever, and it is much safer, and in the public interest, to have people drink all day and drive home rather than have a few cigarettes and get in a car. oh hang on, have i got that the right way around?

the claim of "new law" is a dishonest one, as illustrated by someone who claims (i have no way of confirming this) to represent the organizers. someone somewhere on the internet raised a compaint along the lines of the above, and this is the response sent.

aha. it is "stadium policy" not to allow smoking. nothing to do with the law. a very strange thing to be so blatant in dishonesty about - if the stadium owners do not want smokers there then fair enough, it is their train set, but why lie and say "it is the law"?

well, sadly, i shall not be going as a result of the above. people are saying to me "go anyway, you will love it and people will be smoking, everyone ignores those statements". it's not the way i do things, though. why on earth would i wish to pay to go somewhere that apparently i am not welcome, and why is it i should be made to sneak around and feel bad about doing something that, within certain restrictions, is perfectly legal?

i do hope the event is an amazing success. so much so, of course, that they do it all again next year. and hopefully next year it's at a venue rather more interested in attracting customers than it is making them feel unwelcome.

you never know, i might have quit by next year..........



be excellent to each other!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!