Mineheads 1940s weekend postponed

Following discussions between the organisers, the West Somerset Railway and Minehead BID it was been decided with sadness to postpone this weekend’s planned 1940s event in Minehead.

Robin Wichard organiser of the weekend said: “We have taken this very difficult decision in the light of the latest government guidance. We remain convinced that the health and well-being of participant and public alike must be our greatest priority. We appreciate that any decision will have consequences for people already committed to attending but we hope that people will understand our reasoning and be assured that we will host the event when the situation improves.”

Andrew Harry from Black Rock Health and Safety who had been working with the event organisers on the event added “The event organisers, performers and venues hosting events had all put a lot of work into risk assessments and effective COVID secure plans, so it is disappointing to have to make this decision. However, with infection rates rising and the change in government guidance reflecting this, we needed to err on the side of caution and prioritise the health, wellbeing and safety of residents and visitors and their friends and families.  

Graham Sizer the Minehead BID Chairman concluded by saying "The aim of the BID is to support any activity that helps the economy of our town's businesses. The retail and hospitality sectors have taken a massive hit during the pandemic. Since the relaxation to lockdown in June our community has shown massive support to our High Street, but this latest Government decision has shown everyone that we still need to tread carefully." 

“After a season of cancelled arrangements and severely compromised income and still with an uncertain future we want to thank the 12 entertainment acts we had booked who had agreed to support our event without taking their usual commercial fee. We continue to appreciate their faith in this event and their commitment to the re-enactment community who we know were desperate to get together with after such a long wait. We hope to be able revive this event as soon as circumstances allow.”

The West Somerset Railway will be contacting those who have booked tickets for access to the station over the next 24 hours to arrange a refund.