?ARE you enjoying yourselves, Okehampton?? ?You are beautiful, Okehampton!? A receptive audience of 1,500 gathered on Saturday in Simmons Park for the Battle of the Bands final, with The Animals as the main act. Richard Appleby and his many colleagues, I now congratulate you unanimously on another lively musical event for young and older alike, the fourth and best in this series. Local bands came in second and third places, performing original tracks skilfully. Evolution and Bionic Compromise take a bow! I want to add that the stewardship in the park by Rotary Club members provided secure premises, while the inadequate ventilation and no takeaway food in the hall led to some coming and going. Alcohol was strictly controlled by the King?s Arms licensees, whereas the ?Rowdies? (Times, August 10) had only themselves to blame at the final for excessive intake as each took their own drink. Warnings against under-age drinking came from the stage. So we can do it! A cultural event staged in the park full of original live music and a sign of youthful success. From 60s Animal classics to now ? it truly was ?cool?! Sorrel Carter Station Road, Okehampton I HAVE just returned from a most remarkable and enjoyable evening in Okehampton. Contrary to the negative coverage given by your paper to problems outside the Battle of the Bands heat last week, the final event in Simmons Park was fantastic and well attended by young and old alike. Families attended with picnics, a great team of volunteer stewards and local organisations and businesses (eg Lions Club, Coffee Pot and Millenium Music) serviced the event with food, drink and merchandise. An atmosphere of festival and good-hearted competition prevailed. I cannot understand why the Times, therefore, would choose to give headline coverage to a small minority indulging in ?high jinx? and mar the image and reputation of the Battle of the Bands just three days before the final flagship event, relegating this big story to the third page of last week?s paper. Fortunately, I understand over 1,500 others like me were not deterred by your negative headlines and attended the occasion. This has given a really positive event for youngsters in and around Okehampton (and beyond) to get involved in. Moreover, the event has drawn in hundreds of pounds of business for the town. I met Imran Ali, the owner of the Ganges restaurant, on my way back from the event, who told me that he had to turn customers away, because his restaurant was so full due to the extra people coming into Okehampton for the event. To top it all, the Animals? performance was electrifying and it was a real coup to have them come and stay in Okehampton. My heartfelt thanks go to Richard Appleby, his helpers and all the young people who took part and made the event possible. Jim White 48 Northfield Road, Okehamapton ON reading the front page of the Times (August 10) regarding the ?Rowdies?, I noted that there was no mention of the Police being in attendance. Were they called? Did they attend? Do we have any police on duty in the evenings in Okehampton? I know that we should have some police officers here because I seem to pay an increasing amount for them in my rates every year. I would have thought that this sort of behaviour would be classed as disturbing the peace and the removal of the gates as either criminal damage or theft. Are these occurrences now ?screened out? as no response required? Vic Bohanna Howard Close, Okehampton I WOULD like to use your page to say a huge thank you to Richard from Millenium Music, and his team of helpers. What a magnificent event in the park on Saturday night, the final of three Battle of the Bands heats. What talent our local youngsters displayed! Richard, please do not be deterred by any negative press that had the misfortune to be printed in last week?s Times. Keep up the very, very good work. Mrs E Westlake 14 Pikes Mead, Okehampton WOW1 He did it again. Richard Appleby, ?King of Rock?. What a night Saturday August 12 turned out to be. The gods were kind and gave us a warm dry evening. The bands strutted their stuff and the crowd went wild. By the end of the evening everyone turned into ?Animals?, Animal fans that is. As they belted out hits from the sixties I could feel a lump in my throat. Back in 1964 I was just a kid of twenty-one. If Eric Burdon had walked on stage as they went into ?House of the Rising Sun? my legs would have gone from under me. Richard, you are the ?King of Rock? and long may you reign. Here?s to next year. Oh, what a night, and I?ve got the T shirt! Cheers. David Luckhurst 1 Crocken Tor, Okehampton WHY should the Battle of the Bands be used as a scapegoat? Your lead article of last week (Rowdies under fire) contains the kind of linking of facts and assertions which could undo much of the hard and painstaking work that has gone on to build this event into a countywide success. I was in town for part of the night in question and saw and heard nothing that we do not see regularly on most weekends around town, often as a result of over-consumption of alcohol. This is unfortunate but it is also well known that where there are more activities provided and more choice of activities the more drunken behaviour recedes as a problem. The Battle of the Bands organisers should be praised for creating this highly successful event, which fosters skills, and encourages respect of others and their music. The ?battle? has generated interest and respect right across Devon. In my work as a musician I regularly visit all parts of the county ? for example I know of a Barnstaple band, who are practising hard to be good enough to enter next year?s contest. If Okehampton is experiencing drink-related problems, then the Battle of the Bands should be seen as part of the solution not part of the problem. Paul Wilson Music director, Wren Music l The front page report last week was of comments made at a meeting of Okehampton Town Council. Neither the headlines, nor the introduction to the story highlighted the Battle of the Bands event. The report also included comments by the Battle of the Bands organiser and positive comments on the event by town representatives ? Editor
