A BIG pat on the back was last week extended to the organisers of the hugely successful Tavistock Garden Festival, which was staged in the pannier market this spring.

Members of the town council's finance committee last week heard there were more than 60 stall holders at the event, held during the spring bank holiday weekend. In addition to plant and garden stalls and sales, there was music, food, demonstrations and displays which were well received by the crowds who attended the two-day event, organised by council staff.

Councillors were told that although the festival was not a fundraising event, a profit of £526.73 was made. The organising committee is hoping to use the surplus to purchase a gas burner/griddle, which could be used whenever cooker demonstrations are arranged by the town council — currently, the council has to hire a burner, at a cost of more than £200.

Feedback from the festival revealed that 91% of traders attending the event would like to come back, with most of them preferring the spring bank holiday date. More than 90% were happy with the venue and 94% were satisfied by the performance of town council staff during the festival.

Town mayor Cllr Philip Sanders said: 'I would like to congratulate the staff for the hard work they did on the garden festival, and the huge amount of effort they put in, a lot of which was outside normal working hours.

'It was an extraordinarily successful event and I think the feedback survey demonstrates that.

'I think we owe them a big debt of gratitude.'