The Linton Music Festival, now in its 15^th year is held in the grounds of the Alma Inn, Linton, Ross on Wye, Herefordshire. Twice awarded CAMRA pub of the year for Herefordshire (2002 and 2005) and featured in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide.  

The rear of the pub provides the perfect venue for the music and ale festival.  Rows of straw bales are provided for seating on land that gently slopes down to a purpose-built stage.  This natural amphitheatre and the professional sound system ensure a good view and great sounds for everyone.  Surrounding the amphitheatre is a series of tents and marquees to provide cover in the event of rain.  Sitting above the amphitheatre on the site of the Alma’s car park is the catering area.  A wide range of local food was available, suitable for all tastes including a barbecue, hog roast, Indian, Chinese, a stall with sandwiches, cakes, tea and coffee. The beer tent offered a wide range of superb real ales, plus lager, cider and soft drinks. 

There are large car parks just a few minutes stroll from the venue and disabled parking at the front of the Alma Inn.  Camping was available for £12.00 per night or £20.00 for the whole festival.  Performers’ merchandise/CDs were available adjacent to the stage along with the now famous Linton ’T’ shirts. 

The music was fairly broad-based ranging from rock and soul, through to a slightly more bias this year to the blues (hoorah); as a ‘music’ festival, there was something for everyone.  The committee are to be congratulated for their organisational skills in generating an atmosphere of wellbeing for the event and building a strong base from which to take the festival further.  The quality and range of the music, catering, parking, band turnaround, ticket sales, P/A, and M/C Dave Butler all outstanding.   

The festival is a non-profit-making event and donations are made to various local causes and charities.  The festival sponsors are to be thanked for their generosity and support.  Thank you and well done Linton! 

FOOD FOR THOUGHT 

Has anyone ever wondered what goes on beyond the strong solid green fencing either side of the stage that requires security guards to monitor access?  Let me take you back-stage! Once through security (back-stage pass essential) one finds approximately a half-acre compound. Directly behind the stage are the bands’ kit/equipment holding tents administered by the bands’ team – an eight strong young dedicated team of volunteers who unload the bands’ vehicles on arrival into the holding tents. As required this team transfer the kit/equipment on/off stage between each bands’ performance and back onto their vehicles. These turnarounds can now be achieved in 20-25 minutes – some going and its backbreaking work.  

Opposite the holding tents is the hospitality tent. Run by Liz Muncey and aided by three assistants Lyn, Chris and another Liz. Between them over the three days they provided approx. 170 covers of special dietary needs; vegetarian, vegan and diabetic buffet style catering to the Rider Specifications provided by the bands’ management. These requirements also specify ample towels and bottled water for the bands when on stage. 

Below the hospitality tent is the resting area of tents for the recreational use of all performers and as changing rooms. Showers and toilets follow on at the bottom of the compound and adjacent is a parking area for VIP cars and the bands’ vehicles. 

Please be aware that some 30 volunteer stewards and 25 back-stage staff all work relentlessly to make the festival a success and the only paid personnel are the 6 security guards hired 24/7 following an historic incident on the camping site.  These volunteers and the unpaid committee cannot be thanked enough, without which the event could not go on. 

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